Occupational Hygiene Unit Chemicals in the Laboratory

Occupational Hygiene Unit

Chemicals in the Laboratory


Chemicals in the Lab

• Legal Requirements

• Drugs and Poisons

• Dangerous Goods

• Hazardous Substances

• Risk Assessments


Legal Requirements• Worksafe

– Is part of the Victorian Workcover Authority

– Promote and enforce health and safety in Victorian workplaces

– Responsible authority for the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Dangerous Goods Act 1985

• All dangerous goods and hazardous substances but not drugs and poisons


Legal Requirements

• Department of Health and Ageing– Responsible authority for the Drugs and

Poisons Regulations

– Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP)


Drugs and Poisons, Dangerous Goods &

Hazardous Substances


Drugs and Poisons• Many chemicals listed (list updated 3 – 4 times a

year)

• Schedules 1 through to 9

• Different legal requirements for each Schedule

• Specific labelling rules for many Schedules

• Specific storage requirements for Schedules 4, 7, 8 and 9


Drugs and Poisons• Labelling Rules

– Specific to each Schedule

– Different depending on listing within Schedule and end use

– See Occupational Hygiene Unit for access to SUSDP


Drugs and Poisons• Storage

– Schedule 4 & 7• Keep in locked cupboard• Order and delivery paperwork kept• ALL use to be logged, with clear concise reason for use and

containers weighed pre and post usage and witnessed by Authorised Signatory

– Schedule 8 & 9• Keep in approved Safe (key held by Approved Signatory)• Order and delivery paperwork kept• ALL use to be logged, with clear concise reason for use and

containers weighed pre and post usage and witnessed by Authorised Signatory


Dangerous Goods

• What are Dangerous Goods?

• Why do I need to know?

• What do I do when I have found them?


What are Dangerous Goods?• Essentially they have the potential to create a

“dangerous situation” by their chemical nature

• Can cause an immediate threat to health (eg. Fire or explosion)

• Listed in the ADG Code,

or• Meet the criteria referenced in the ADG Code


What are Dangerous Goods?

FLAMMABLEGAS

2

FLAMMABLELIQUID

3

SPONTANEOUSLYCOMBUSTIBLE

4

DANGEROUSWHEN WET

4

OXIDIZINGAGENT

5.1


Dangerous GoodsFlammables

Maximum quantity of Flammable liquid within a laboratory (outside of a DG Class 3 Flammable safety cabinet) is 10 kg or L per 50 m2

FLAMMABLEGAS

2

FLAMMABLELIQUID

3

SPONTANEOUSLYCOMBUSTIBLE

4

DANGEROUSWHEN WET

4

FLAMMABLESOLID

4


Dangerous Goods

Oxidizers

OXIDIZINGGAS

2

OXIDIZINGAGENT

5.1

ORGANICPEROXIDE

5.2


Dangerous Goods

Corrosives

CORROSIVE

8



Toxic (Poisonous)

6

TOXIC

6

INFECTIOUSSUBSTANCE


Dangerous Goods

Radioactive

7

RADIOACTIVE



Miscellaneous

MISCELLANEOUSDANGEROUS

GOODS

9


Why do I need to know about Dangerous Goods?

• To comply with Victorian Worksafe Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2000, as required by law

• To protect the health and safety of the worker and prevent damage to property and/or the environment


What do I do when I find Dangerous Goods?

As specified by the regulations, users of Dangerous Goods must ensure:

• Correct storage

• Correct labelling

• Keep a register of dangerous goods

• MSDS available

• Undertake a Risk Assessment

• Keep a record of the risk assessment

• Review and revise the risk assessment


Hazardous Substances

• What are Hazardous Substances?

• Why do I need to know?

• What do I do when I have found them?


What are Hazardous Substances?• Substances that can cause illness or disease.

Can be acute or chronic

• Are listed in the List of Designated Hazardous Substances;

or• Meets the criteria for a hazardous substance set

out in the Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances

• Noted on the MSDS (if from Australia or Europe)


Why do I need to know about Hazardous Substances?

• To comply with the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007, as required by law

• To protect people at work against risks to their health associated with the use of hazardous substances


What do I do when I have Hazardous Substances?

