Materials Science & Engineering Dept.
Along with
Environmental Health & Safety
University of Tennessee
 Posted on the MSE website
 Door Placards
For Lab Safety
Questions:
 Pam Koontz
 pjkoontz@utk.edu
 James Cantu
 jcantu@utk.edu
For Hazardous Waste
Questions:
 April Case
 acase3@utk.edu
Environmental Health & Safety
ehs.utk.edu
974-5084 www.facebook.com/utkehs
UTK/UTIA Biosafety Office
Robin Lyn Trundy
UTK/UTIA Safety Officer
974-1938
rtrundy@utk.edu
Amy Knowles
UTIA Occupational
Health Nurse
974-5728
aknowles@utk.edu
UTK Radiation Safety Office

Marsha Smith
Radiation Safety Officer
Phone: 974-5580
E-mail: mmsmith@utk.edu
Dr. Kurt Sickafus
Dr. Carl Lundin
Dr. Roberto S. Benson
Dr. Maulik Patel
Chris Wetteland
Greg Jones
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For Emergency Call 911
Call your Supervisor
Call Safety Coordinator Greg Jones, or assistant
Coordinator, Dr. Malik Patel
If you can not reach any of the above from our
Dept. contact the MSE main office (Carla)
Call Environmental Health & Safety for help with
spill cleanup, or to report unsafe conditions
Help your Supervisor fill out a “Supervisors Report
of Employee Accident form” ASAP!
UT Student Health
Center
1800 Volunteer Blvd.
UT Medical Center
1924 Alcoa Highway
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Safety depends on
choices
Good choices rely
on having good
information before
the choice has to be
made.
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Training
◦ Initial
◦ Periodic
◦ As-needed
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Resources
◦ MSDS/SDS, Labels, Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP),
Emergency Response Plan, Faculty In Charge,
Person In Charge (PIC)
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Ask Questions!
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What is the nature of my lab?
◦ My work space
◦ My neighbor’s work space
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What hazards are present?
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Chemical/Physical/Bio/Rad
Do you know how to react?
Have you practiced?
Have you shared your knowledge?
Is there an Emergency Plan, Chemical Hygiene
Plan, SDS?
Plan, Share, Practice
 Make
a plan
 Write it down
 Ensure everyone understands
 Review and practice
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Accidents
Spills / Splashes / Accidental Releases
Near Misses
Fire
Campus wide emergency
UT Alert System
(http://www.utk.edu/utalert/)

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Emergencies – 911
Chemical spill or release –
EHS – 4-5084
(do not leave a voicemail message)
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After hours spill or release – UTPD –
4-3111
Know your work environment

Environmental Hazards
◦ Work area conditions
◦ Hot/cold, humid/dry, improper lighting

Chemically Produced Physical Hazards
◦ Explosives & Reactives
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Equipment Hazards
◦ Mechanical, Electrical, Vacuum, High pressure, Cut
and Abrasion Hazards, Hot and Cold equipment,
Open flames, Noise/Sound

Number one type of accident is still “Slips,
Trips, and Falls”
◦ Maintain safe pathways and use good housekeeping
◦ Keep cables and cords in safe paths where they will
not be damaged and they will not contribute to trip
hazards.

Highly Reactive compounds and
incompatibles can cause very powerful energy
release in the form of intense light, heat or
pressure waves.
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Use only the scale of reaction required and
approved to achieve your goals.
Use proper PPE and Engineering Controls to
prevent exposure to a potential explosion
If the agent/reaction
has the possibility of a
violent reaction believe
that it could happen
to you.
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Know and train on even the most basic
equipment.
Equipment with moving parts can entrap
extremities, clothing, and long hair.
◦ Use proper clothing and PPE and tie back long hair.
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Ensure guards are in place and in good
condition.
Never remove safety devices
Moving parts can throw objects
Use lockout tagout procedures when
repairing

