Environmental Health & Safety Lab Safety SOP for Highly Hazardous Chemicals Cyanides and Cyanogens

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SECTION 1: HAZARDOUS CHEMICALS

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SECTION 2: POTENTIAL HAZARDS

 Cyanide salts are highly toxic. Very harmful or fatal if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed via contact with the skin or eyes. It presents toxicity by skin absorption through open wounds and by inhalation of dust. This substance inhibits cellular respiration, which leads to anoxia. Blue discoloration or the skin (Cyanosis) tends to be associated with severe cyanide poisoning, but can cause deceptively healthy pink to red skin color.  Examples of these chemicals include: hydrogen cyanide, cyanide salts (e.g. sodium, potassium cyanides), metal cyanides (e.g. copper, silver and zinc cyanides) and cyanogens (e.g. cyanogen bromide).  Hydrogen cyanide is a highly toxic gas with a faint, bitter, almond like odor. The acute toxicity of hydrogen cyanide is high, and exposure by inhalation, ingestion, or eye or skin contact can be rapidly fatal.  Cyanogen bromide is extremely destructive to tissue of the mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract, eyes, and skin. Exposure to cyanogen bromide may cause cough, shortness of breath, headache and nausea.  Sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide are extremely destructive to tissue of the mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract, eyes, and skin. Exposure to sodium cyanide may cause cough, shortness of breath, headache and nausea. Inhalation may provoke the following symptoms: spasm, inflammation and edema of the bronchi. Aspiration or inhalation may cause chemical pneumonitis, pulmonary edema, lungs, central nervous system depression with hypertension or circulatory failure, and respiratory depression.  Trialkylsilyl cyanides (e.g. trimethylsilyl cyanide (TMSCN), tert-butyldimethylsilyl cyanide (TBDMSCN)) are acutely toxic (oral, dermal, inhalation) owing to their facile reaction with water to generate hydrogen cyanide with its documented hazards.

SECTION 3 – TRAININGS/APPROVALS REQUIRED

 PI or designee must provide training to the laboratory personnel specific to the hazards involved in working with hazardous chemicals, work area decontamination, and emergency procedures.  The laboratory personnel should attend the trainings, review this SOP and SDS and complete the documentation of training.  The trainings should be provided prior to work with hazardous chemicals and annual refresher thereafter. SECTION 4 – DESIGNATED AREA Storage & Use Location: Enter Building and Room Number(s) Enter Storage Conditions. (For example: room temperature, refrigerator, inert atmosphere, glove box. Storage Conditions: Please refer to Section 7 for more information on choosing appropriate storage conditions)

SECTION 5 – ENGINEERING CONTROLS / EMERGENCY SAFETY EQUIPMENT Engineering Controls All handling and use of cyanide, cyanogen, and trialkylsilyl cyanide compounds must be performed inside a certified chemical fume hood and with the sash at the lowest possible height for safe usage of reagents. Emergency Safety Equipment  An eyewash, safety shower, and ABC fire extinguisher must be available within the work area for immediate emergency use. All personnel must be aware of their locations prior to working with highly hazardous chemicals.  If cyanide exposure is suspected, call 353-2121 (CRC) or 414-4444 (BUMC/BMC) immediately for emergency transport or go to nearest Emergency Department (ED). Inform them this is a possible cyanide poisoning and that cyanide antidote should be available.

SECTION 6 – PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT Eye Protection Fully enclosed goggles or a face shield are recommended for work with these chemicals as they offer greater facial protection than safety glasses. Hand Protection Gloves must be worn when handling cyanides, cyanogens and trialkylsilyl cyanide chemicals. Disposable nitrile gloves should be adequate for handling most of these in general laboratory settings. If direct or prolonged contact is anticipated, appropriate chemical-resistant gloves should be used. A Safety Data Sheet (SDS) should be reviewed if handling may involve extended or high exposure to lab personnel to ensure adequate skin protection is provided. Skin and Body Protection Protection equipment against chemicals such as lab coats is required. Full-length pants or equivalent as well as closed toe shoes must be worn. Long-sleeved clothing, lab coat or apron is advised if more than normal handling operations could be expected.

