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The Lab Standard requires operating procedures relevant to safety and health considerations to be followed when laboratory work involves the use of hazardous chemicals.

This Plan represents a minimum set of guidelines for UK laboratories handling hazardous chemicals. Individual administrative units, laboratories or research groups are required to develop more detailed procedures as their situations warrant. These procedures must be written, added to the laboratory's Chemical Hygiene Plan, and made available to Laboratory Workers. Acceptable lab safety references such as those listed in the OSHA Lab Standard may be adopted in whole or may be useful in developing additional procedures. In all situations, individual faculty or staff will be responsible for enforcing adequate safety and hygiene measures in laboratories they supervise. If necessary, additional assistance from Environmental Health and Safety is available. The following standard operating procedures apply to all labs at the University:

GENERAL

Respect and understand the safety and health hazards associated with the chemicals and equipment in your laboratory, and practice the following general safety guidelines at ALL times:

Authorized Access The Laboratory Supervisor must restrict access to laboratories. Children (under age 17) are not allowed in laboratories except as authorized by the Laboratory Supervisor for an officially sanctioned activity (e.g. class or open house). Pets are also prohibited from laboratories.

Containers Check the integrity of containers and if damaged or leaking, transfer to an acceptable container or call Hazardous Materials Management for assistance (323-6280). For disposal, fill out a "hazardous waste ticket" and mail to Hazardous Materials Management. Observe chemical compatibility; for example, hydrofluoric acid must not be stored in glass and some oxidizers should not be stored in plastic containers.

Cylinder Handling Use appropriate hand carts to move cylinders. Cylinders must be secured at all times. Extremely toxic gases (e.g. hydrogen sulfide, chlorine, and arsine) should not be moved through regular exit corridors, particularly during business hours. Always consider cylinders as full and handle them with corresponding care.

Broken Glassware Broken glassware cannot be disposed of in the regular garbage. It should be placed in a box with a plastic liner so that no shards can present a hazard when disposing of the entire container. Do not overfill the container; try to keep it under 30 pounds.

Glass Tubing When inserting tubing into stoppers, lubricating tubing as well as wearing gloves or wrapping in a thick cloth will help to protect hands from being cut in the event of the tubing slipping and breaking.

No Smoking This policy exists throughout the University and applies in all laboratories.

Unattended Experiments Frequently, laboratory operations are carried out continuously or overnight. For experiments involving hazardous operations, it is essential to plan for interruptions in utility services such as electricity, water and inert gas. Operations are to be safe and plans made to avoid hazards in case of failure. If necessary, arrangements for routine inspection of the operation are to be made and, in all cases, the laboratory lights should be left on and an appropriate sign posted on the door.

Door View Panel Lab view panel should not be covered.

Working Alone When working with acutely hazardous materials, it is advisable to have a second person present, or at a minimum, maintain surveillance via telephone contact.

Housekeeping Exits, aisles and safety equipment must NOT be obstructed in any way with equipment, furniture, etc. No items must be stored in the corridors. For questions related to the use of corridors or any exiting or Fire Marshal issue, contact the Fire Marshal office (257-6326).

Food, Drink, Cosmetics Eating, drinking and the application of cosmetics (including lip balm) is forbidden in areas where hazardous chemicals are used and must be done only in well-defined designated non-chemical areas. Do not store food in the same refrigerator with chemicals, biohazards or radioactive materials. Refrigerators, microwaves and ice machines must have labels that denote their use, i.e. "Not for food or drink."

Horseplay Practical jokes or other inappropriate and unprofessional behavior in the laboratory setting is forbidden. Avoid distracting or startling any other workers.

Equipment Use proper equipment that is in good condition. For example, never use chipped or cracked glassware. Shield pressurized or vacuum apparatus and safeguard against bumping or overheating.

Disposal of Waste It is important to segregate wastes. To request pick-up of hazardous waste, biohazardous waste or chemicals, call Hazardous Materials Management at 323-6280. Disposal of all laboratory waste must follow the procedures specified by Hazardous Materials Management. To request pick-up of radioactive wastes, contact Radiation Safety at 323-6780.

Hazardous Materials Hazardous materials should not be used on open laboratory benches.

Mouth Pipetting Mouth pipetting is forbidden.

Mercaptans To avoid false reporting of natural gas leaks, the Physical Plant department should be contacted when mercaptans are used in a laboratory in such a manner that persons outside of the laboratory could smell the mercaptan and suspect a natural gas leak in the building.

Perchloric Acid If perchloric acid is heated above ambient temperature it will give off vapors that can condense and form explosive perchlorates. Hence, when heating perchloric acid above ambient temperature, a specifically designed and dedicated perchloric acid fume hood with a wash down system or a local scrubbing or trapping system must be used. Contact OH&S at 257-2924 before initiating this type of work with perchloric acid.

PERSONAL

Personal protection and personal hygiene are two very basic aspects of laboratory safety. Wearing appropriate personal protective equipment and practicing good personal hygiene as described below will minimize exposures to hazardous chemicals during routine use and in the event of an accident.

Personal Protective Equipment OSHA has amended standards for personal protective equipment (PPE) to require employers to assess the workplace to determine if there are hazards requiring the use of PPE and certify that this assessment was performed. The following generic PPE requirement for labs can be used and supplemented as appropriate. For additional hazards, contact Occupational Health and Safety Department, 257-3827.

