Glove Box Safety

Glove Box Safety

Presented by: Panos Argyropoulos

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Disclaimer

• This training is intended as a first point of entry regarding the potential dangers of working in a glovebox and general procedures on how to conduction yourself in a safe manner • This training is intended as an introduction to a glove box, further in-lab training is required • The best resources for questions will be your professor, your lab mates and finally the Health, Safety and Risk team

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Overview

• What is a glove box? • Proper practices in a glove box • How to ship in: – Non-hazardous equipment – Volatiles – Chemicals from a manufacturer – Synthesized chemicals • Working with solvents • Emergency situations • Glove box maintenance

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Roles and Responsibilities

• Supervisors/Professor – responsible for ensuring compliance with all directives, procedures, standards and guidelines established by the University, their faculty or by government agencies. – responsible for training their students on equipment • Workers/Students – responsible for complying with all directives, procedures and standards established by the University, their faculty or by government agencies. – responsible for conducting themselves in a proper manner to ensure their own safety as well as that of others and must adhere to University procedures and directives on health and safety. Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Why Use a Glove Box?

• Handling hazardous material – Air-sensitive – Water-sensitive – Toxic – Biohazard – Radioactive • Handling material that decomposes • Glove boxes mitigate the risk of the hazardous material but it is PRUDENT PRACTICES that assure safety

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca What is a glove box?

• A glove box is a sealed container that is designed to allow one to manipulate objects where a separate atmosphere is desired. • Two types of gloveboxes exist: one allows a person to work with hazardous substances; the other allows manipulation of substances that must be contained within a very high purity inert atmosphere

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca How does it work?

• The gas in a glovebox is pumped through a series of treatment devices which remove solvents, water and oxygen from the gas to ensure it is an inert environment • The glove box is at a slight positive pressure to ensure no contaminants enter the environment • Gloves are used to manipulate the material inside the glove box – Note that just like disposable gloves, the material must be compatible with the material that is being handled

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Safety Features of a Glove Box

• Positive pressure to the atmosphere – Highly reactive materials will not be subjected to the atmosphere but if there is a leak, it’ll be in the lab • Glove boxes will automatically close their valves when there isn’t a proper pressure of compressed gas • If there is an equipment failure and the glove box cannot be refilled with inert gas, the glove box can remain for a few hours to a few days • Moisture and Oxygen sensors • Nitrogen and moisture scrubbers

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Emergency Kits for your Glove Box

• Every glove box user should be aware of the location of the following equipment in case the glove box goes down: – Spare fuses – Extra gloves – Nitrogen Cylinder – Regulator – Wrench

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) – Closed shoes – Buttoned lab coat – Safety goggles

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Emergency Equipment

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Emergency Equipment (cont.)

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Glove Box Introduction

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca General Glove Box Practices

• Before beginning in the glove box, ensure hands are dry • Put on disposable gloves or talcum powder (choice as requested by the manager of the glove box) • Inspect the condition of the glove box – Gloves: Are there tears? Are they firm? – Compressed Gas: Are the lines secure? Are there any leaks? When was the regulator/fitting last checked? – Ante-chamber: Are there any products/equipment? – Vacuum Pump: How is the pump oil level? Does it sound like it’s working properly? Are there any leaks?

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca General Glove Box Practices (cont.)

• Enter the glove box slowly; if you enter to suddenly, you may rip off the gloves • Use a log book (including Name, Date/Time, Materials etc.) • Turn off the circulation when using harmful solvents and ensure that you purge when the work is done • Maintenance, diligence and proper inspection when working in a glove box will prevent many incidents • Be mindful of the side-products; if the reaction generates a harmful gas, maybe it isn’t the right reaction to be done in the glove box

• O2 levels should not be higher than 50 ppm. A quick purge is necessary if the level gets that high.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Our friend the regulator

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Using the Ante-Chamber

• Baring any emergency, the process of bringing material into the glove box is likely the only time you’ll have contaminations • A minimum of three pump down/backfill cycles before bringing anything into the glovebox, and the pressure must go down to <50 mTorr before each backfill. • If there is no manometer, 15 min for general items in the large chamber and 5 minutes for the small. • The screws to the ante chambers need only be made finger tight to a quarter turn more than finger tight. Over tightening when under atmospheric pressure leads to deformation of the port covers and a loss in seal.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Ante-Chamber Guidelines

• Glassware - Glassware should be dried in an oven for at least a few hours before bringing it into the box. If you cannot do this, you can remove much water from the glass by doing a rinse with EtOH or MeOH then hexanes. Flame drying is also an option. • Chemicals – non-volatile solids should be opened and covered with a Kim wipe/rubber band unless packaged under inert atmosphere. Volatile solids and liquids should be transferred to a Shlenk flask, degassed, then brought in under inert atmosphere • Something to avoid bringing into the glove box: cork rings, Styrofoam and other porous materials

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Ante-Chamber Guidelines (cont.)

