Laboratory-Specific Standard
Operating Procedure
Environmental Health and Safety
Chemical: Benzene
Please fill out this form completely. Instructions are in italics. Print a
copy and insert it into your Laboratory Safety Manual and Chemical
Hygiene Plan.
For questions, please contact Environmental Health and Safety at
773.702.9999.
Laboratory Information
Department:
Principal Investigator:
Laboratory Safety Contact/Lab
Manager:
Laboratory Phone:
Office Phone:
Emergency Contact:
(Name and Phone Number)
Locations Covered in this SOP:
(Building/Room Number)
SOP Approval Date:
Type of SOP
Purpose
(State the purpose and the procedure for the specific chemical that is used in the lab,
include quantities and concentrations)
Physical & Chemical Properties/Definition of Chemical Group
CAS #:
Emergency Overview: OSHA Hazards
71-43-2
Flammable liquid, Carcinogen, Target Organ Effect,
Irritant, Mutagen
Target Organs
Blood, Eyes, Female reproductive system, Bone marrow
GHS Classification
Flammable liquids (Category 2)
Acute toxicity, Oral (Category 5)
Skin irritation (Category 2)
Eye irritation (Category 2A)
Germ cell mutagenicity (Category 1B)
Carcinogenicity (Category 1A)
Molecular Formula:
Form (physical state):
Color:
Flash Point:
C6H6
Liquid
Colorless
-11.0 °C
Potential Hazards/Toxicity
Inhalation May be harmful if inhaled. Causes respiratory tract irritation.
Skin May be harmful if absorbed through skin. Causes skin irritation.
Eyes Causes eye irritation.
Ingestion May be harmful if swallowed. Aspiration hazard if swallowed - can enter lungs
and
cause damage.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Respiratory Protection
The PEL for benzene is 0.5 ppm TWA. A fume hood shall be used when concentrations
exceed this value, if air sampling has not been performed airborne concentrations for a
procedure shall be assumed to be in excess of the PEL and fume hood use is manditory.
It should be noted that odor threshold is 97 ppm which is well above the exposure limit by
the a smell is recognized, overexposure can easily occur.
No employee of the University of Chicago shall be issued or required to wear a respirator
until the need for such protection is validated by Environmental Health and Safety and the
affected employee has met the criteria set forth by the Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA).
Lab personnel intending to use/wear a respirator mask must be trained and fit-tested by
EH&S. This is a regulatory requirement.
Please see the University's Respiratory Protection Program for more information.
Hand Protection
Disposable nitrile gloves are to be used at a minimum when working with benzene.
Gloves should be changed whenever contamination has occurred. Viton gloves gloves
are recommended where gross contamination or immersion is likely.
NOTE: Consult with your preferred glove manufacturer to ensure that the gloves you plan
on using are compatible with benzene.
Refer to glove selection chart from the links below:
• Ansell - ansellpro.com/download/Ansell_8thEditionChemicalResistanceGuide.pdf
• All Safety Products - allsafetyproducts.biz/page/74172
• Microflex microflex.com/Products/~/media/Files/Literature/Domestic%20Reference%20Materials/
• Mapa Glove - mapaglove.com/
Eye Protection
The use of safety glasses or chemical splash goggles are required during procedures,
with chemical splash goggles being the recommended option. In procedures where
splashing is likely, a face shield should be used in combination with safety glasses or
goggles.
Skin and Body Protection
Lab coats, full-length pants, and closed-toed shoes are required. During operations
where splashing is likely, a chemical-resistant apron must also be worn.
Hygiene Measures
Remove and replace gloves if contamination occurs. Wash hands after working with the
substance.
Engineering Controls
Work with benzene must be done in a fume hood with an average face velocity of 100
fpm. If a hood is not available, contact Environmental Health and Safety to have the
need for alternate engineering controls or the use of a respirator assessed.
First Aid Measures
If inhaled:
Evacuate the victim to a safe area as soon as
possible. Loosen tight clothing such as a collar, tie,
belt, or waistband. If breathing is difficult, administer
oxygen. If the victim is not breathing, perform
mouth-to-mouth resuscitation.
WARNING: It may be hazardous to the person
providing aid to give mouth-to-mouth resuscitation
when the inhaled material is toxic, infectious, or
corrosive. Seek immediate medical attention.
In case of skin contact:
In case of eye contact:
If swallowed:
In case of contact, immediately flush skin with plenty of
water for at least 15 minutes while removing
contaminated clothing and shoes. Cold water may be
used. Wash clothing before reuse. Thoroughly clean
shoes before reuse. Get medical attention immediately.
Check for and remove any contact lenses. In case of
contact, immediately flush eyes with plenty of water for at
least 15 minutes. Get medical attention.
Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Rinse mouth with water. Consult a physician
Special Handling and Storage Requirements
Precautions for safe handling
Avoid contact with skin and eyes. Avoid inhalation of vapour or mist.
Use explosion-proof equipment. Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking. Take
measures to prevent the build
up of electrostatic charge.