SECTION 7 – SPECIAL HANDLING PROCEDURES AND STORAGE REQUIREMENTS Precautions for Safe Handling

 Do not work alone when working with highly hazardous chemicals. All colleagues in the area should be made aware of the hazards with the project.  Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Avoid formation of dust and aerosols. Further processing of solid materials may result in the formation of combustible dusts. The potential for combustible dust formation should be taken into consideration before additional processing occurs.  Avoid use of cyanides in acidic aqueous solutions; solution pH should be between 9-10.5.

Boston University Research: Environmental Health & Safety CYANIDES & CYANOGENS SOP 2  Provide appropriate exhaust ventilation at places where dust is formed.  Inform others in the laboratory about your usage of highly hazardous chemicals.  Use gas-tight syringes for measuring volumes of trialkylsilyl cyanides. Reactions should be performed under an inert atmosphere. Avoid using water (ice) baths as accidental spillage of reagent into bath will generate HCN gas. Keep reagent away from ignition sources. Weighing and Preparation

 For weighing or use, transport cyanide reagent from the storage area to the chemical fume hood in a labeled, sealed non-breakable secondary container. Always remove cyanide from its secondary container in a chemical fume hood in order to safely vent any accumulated vapor.  Perform all weighing and preparation of cyanide solutions over plastic-backed absorbent pads in a chemical fume hood. Dispose of pads immediately upon contamination and after completion of tasks in a bag labeled as cyanide hazardous waste.  Wear nitrile gloves for all procedures involving preparation and handling of cyanide. Wear two pairs of disposable nitrile exam gloves or one pair of non-disposable nitrile gloves (minimum 10 mil thickness) when working with cyanides that readily absorb through the skin, when cleaning up spills and when handling cyanide-containing liquids.  Change gloves after each use, or immediately when torn, punctured, or contaminated. Wash hands thoroughly. Use

 If applicable, a sharps container specifically for cyanide will be in the immediate vicinity for safe sharps disposal. Avoid use of needles/sharps or use safety sharps that you are experienced with when possible.  Place all potentially contaminated disposable items in a separate cyanide hazardous waste bag or container before disposal.  Non-disposable utensils, glassware, and other surfaces contaminated with cyanide compounds must be decontaminated at the end of the laboratory work session. Complete this inside a fume hood before removing any of the items. Clean syringes with pH 10 buffer solution and then rinse with a freshly made 10% bleach solution. Treat spent cleaning solution as cyanide waste.  Wash all contaminated surfaces with pH 10 buffer solution and rinse with a freshly made 10% bleach solution.  When work completed, remove gloves and wash hands with soap and water. Storage Requirements

 Never allow product to get in contact with water during storage. Do not store near acids. Cyanides, cyanogens, and trialkylsilyl cyanide compounds in contact with (aqueous) acids liberate very toxic and highly flammable hydrogen cyanide gas.  Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers that are opened must be carefully resealed and kept upright to prevent leakage. Ensure that manufacturer’s labels and warnings remain intact. Sodium cyanide and potassium cyanide can react with water and even humidity to produce hydrogen cyanide gas.  Store cyanides away from incompatible chemicals to prevent adverse reactions including formation of hydrogen cyanide gas. These include oxidizing agents (such as perchlorates, peroxides, permanganates, chlorates, nitrates, chlorine, bromine, and fluorine), amines, calcium hydroxide, caustic ammonia, sodium carbonate, iron and magnesium.  Keep trialkylsilyl cyanide reagents under a nitrogen blanket. Store in a cool, dry, well-ventilated area away from incompatible substances. Store in a refrigerator designed for flammables. Store protected from moisture.  Never return excess chemicals to the original container.

Boston University Research: Environmental Health & Safety CYANIDES & CYANOGENS SOP 3  Purchase only the smallest amounts necessary for your work, and discard old materials promptly. Reagents should be periodically examined to ensure containers are in good condition.  Storage requirements will depend on the specific chemical being stored. Check Safety Data Sheets for incompatibilities when storing chemicals.  Avoid storing the material by exits.

