Safety Procedures




			Overview of Safety Procedures for the Chemistry Department Emergency Procedures Medical Emergencies and First Aid Basic rules Actions for specific accidents: Chemicals on the skin Splashes in the eye Glass in the eye Cuts Ingestion of chemicals Burns Shock or fainting Fire Escape route Location of fire alarm Sound of fire alarm Location of fire extinguisher Action in case of hearing the fire alarm Action if fire occurs in your laboratory Practicing Laboratory Safety Preparation Good Practices in the Laboratory Handling Spills of Chemicals Disposing of Waste Chemicals Disposing of Needles & Syringes Emergency Procedures EMERGENCY PHONE NO. 25555 Medical Emergencies and First Aid Be prepared to administer first aid according to the following guidelines. Basic rules Wash chemicals on the skin or in the eye as quickly as possible with cool water. Continue washing for at least 20 minutes. If medical help is required, have the supervisor or a senior laboratory worker take charge in the laboratory and accompany the injured person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help 3. If transport to medical help or an ambulance is required, call 25555, give your name, building and room number. Campus security know the campus well and will arrive rapidly with trained personnel. Reassure the injured person and watch for signs of shock (paleness, trembling, fainting). Actions for specific accidents: Chemicals on the skin Wash the contact area immediately with cool water or soap and water for 20 minutes. Remove contaminated clothing. Splashes in the eye Immediately flood the eye with a gentle stream of cool water for 20 minutes. It may be necessary to hold the eye open. Accompany the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Phone 25555 if transportation is required. Glass in the eye Gently hold a gauze pad on the eye to prevent the eyelid from opening and take the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Phone 25555 if transportation is required. Cuts Minor cuts: Wash with cool water and soap to remove chemicals, then cover with a band aid. Major cuts: Wash with cool water, cover with a gauze pad and take the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Phone 25555 if transportation is required. If it is possible that glass is still present in the wound, wash the wound with cool water, cover it lightly with a gauze pad, and take the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Phone 25555 if transportation is required. Ingestion of chemicals Give lots of water or milk to drink and immediately take the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Phone 25555 if transportation is required. Burns Place gauze soaked in ice water or cold tap water on the burned area. As quickly as possible replace with a pad filled with wet ice. Replace whenever the ice melts. If the burn is serious, take the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Phone 25555 if transportation is required. Shock or fainting Have the person lie down. Loosen tight clothing, cover the person with a blanket, and talk to them reassuringly. If symptoms persist, call 25555 for transport and accompany the person to University Health Services, second floor Students’ Union Building, or to Emergency at the University Hospital, 112 Street and 83 Avenue for medical help. Fire Escape route Know the escape route from your laboratory or office in case of fire emergency. The routes are posted in the hallways of the building. Location of fire alarm Look for the fire alarm nearest to your laboratory or office so that you know where to find it should you have to raise the alarm about a fire. Sound of fire alarm The sound of the fire alarm in the Chemistry Buildings is a high-pitched siren interrupted by a voice announcing, “A fire emergency has been declared. Leave the building immediately by the nearest exit.” Location of fire extinguisher Fire extinguishers are located close to the doors of all laboratories. Examine the extinguisher and read the instructions for its use printed on it. Action in case of hearing the fire alarm If you hear the fire alarm, immediately close any gas taps being used in your laboratory, close any open windows, quickly leave and close the door behind you. Descend to the first floor using the stairs not the elevators and leave the building by the nearest exit. Action if fire occurs in your laboratory If a small quantity of liquid in a beaker catches fire, immediately cover the beaker with a watch glass or place a larger beaker over it. If the burning liquid has spilled on the bench, or there is a small fire that you can safely put out using a fire extinguisher follow these steps: remove the fire extinguisher from its holder pull the pin to break the plastic seal with your