Ways to avoid common lab electrical hazards
are ensuring cables and cords are not
damaged by the lab environment.
◦ Avoid heat/flame damage to insulation such as with
hotplates or
◦ mechanical trauma such as the damage a cord may
receive behind a heavy object such as a gas
cylinder.
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Do not daisy chain extension
cords or power strips.
Extension cords are designed
for temporary use only.
If electrical work is needed in your lab a
qualified electrical worker is required to do
the work.
Use GFCI outlets when the risk of shock is
higher such as at sinks and water sources.
◦ Note: Grounding and GFCI are not the same.
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Never bypass a grounding prong on an
electrical plug.
If your outlets are not “holding” or “gripping”
the plug, then notify facilities services as the
outlet may be damaged and a fire hazard.
If work is required in your lab
please ensure you are aware of
what a lockout condition is and
how it relates to you as a nonelectrical worker.

Chance of Implosion or Explosion
◦ Where do all the parts go?
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Particularly dangerous with Glassware
For pressurized equipment and glassware:
◦ Ensure a blast shield or hood sash is in place.
◦ If using a face shield eye protection must be worn
as well
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Broken Glassware should be replaced.
Good housekeeping keeps your lab both
looking better and safer.
PIC’s look around your lab and ask…
Do we have the PPD we need?
Does the lab look safe?

Use Cryo gloves and eye protection when
working with Liquid Nitrogen or dry ice.
◦ Flash Freezing works well on samples
◦ It also can work well on you

Dispense and Transport
Liquid Nitrogen only with
approved methods.
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Never leave unattended.
Keep away from flammable
and combustible materials
including volatile flammable
gases
Keep hair tied back and
loose clothing away
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Hearing protection programs can be required
under OSHA.
Thresholds are set for an 8-hour work day
EHS can survey a work area on request.
Hazard Classes
Storage
Use & Handling
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Oxidizer
Flammable
Explosive
Acutely Toxic
Corrosive
Compressed Gases
Health Hazard
Environmental Toxin
Exclamation Mark
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SDS
Chemical labels
Chemical Hygiene
Plan
SOPs
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Oxidizers and
flammables
Acids and bases
Flammables and
corrosives
Corrosives and
metals
Know what to do
with strong
reactions
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Segregate
incompatibles by
storing in different
cabinets
Use secondary
containment when
space is at a
premium