Transport Requirements

 Transportation of hazardous chemicals should follow the guidelines for chemicals as described in the BU Chemical Hygiene Plan. For bulk transport, chemicals should be transported using a clean cart. The materials themselves must be in sealed containers, clearly labeled with the contents name and applicable hazard classification(s).

SECTION 8 – SPILL AND ACCIDENT PROCEDURES

EMERGENCY PROCEDURES FOR CHEMICAL EXPOSURE If cyanide exposure is suspected, call 353-2121 (CRC) or 414-4444 (BUMC/BMC) immediately and tell them this is a possible cyanide exposure event. Before assisting affected person, ensure that assisting does not cause cyanide exposure to the responder. Do not contact the affected person’s contaminated clothing or skin without PPE and do not give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.

Treat all exposures (skin, inhalation, ingestion) seriously. Do not rely on odor threshold as 20-60% of people cannot detect the “bitter almond” odor of hydrogen cyanide gas.

Symptoms of acute exposure are:  Weakness, difficulty breathing  Headache, confusion, dizziness, vertigo  Nausea, vomiting  Skin becomes pink/cherry red from cyanide-hemoglobin reaction  Continued exposure can cause coma, pulmonary edema, cardiac arrest PROVIDE FIRST AID IMMEDIATELY  For inhalation exposure, without contaminating yourself, move the individual out of contaminated area to fresh air while awaiting emergency responders. Do not give mouth-to-mouth or mouth-to-nose resuscitation, as this may cause cyanide exposure to the rescuer.  For sharps injury (needlestick or subcutaneous exposure), flush the exposed area thoroughly for 15 minutes using lukewarm water.  For skin exposure, use the nearest safety shower for 15 minutes. Stay under the shower and remove clothing. Use a clean lab coat or spare clothing for cover-up.  For eye exposure, use the eye wash for 15 minutes while holding eyelids open. GET HELP IMMEDIATELY

 Call 353-2121 (CRC) or 414-4444 (BUMC/BMC) immediately for emergency transport or go to nearest Emergency Department (ED). Inform them this is a possible cyanide poisoning and that cyanide antidote should be available. Give details of exposure: o Chemical o Dose o Route of exposure o Time since exposure

Boston University Research: Environmental Health & Safety CYANIDES & CYANOGENS SOP 4  Bring to the ED the SDS/MSDS and this SOP with the information from CDC Emergency Response Safety and Health Database: Cyanide chloride http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750039.html Hydrogen cyanide http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750038.html Potassium cyanide http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750037.html Sodium cyanide http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ershdb/emergencyresponsecard_29750036.html  Notify your supervisor as soon as possible for assistance.  Secure area before leaving. Lock doors and indicate spill if needed. REPORT INCIDENT TO ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY

Notify EHS immediately after providing first aid and/or getting help.

Emergency Procedures for Chemical Spill or Accident Any cyanide spills must be cleaned up immediately by properly protected and trained personnel. All other persons should leave the area. Spill response procedures must be developed based on the chemical and potential spill or release conditions. Clean up spills using contents of the spill kit. Do not attempt to clean up any spill if not trained or comfortable. Since cyanides will react with water to produce toxic hydrogen cyanide gas, never attempt to clean up cyanide spills with plain water. Evacuate the area and call EHS for help. If a person is injured, exposed or suspected of being exposed to cyanides, call 353-2121 (CRC) or 414-4444 (BUMC/BMC) immediately. Follow EXPOSURE PROCEDURES described above. SMALL SPILLS INSIDE A FUME HOOD OR APPROVED CONTAINMENT