back to the exit, aim the extinguisher at the base of the fire pull the trigger sweep the extinguisher from side to side until the fire is extinguished. If it becomes unsafe to fight the fire, immediately leave the laboratory, closing the door behind you and pull the nearest fire alarm. When a fire alarm in the Chemistry Department is activated, it automatically brings campus security personnel and the City of Edmonton Fire Department and Fire Engine to the East Doors. Practicing Laboratory Safety Preparation Know where the emergency equipment is in the laboratory. Fire extinguisher Eye wash First aid box Safety shower Think about the experiment you are going to perform. Look at the chemicals you will use and make sure that you know the hazards of each. If you are not familiar with them, read the Material Safety Data Sheet. How to access these sheets is indicated in a later section. Think about the hazards of the steps in your experiment. Should it be set up in the fume hood? Good Practices in the Laboratory Always wear eye protection. Wear a lab coat. Wear appropriate gloves when necessary. Wear covered shoes, not sandals. Use a face shield or work behind the fume hood if there is a risk of an explosive reaction. Do not eat, drink or store food in the lab. Never pipette by mouth. Long hair and loose clothing should be confined with rubber bands. Wash hands before leaving the laboratory. Know the hazards of the chemical before using it. Never work alone. Handling Spills of Chemicals Spill kits are available in all storerooms. They consist of a plastic pail containing goggles, a pair of rubber gloves and a bottle of Spill Mix. The Spill Mix is a mixture of equal weights of sodium carbonate (to neutralize any acid present), clay cat litter (sodium bentonite, to absorb any liquid) and dry sand (to moderate any reaction). On the side of the pail there is a detailed procedure for handling spills. This is also given below. Procedures to follow if a hazardous chemical is spilled Assess the hazard. Get help and seal off the area. If the chemical has contacted anyone's skin, get that person to water immediately and wash the affected area. Cover liquid spills with Spill Mix (available in all storerooms) until all liquid is absorbed. As necessary, protect yourself from fumes or contact with the chemical. Scoop the residue into a plastic pail. Place the pail in a fume hood. Depending on the chemical spilled, dispose of the residue appropriately. For acids and bases, add water to the pail, test the pH, neutralize if necessary and pour the supernatant liquid into the drain. For flammable liquids, allow to evaporate in the fume hood. For solids, package in a plastic container, label clearly with the name of the chemical spilled and take to the storeroom, WB for disposal. Document the incident and give a copy to Margaret-Ann Armour in W3-35 and to Tom Brisbane in E3-44. Disposing of Waste Chemicals Organic liquids should be poured into the red waste containers. Do not pour any organic solvents into the drain. Waste solids should be packaged and labeled for disposal. Do not throw any chemical waste into garbage containers either in the lab or in the hallways. If you have any questions about waste disposal see Margaret-Ann Armour in W3-35 or Tom Brisbane in E3-44. Place broken glass in the yellow garbage containers in the center hallways. Do not place any chemical or other type of waste in these containers. Chemicals should be removed from the glass before placing it in the yellow bin. Disposing of Needles & Syringes It is the policy of the University that ALL needles, syringes, and needle/syringe assemblies be disposed of in a clearly labeled sealable, leak proof, puncture resistant, container. When the container is 2/3 full, the container is sealed, and a request for waste pickup by Tony Selinger (the same person who picks up waste chemicals and radioactive material) be submitted to Environmental Health & Safety (just as is done for chemicals and radioactive waste). This applies to any syringe whether it has a needle attached or not. There is a negative perception attached to syringes, and a number of years ago the waste contractor threatened to discontinue service to the University if any syringes were found in dumpsters. Further, should a bag of syringes break open at the landfill and be attributable to the University, we would certainly receive unwanted negative publicity. This policy can be found on page 35 of the Biosafety Manual, which can be downloaded from the EHS website www.ehs.ualberta.ca. While this is stipulated in the Biosafety manual, it applies across campus and not just biohazard laboratories. Note: These procedures apply to ALL research and teaching laboratories within the Department of Chemistry and must be followed.