Conditions for safe storage
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place. Containers which are
opened must be carefully resealed
and kept upright to prevent leakage.
Chemical Spill Procedure
Spill – Assess the extent of danger. Help contaminated or injured persons. Evacuate
the spill area. Avoid breathing vapors. If possible, confine the spill to a small area using
a spill kit or absorbent material. Keep others from entering contaminated area (e.g., use
caution tape, barriers).
Small (<1 L) – If you have training, you may perform clean-up operations accordingly.
Use appropriate personal protective equipment and clean-up material for chemical
spilled. (Double bag spill waste in plastic bags, label and arrange for chemical waste
pick-up) Refer to University Chemical Spill Response Policy for more information.
Large (>1 L) – Call the University of Chicago Police Department at 123 or 773.702.8181.
Chemical Spill on Body or Clothes – Remove clothing and rinse body thoroughly in
emergency shower for at least 15 minutes. Seek medical attention. Notify supervisor and
EH&S at 773.702.9999 immediately.
Chemical Splash Into Eyes – Immediately rinse eye and inner surface of eyelid with
water from the emergency eyewash station for 15 minutes by holding the eye open.
Seek medical attention. Notify supervisor and EH&S at 773.702.9999 immediately.
Medical Emergency
Life Threatening Emergency, After Hours, Weekends and Holidays – Dial 123 or
773.702.8181
Note: All serious injuries must be reported to EH&S at 773.702-9999 within eight hours.
Non-Life Threatening Emergency – Go to the University of Chicago Occupational
Medicine (UCOM) clinic located in the Chicago Lying-In Hospital, 5815 South Maryland
Avenue, L156 from 7:15 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. After hours and on weekends, go to the Adult
Emergency Room located in the Bernard Mitchell Hospital, 901 East 58th Street.
Needle stick/puncture exposure (as applicable to chemical handling procedure) –
Wash the affected area with antiseptic soap and warm water for 15 minutes. For mucous
membrane exposure, flush the affected area for 15 minutes using an eyewash station. Go
to the UCOM clinic during regular business hours. All other times report to Adult
Emergency Room located in the Bernard Mitchell Hospital.
Note: All needle stick/puncture exposures must be reported to the needlestick hotline by
paging 188.9990 within eight hours.
Decontamination/Waste Disposal Procedure
(Enter text)
General hazardous waste disposal guidelines
Label Waste: Label container as hazardous waste and date the
container with the accumulation start date (the date
the material was declared waste).
Store Waste:
Store hazardous waste in closed containers, in
secondary containment, and in a designated
location. Double-bag dry waste. Waste must be
under the control of the person disposing of it.
Dispose of Waste:
Dispose of regularly generated chemical waste
within 90 days. Create pickup request via online
EH&S Assistant program or contact EH&S at
773.702.9999. Consult Hazardous Material
Management policy online for additional
information.
Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Location
In accordance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
(OSHA), employers shall maintain any safety data sheets that are received
with incoming shipments of hazardous chemicals, and ensure that they are
readily accessible during each work shift to employees when they are in their
work areas.
Safety Data Sheets are accessible as follows:
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Searching under Safety Data Sheets on the EH&S website as listed below
Contacting 3E Company at 800.451.8346 anytime of the day or week with
the product name and number, manufacturer name, and UPC code (if
available)
Contacting Environmental Health and Safety at 773.702.9999 between the
hours of 8:00 a.m. – 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday
CCINFO on the Internet
The University of Chicago has established an account with the Canadian
Centre for Occupational Health and Safety (CCINFO) Academic Support
Program. Note: This collection has been set up to only allow access from
University of Chicago computers. The CCINFO Academic Support Program
provides access to the following collections:
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SDS
CHEMINFO
CHEMpendium
RTECS
OSH References
Canadian enviroOSH Legislation plus Standards
Additional Resources
Accessing CCINFO
To access:
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Go to CCINFO
Choose collection from web collections
Type chemical name and click search
Choose correct product and click blue link to open safety data sheet
If you are prompted to enter a user name and password, the computer in use
is not in the IP range and/or domain name provided
Other MSDS Sites
Sigma, Aldrich, Fluka, Supelco, RdH-Lab
Acros Chemicals, Fisher Scientific, Curtin Matheson Scientific
VWR Scientific Products
Vermont Safety Information Resources Inc.
Bio-Rad Laboratories
Health Canada
CDMS Agro-Chemical Database
Protocol/Procedure
(Add lab-specific protocol/procedure here)
Documentation of Training
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Prior to conducting any work with benzene, designated personnel must provide
training to his/her laboratory personnel specific to the hazards involved in working
with this substance, work area decontamination, and emergency procedures
The principal investigator must provide his/her laboratory personnel with a copy of
this SOP and a copy of the SDS provided by the manufacturer
The principal investigator shall ensure that his/her laboratory personnel have
attended appropriate laboratory safety training or refresher training
Note: Any deviation from this SOP requires approval from the principal investigator.