• Porous things should be kept to a minimum and require overnight pump down (i.e. gloves, boxes of Kim wipes, etc.) Label your waste with what is in it and ‘used.’ • There is limited space in the glove box so large equipment (ring stands, lamps, hotplates, etc.) should be kept to a minimum. • Ensure equipment can withstand vacuum conditions • Do not bring rolls of labeling tape or markers into the box – instead use a wax pencil – For markers, drop them through the purge valve or

bring it into the ante-chamber by just flushing with N2 and not using the vacuum

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Shipping Into the Glove Box

• Shipping into the glove box is the process of bringing supplies from the outside and transporting it into the inert atmosphere of the glove box • Shipping into the glove box is one of the most important skills to learn to do properly – Improper pressurization of supplies may cause an explosion in the ante-chamber – Improper preparation of supplies or rushing the shipping process may cause an introduction of unwanted particulates into the glove box

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Shipping in Non-Hazardous Supplies

• Non-Hazardous Supplies includes – Kim wipes/Paper Towel – Pipettes – Glassware (including vials) – Equipment such as hot plates – Markers • For all non-hazardous supplies, put the supplies in the ante-chamber and allow it to pump down overnight to ensure their dryness.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Working with Solvents

• Working in a glove box is very different from working in a fume hood; the choice of experiments and choice of chemicals is important to consider • Consider the solvents that are being used in the glove box and are being brought into the glove box – What are their boiling points? – Are they halogenated? – Could they contain water? • Liquids (either synthesized or commercial), should undergo a "freeze-pump-thaw" procedure to remove any dissolved oxygen.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Shipping in Volatile Chemicals

• Not all glove boxes are suitable for having solvents brought in through the ante chamber; it’s best to ask a laboratory manager or a fellow lab mate before bringing in a volatile chemical • Whenever shipping any chemical into the glove box, it is important to look at the characteristics of the chemical – Depending on the boiling point of the chemical, it could evaporate due to the dip in pressure – Some solvents can contain water which is often problematic

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Shipping in Chemicals

• Whether a container is sealed and comes direct from the manufacturer or it is synthesized in the lab, it is not necessarily dry. • For any container not from the manufacturer, make sure the cap is not well sealed to prevent an explosion in the ante-chamber due to a pressure differential • Depending on the chemical, it may require some drying before it is transported into the glove box – Refer to the MSDS for moisture level – Check the label to see it’s purity; the impurities may be trapped water or solvent – Vacuum dry the chemicals before entering

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Emergency Situations

• At any time, users should be prepared for the following emergencies to occur – Power failure – Loss of nitrogen/compressed air – Glove tear/repair • In all instances, the user’s safety is most important; if there is an emergency situation, the first thing to do is call Protection at extension 5411 • Identify your escape route and the location of emergency equipment(fire extinguish, spill kit, emergency shower, eyewash station etc.) before beginning any research

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Possible Emergency Situations

• Loss of compressed gas or nitrogen • Unpredictable reaction in the glove box • Explosion in the glove box breaking through the glass • Loss of power to the box • Loss of power to the building • Fridge is warming up • Purge procedure isn’t working • Gloves perforated or removed from the glovebox • Gloves are sucked in

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Loss of Nitrogen/Compressed Air

• Loss of nitrogen or compressed air will likely be due to human error (forgetting to check the tank, not paying attention to the display panel etc.) • In cases of nitrogen/compressed air loss, the glove box will turn itself off and seal itself until the pressure is sufficient to continue regular operation • Remember: while research is important, your safety is more important so do not try and endanger yourself for the research

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Regularly Scheduled Shutdowns

• If you need to shut down the glove box, the main concern will be a slow leak of gas • If it is a scheduled shutdown, increase the gas pressure within the box by 2-6 barr to compensate for the leak • When the glove box is shut down, do not touch or use the box; this releases more gas and decreases wait time • The pressure inside the gloves is a great indicator to the health of the glove box when the panel is off.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Power Failure

• Air circulation inside the glove box is controlled by the touch panel. • If there is a loss of power to the panel, there is NO safe way to introduce inert gas into the glove box. • Depending on the state of the glove box and their regular maintenance, glove boxes can last anywhere from 12-48 hours without a refill of gas • For shut downs longer than 2 days, contact the manufacturer for emergency protocols. • If you are not already sure, check to see if your glove box is on emergency power.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca How to Replace/Repair a Glove

Step 1: Seal the end of the glove with the sealing cap from inside of the box. Step 2: Take off the two O-rings from top of the glove. Step 3: Replace the old glove with a new glove. Step 4: Replace the two O-rings over the new gloves. Step 5: Squeeze as much air out of the new glove as possible. Step 6: Slowly open the sealing cap until the new glove is pressurized. Step 7: Purge the box for at least 1 hour.

Consult a senior member in your lab if you are unsure.

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Glove Box Maintenance

• Vacuum Pump and Pump Oil • Integrity of Gloves/O-Rings • Catalyst Health/Efficiency • Internal Equipment – Fridge – Lights – Sensors • Compressed Gases – Leak check – Regulator accuracy

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Conclusions

• This training is intended as an introduction to a glove box, further in-lab training is required • Working in a glove box is a great way to reduce the risks of working with hazardous materials • It’s important to remember that working in a glove box is NOT the same as working in fume hood • Not all chemical reactions can be done in a glove box • You should know how to fix a glove and what to do in all emergency situations BEFORE working in the box • Planning your experiments will be the best way to ensure that you can do effective and safe research

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Acknowledgements

• Dr. Tom Baker • Matt Leclerc • Carolyn Higman • Don Hopkins

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca 34

Contact Information

Pubalee Bera Health, Safety and Risk Manager [email protected] x 6425

Panos Argyropoulos Health, Safety and Risk Assistant [email protected] x 4580

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Resources and References

• https://www.chem.tamu.edu/rgroup/barondeau/documents/glovebox. manual.pdf • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sJvNc4NMAa4 • https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwfNeRiN-u8

• http://www.glovebox-systems.com/images/gs-inertgas-glovebox- 01.jpg • http://www.asna.com.sa/wp-content/uploads/2012/09/ilab- glovebox_0005.jpg • http://www.terrauniversal.com/gallery/oversized- images/Images/glovebox_ss_series_600_700.jpg • http://www.labconco.com/images/cms/large/combomodel25.jpg

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca Questions? Need a Hand?

Faculté des sciences | Faculty of Science uOttawa.cascience.uOttawa.ca