As specified by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007, users must ensure:

• Correct labelling

• Keep a register of hazardous substances

• MSDS available

• Undertake a Risk Assessment

• Keep a record of the risk assessment

• Review and revise the risk assessment


Hazardous SubstancesRisk Phrases• A list of standard terms that describes the hazard

associated with the chemical

• Examples– Methanol

• R11 Highly flammable• R23/25 Toxic by inhalation and if swallowed

– Nitric acid• R35 Causes severe burns

– Dichloromethane• R40(3) Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect, group 3

carcinogen


Risk PhrasesFor the purposes of classification, health effects are subdivided into:

• acute lethal effects (R20-28);

• non-lethal irreversible effects after a single exposure (R39, R68);

• severe effects after repeated or prolonged exposure (R48);

• cumulative effects (R33);

• corrosive effects (R34, R35);

• irritant effects (R36, R37, R38, R41);

• sensitizing effects (R42, R43);

• carcinogenic effects (R40, R45, R49);

• mutagenic effects (R46)

• reproductive effects (R60-64); and

• other toxicological effects (R65-R67)

A substance may have more than one health effect


Hazardous SubstancesIARC Carcinogen Classification

• Group 1 Known human carcinogen

• Group 2A Probable human carcinogen

• Group 2B Possible human carcinogen

• Group 3 Not classifiable for human carcinogenicity

• Group 4 Probably not carcinogenic to humans


Labelling• Name shall be spelt out in full

– Can use sample numbers when associated with a sample register

• Must be legible

• For Dangerous Goods include class diamond

• Should include the risk phrase or signal word– Nitric acid

• R35 Causes severe burns

or– Nitric acid

• Corrosive


Labelling

Nitric acid 70%

R35 Causes severe burns

Nitric acid 5MCorrosive

or

CORROSIVE

8

CORROSIVE

8


Dilute Solutions

Corrosive– If pH of solution is less than 2 or greater than 11.5

solution is corrosive

– If pH is between 2 and 11.5 then it is no longer classified as corrosive

– Strong acids and bases diluted below 0.01M are no longer corrosive


Dilute SolutionsNeed to refer to tables in Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances (NOHSC) 2004


Chemical Storage

Dangerous Goods chemicals must be separated by – distance (refer to Table on following page)

or – a fire rated partition

• eg. Flammable liquid storage cabinets

Oxidising agents storage cabinets


SegregationSegregation Guide AS/NZS 3833:2007


SegregationAccessed by Deakin University on 8/2/10


Risk Assessments

• Which Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Substances require a risk assessment?

• When to do a risk assessment?

• How to do a risk assessment?


Which Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Substances require a risk

assessment?

Category 4 and 5 – Categories are determined by the

chemical’s risk phrases (found on MSDS) and displayed in Risk Assessment pro-forma

• Category 5 DANGER “Probable injury and destruction”

• Category 4 WARNING “Threatening work”


When to do a risk assessment?

• all category 4 and 5’s

• once MSDS is obtained

• when ordering new chemicals (before it arrives in the store)

• before storing and handling


Risk Assessment Pro forma








How to do a risk assessment?

Complete RA pro forma

– Risk Evaluation• e.g. Corrosives

Low risk – 20 mL dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl)

High risk – 20 mL hydrofluoric acid (HF)

Flammables

Low risk – 100 mL flammable liquid in fume hood

High risk – 2 L flammable liquid heated


How to do a risk assessment?Complete RA pro forma

– Control measures• Elimination - assess need

• Substitution - for a less hazardous substance

• Engineering - e.g. fume hoods, glove box

• Administration - training, safe work procedures

• PPCE - e.g. nitrile gloves, face shields, aprons


Peroxides

Peroxides can be EXPLOSIVE!!!

• Peroxide forming chemicals eg. Diethyl ether, propan-2-ol, tetrahydrofuran (check on MSDS for peroxide formation)

• Good lab practices (Must be dated upon arrival & upon opening)

• Safe handling (i.e. potentially explosive)

• Regular testing required (every 6 months) once opened using strips available from lab manager

• Chlorine based chemicals e.g. hypochlorites for bleaching, disinfecting, rinsing

• Good lab practices (Must be dated upon arrival & upon opening)

• Lose activity over time so effectiveness is reduced

• Regular testing required (every 6 months) to check chlorine content



Permit Systems

• Permit to Work System– “Permit for Unattended Operations”

• Download from the OHS web page

– Experiment in progress sign and emergency contact details on lab entrance

– Fill out log book for after hours work

– Keep lab tidy and clean at all times


Web Addresses

OHS web page

• http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/current/ohs/

• http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/staff-only/ohs/index.php

http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/current/ohs/

http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/staff-only/ohs/index.php

http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/staff-only/ohs/index.php

Documents

Occupational Hygiene Unit Chemicals in the Laboratory