Do
◦ Segregate by hazard
class first
◦ Use proper
containers
◦ Use secondary
containment
◦ Check expiration
dates
◦ Inspect shelving and
shelf clips
periodically
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Don’t
◦ Stack chemicals or store
too high
◦ Allow containers to hang
over edge
◦ Use food containers
◦ Allow excessive bench
top and fume hood
storage
◦ Keep chemicals
indefinitely or past
expiration dates
◦ Store flammables in
unapproved refrigerators
Some chemicals are unstable when stored past their expiration dates:
Ethyl ether (diethyl ether)
Sodium Azide
Picric Acid
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Lab Specific SOPs
Chemical Hygiene
Plan
Chemical Inventory
Use chemical hoods
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Use a cart with
secondary
containment
Move limited
quantities
Use caution going
through doorways
and public areas
Use freight elevator
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Deface old labels
when reusing
containers
Label containers
clearly
Remove or deface
all labels when
disposing of
containers
Clothing
Eye Protection
Hand Protection
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Long pants
Long sleeves
Closed-toe, non-absorbent shoes
Protect your clothing with a lab coat or apron
What are you taking home on your shoes?
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The type of eye
protection required
depends on the work
being performed.
Wearing the proper eye
protection is required
by the Laboratory
Standard and Personal
Protective Equipment
Standards.
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Anticipate the
presence of
hazards, select and
use the appropriate
safety devices.
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Immediately begin
flushing the eyes
with large amounts
of tepid water for a
minimum of fifteen
minutes.
While the eyes are
being flushed,
medical help should
be summoned
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It’s not measured
by distance, but by
time
10 seconds
For strong
caustics/acids
equipment should
be immediately
adjacent to the
work area
 Never
neutralize
chemicals splashed
in the eyes – always
flush with water only
 Never use an
emergency eye wash
bottle
 You must never work
alone in the
laboratory
 Activate
every
eyewash at least
weekly to verify
operation and clear
liquid flow
 Keep areas around
eyewashes clear from
clutter to provide
quick and easy
access in the event of
an emergency
You can eat with false teeth,
you can dance with a wooden leg,
you can even hear with a hearing aid,
but you can’t see with a glass eye.
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Choose the right
gloves for the job
Disposable vs
Reusable
Latex vs other glove
materials
For non-chemical
work
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Follow
manufacturer’s
recommendations
Not all gloves are
the same
There is no one
perfect glove for all
chemicals
Gloves to protect
you vs. gloves to
protect your work
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Be aware of what
you touch with your
gloves
Remove gloves
before leaving lab
Never reuse
disposable gloves
Contamination not
always visible
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85 decibels
sustained over 8 hr
work day
EHS can monitor
noise levels
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If you need to wear
a respirator contact
EHS at 4-5084
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Gases stored in
steel pressure
vessels above
atmospheric
pressure
A standard cylinder
may hold about 300
cubit feet of the gas
in excess of
2000psi
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What hazards can be present?
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They can be very heavy
High Pressure
Can Conduct Electricity
Any chemical hazard
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Flammable
Asphyxiant
Oxidizer
Toxic
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Properties & safe
use before using
 SOPs, CHP, SDS
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Never accept
unlabeled cylinders
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Always store with the
valve closed and the
cap secured.
Secure the upper third
of a cylinder with
straps or chains to a:
◦ Secure bench
◦ Wall mount
◦ Approved free standing
Stand
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Always Store upright
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Always bond and ground cylinders of
flammable gases.
Oxidizer (e.g. Oxygen) cylinder storage
must be separated from flammable gas
storage areas or combustible materials by at
least 20 feet or by a non-combustible wall.
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Slack chains or
straps
Excessive storage
Protect from high
temperatures
Do not store in
escape paths or
near fire exits
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Compressed gas
cylinders must have
hydrostatic testing
done every 5-10
years, depending on
the gas.
Do not keep
cylinders around for
longer than this time
period because it
prevents this testing.
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Never roll, drag or slide
cylinders, even for short
distances. Cylinders
should always be moved
by using a suitable hand
truck with retaining straps
or chains
Never drop cylinders or
permit them to strike each
other.
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Always use regulators
and pressure relief
devices when using
cylinders.
Only regulators and
plumbing approved for
the specific gas should
be used.
Never use an adapter to
make a regulator “work”
Open the cylinder valve
before adjusting pressure
on regulator.
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Never permit oil,
grease, or other
readily combustible
substances to come
in contact with
oxygen cylinders,
valves or
regulators.
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Never use oxygen
as a substitute for
compressed air.
Do not permit
cylinders to come
in contact with
electrical apparatus
or circuits.
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When returning empty
cylinders, close the
valve before shipment.
Leave some positive
pressure in the
cylinder.
Replace any protective
caps originally shipped
with the cylinder.
Mark the cylinder
“EMPTY” and segregate
from full cylinders.
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What a pressurized
container can do
when the right
amount of heat is
applied.
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Remember, a plan is only a plan if it’s on
paper.
And a paper plan is only as good as the
practice put into it.
What’s in it for you?

What we look for?
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PPE use
Chemical Storage
Labeling
Emergency Equipment
Hazardous Waste
Door Placards
Active PIC’s

Identify local emergency services
◦ Eye Wash, safety shower, fire alarm…

Have procedures for dealing with an
emergency
◦ Physical injury
◦ Chemical exposure
◦ Call list

Evacuation and Meeting
location

SERF Upper, 4th Floor exit
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SERF Lower, 2nd Floor exit
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Tandec and Senter Hall
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Dougherty Upper, 4th Floor exit – SERF
Loading dock.
Dougherty Lower, 1st Floor exit – sidewalk
across the street from the MSE Mechanical
shop.
Ferris Upper, 4th Floor exit –
Ferris Lower, 1st Floor exit
1. Always have a lab partner when doing
an experiment.
2. Always have a SOP and follow it.
3. Always take time to us proper PPD.
4. Always ask questions when you don’t
know.
5. Always know what your going to do and
who your going to call BEFORE the
accident happens.