 Close hood sash, cordon off area.  Do not attempt to clean up spilled cyanide with plain water since cyanides will react with water to form toxic hydrogen cyanide gas. Use pH > 10 buffer solutions.  Personnel must wear a lab coat or smock, safety goggles, and two pairs of disposable nitrile gloves (or one pair of non-disposable nitrile or butyl gloves (minimum 10 mil thickness) or Silver Shield gloves), when cleaning up spills.  Liquids: Wipe up spilled liquids with absorbent pads.  Solids: Gently cover solid spills with paper towels or absorbent pads wetted with pH 10 buffer solution to avoid raising dust and then wipe up.  Clean the spill area thoroughly with pH 10 buffer solution followed by dilute bleach solution.  If spill is extensive within the containment, clean all interior surfaces after completion of the spill cleanup as in 7 above.  Double bag all waste in plastic bags labeled with the contents and store in fume hood away from incompatible chemicals or procedures. Submit request to EH&S for cyanide hazardous waste pick up.  If deemed appropriate, call EHS; tell them that a cyanide spill has occurred and you need advice or assistance. Notify supervisor. LARGE SPILLS INSIDE FUME HOOD OR APPROVED CONTAINMENT

 Close hood sash, cordon off area.  Call EHS; tell them that a cyanide spill has occurred, and that you need help managing the spill. EHS may decide to contact a spill cleanup contractor. Notify supervisor.  Be prepared to provide the following information: o Name and phone number of knowledgeable person that can be contacted o Name of chemical spilled, concentration and amount spilled, liquid or solid type spill o Number of injured, if any (refer below to EXPOSURE PROCEDURES in case of emergency)

Boston University Research: Environmental Health & Safety CYANIDES & CYANOGENS SOP 5 o Location of spill ANY SPILL OUTSIDE OF FUME HOLD OR APPROVED CONTAINMENT

 Evacuate all personnel from the laboratory and restrict access.  As soon as possible report the spill by notifying EHS; tell them that a cyanide spill has occurred, and you need help managing the spill. EHS may contact a spill cleanup contractor. Notify supervisor.  Be prepared to provide the following information: o Name and phone number of knowledgeable person that can be contacted o Name of chemical spilled, concentration and amount spilled, liquid or solid type spill o Number of injured, if any (refer below to EXPOSURE PROCEDURES in case of emergency) o Location of spill

SECTION 9 – WASTE DISPOSAL

 Cyanide waste should be collected independently of other waste streams. Never add any acidic compounds to a cyanide waste container.  Work-space surfaces must be wiped down after completion of tasks with appropriate cleaning solution. Absorbent pads will be replaced after completion of tasks or immediately if contaminated.  Cyanide is an Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) P-Listed (acutely toxic) material. Empty containers that held P-listed chemicals must also be disposed of as hazardous waste. The containers are not allowed to be washed or re-used.  Unused and waste P-listed cyanide solid and solutions must be sealed in labeled chemically compatible sturdy containers (no more than one quart in volume) for pickup as hazardous cyanide waste by EHS.  The bottles a P-listed cyanide was received in, even when empty, must be managed and collected as hazardous cyanide waste. This also includes empty vials, syringes, pipette tips, and other containers if the cyanide-containing chemical was the sole active ingredient in the container.  Used and potentially contaminated absorbent pads, PPE, etc. will be placed in a labeled hazardous chemical waste bag specifically for the P-listed cyanide. Submit request to EHS for pickup.  Used sharps will be placed in sharps containers specifically labeled as containing P-listed cyanide- containing chemical. Submit request to EHS for pickup.  Keep cyanide waste materials in closed and labeled dedicated bags and containers within a fume hood away from incompatible chemicals or procedures before EHS pickup.  Charles River Campus waste disposal requests should be directed to EHS at http://www.bu.edu/researchsupport/forms-policies/ hazardous-waste-pickup-request-charles-river-campus/  Medical Campus and BMC waste disposal requests should be directed to http://wwwapp.bumc.bu.edu/oehs/wasterequest/wasterequestform.aspx

SECTION 10 – LAB SPECIFIC CHANGES Laboratory-Specific Describe any deviation from the recommended practices in the SOP Procedures:

Boston University Research: Environmental Health & Safety CYANIDES & CYANOGENS SOP 6 DOCUMENTATION OF TRAINING

Print this page (multiple copies as needed) and insert into your Chemical Safety Logbook, under the Personnel and User Certification section.

The laboratory personnel should attend annual training sessions, review this SOP and SDS, and sign the training form. Signature of all users is required.

I have read and understand the content of the referenced SOP:

Name (please print) Signature Date

Boston University Research: Environmental Health & Safety CYANIDES & CYANOGENS SOP 7