HAZARD ASSESSMENT AND PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT REQUIREMENTS FOR GENERAL LABORATORY OPERATIONS Hazard Personal Protective Equipment Required   Eye Face Hand/Skin/Body Any lab use of chemicals Safety glasses at all times   Lab coat Use of corrosive chemicals, strong oxidizing agents, carcinogens, mutagens, etc. Chemical splash goggles Full face shield and goggles (for work with over 4 liters of corrosive liquids) --Resistant gloves (See Appendix VI for chemical resistance of common glove materials) --Impervious lab coat, coveralls, apron, protective suit (for work with over 5 gallons corrosive liquids) Temperature extremes     Insulated gloves for handling ovens, furnaces, cryogenic bath and other devices over 100 degrees Centigrade or below -1 degrees Centigrade Sharp objects (broken glass, insertion of tubes or rods into stoppers)     Heavy cloth barrier or leather gloves

Attire Wear a lab coat or apron, cover legs and feet (no sandals or open-toed shoes), and confine loose clothing and long hair.

Gloves Gloves are essential when working with hazardous substances. The proper gloves will prevent skin absorption, infection or burns. All glove materials are not equally effective in protection from chemical hazards. Consult a chemical resistance chart such as the one found in Appendix VI; consult a glove manufacturer or Occupational Health and Safety (257-3827) for assistance in appropriate selection.

Fume Hoods and Other Engineering Controls See Chapter 5, "Fume Hoods and Other Engineering Controls."

Eye Protection It is University of Kentucky policy that personnel including students, staff and visitors in laboratories wear appropriate safety glasses, goggles, or face shields at all times where chemicals are stored or handled. The wearing of contact lenses in labs is a controversial issue. If contact lenses must be worn consult your optometrist or ophthalmologist.

Safety Shower/Eyewashes Safety showers and/or eyewashes are required in labs where corrosive chemicals are used. PPD is charged with testing the eyewashes and shower units. A log of those checks can be obtained by contacting your respective PPP (LC or MC).

Face Shields Full-face shields must be worn when conducting a procedure where splashing is a potential. Full-face shields with bottom caps to protect under the chin are preferred due to the tendency to raise the chin when a splash occurs.

Personal Hygiene Hands should be washed frequently throughout the day, before leaving the lab, after contact with any hazardous material, and before eating.

Respiratory Protection The use of some substances may require the use of respiratory protection (respirators). See Chapter 4 for a discussion of "Controlling Chemical Exposures".

Personal Use of Chemicals Lab workers are not allowed to remove chemicals from the lab for personal use.

HAZARDOUS MATERIAL HANDLING AND STORAGE

Hazards associated with various chemicals and gases vary widely. Understanding the hazards associated with a compound and minimizing the quantity used and stored in the lab will decrease chance of injury.

Chemical Spills and Accident Response As a matter of policy, University personnel should handle their own small spills and releases. For emergency situations i.e., large spills and leaks, evacuate and call 911 (Campus Police) from a safe location. See Chapter 11, Planning for Emergencies for more information.

Chemical Storage Chemicals ideally should be stored by compatibility, not simply by alphabetical arrangement. Oxidizers should be separated from organics, air/water reactives must be kept dry and cyanides should be stored away from acids. (See Appendix VII for examples of incompatible chemicals).

Volatile toxic substances must be stored in volatile storage cabinets adequate to the purpose. When volatiles must be stored in a cooled atmosphere, explosion-proof refrigerators or similar specially designed equipment must be used.

Chemical Handling Encourage the use of poly coated bottles or use bottle carriers for transporting chemicals that are in regular glass containers. Close caps securely and avoid storing chemical containers in hard to reach areas. Pour chemicals carefully, and never add water to concentrated acid. Metal containers and non-conductive containers (e.g., glass or plastic) holding more than five gallons must be grounded when transferring flammable liquids.

Cylinder Storage Cylinders must be stored in well-ventilated areas with their protective caps screwed on and the cylinder secured (e.g., strapped or chained in an upright position) to reduce the chance of the cylinder being knocked over. Do not store cylinders near heat or high traffic areas. Do not store flammables and oxidizers together. Whenever possible do not store empty and full cylinders together. Clearly mark empty cylinders. Storage of large quantities of cylinders must be done in an approved gas cylinder storage area. For storage and use of flammable gas cylinders, consult Office of Fire Marshal 257-6326.

LABELS

All chemical containers must be labeled. All labels must be legible, in English and include chemical/product name (chemical formulas alone are not acceptable) and include information related to relevant hazards. (See Appendix XI for Hazard Ratings) Labels on incoming containers must not be removed or defaced. Date all peroxidizable and other chemicals which may become unstable over time (e.g. picric acid, ethers); test and/or dispose of them when appropriate. Waste chemical containers must be clearly marked "Hazardous Waste" indicating specific name of waste chemical and date when full.

LABORATORY DOOR SIGNAGE

Each laboratory door must be legibly marked with the following information:

1. Room number
   
2. Department
   
3. Laboratory Supervisor's name
   
4. Emergency contacts, including names, office location, and office and emergency telephone numbers
   
5. Special hazards/instructions (e.g. location of large quantities of flammables or the presence of a "local alarm" system)

See Appendix VIII for standard laboratory signage.

Please insert or reference the location of lab specific SOPs here.