Laboratory Safety Manual Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management Department P.O. Box 6113, SFA Station Nacogdoches, Texas 75962-6113 Original 2006 Revised January 2010 Revised August 2013 Last Revision December 2018 1 Table of Contents 1. Purpose ...................................................................................................................................................................... 4 2. Responsibilities .......................................................................................................................................................... 4 2.1 The Department of Environmental Health, Safety, & Risk Management (EHSRM) .......................................... 4 2.2 College Dean ....................................................................................................................................................... 5 2.3 Department Chairs and Directors ........................................................................................................................ 5 2.4 Principal Investigators and Laboratory Supervisors ............................................................................................ 5 2.5 Laboratory Employees and Students ................................................................................................................... 6 3. General Laboratory Safety ......................................................................................................................................... 6 3.1 Standard Operating Procedures ........................................................................................................................... 6 3.1.1 General Lab Safety Guidelines ..................................................................................................................... 7 3.2 Hazardous Chemicals and Hazard Communication Program .............................................................................. 8 3.2.1 What are Hazardous Chemicals .................................................................................................................... 8 3.2.2 Hazard Communication Program ................................................................................................................. 9 3.2.3 Safety Data Sheets (SDS) ............................................................................................................................. 9 3.3 Chemical Handling Practices ............................................................................................................................. 11 3.3.1 Purchasing Chemicals ................................................................................................................................. 11 3.3.2 Transportation and Distribution of Chemicals ............................................................................................ 12 3.4 Laboratory Chemical Storage ............................................................................................................................ 12 3.4.1 Chemical Compatibility Guide ................................................................................................................... 13 3.4.2 Flammables ................................................................................................................................................. 15 3.4.3 Corrosives ................................................................................................................................................... 16 3.4.4 Oxidizers ..................................................................................................................................................... 17 3.4.5 Water Reactive Materials............................................................................................................................ 18 3.4.6 Pyrophoric Materials .................................................................................................................................. 18 3.4.7 Peroxide Forming Materials ....................................................................................................................... 18 3.4.8 Compressed Gas Cylinders ......................................................................................................................... 20 3.5 Exposure Control Measures ............................................................................................................................... 21 3.5.1 Chemical Fume Hoods ............................................................................................................................... 21 3.5.2 Personal Protective Equipment ................................................................................................................... 26 3.5.3 Safety Showers and Eye Wash Stations ...................................................................................................... 28 3.6 Basic Laboratory Safety Practices ..................................................................................................................... 29 3.6.1 Housekeeping ............................................................................................................................................. 29 3.6.2 No Food or Drinks in Laboratories ............................................................................................................. 29 3.6.3 Electrical Safety .......................................................................................................................................... 30 3.7 Fire Safety.......................................................................................................................................................... 30 3.7.1 Fire Extinguishers ....................................................................................................................................... 30 3.7.2 Fire Alarms ................................................................................................................................................. 31 3.7.3 Sprinklers .................................................................................................................................................... 31 2 3.7.4 Fire Blankets ............................................................................................................................................... 31 3.7.5 Gas Shut Off Valves ................................................................................................................................... 31 4. Emergency Procedures ............................................................................................................................................ 32 4.1 First Aid ............................................................................................................................................................. 32 4.1.1 First Aid Kits .............................................................................................................................................. 32 4.1.2 Cuts and Other Wounds .............................................................................................................................. 32 4.1.3 Thermal Burns ............................................................................................................................................ 32 4.1.4 Chemical Burns .......................................................................................................................................... 33 4.1.5 Ingestion of Chemicals ............................................................................................................................... 33 4.1.6 Inhalation of Chemicals .............................................................................................................................. 33 4.2 Chemical Spills .................................................................................................................................................. 33 4.2.1 Spill Response and Clean-up Procedures ................................................................................................... 34 4.2.2 Spill Kit Supplies ........................................................................................................................................ 35 5. Training ................................................................................................................................................................... 36 6. Inspections ............................................................................................................................................................... 36 7. Laboratory Security ................................................................................................................................................. 37 7.1 Controlled Access .............................................................................................................................................. 37 7.2 Export Control ................................................................................................................................................... 37 7.3 Inventory Control .............................................................................................................................................. 37 8. Miscellaneous .........................................................................................................................................................