Laboratory-Specific Standard
Operating Procedure
Environmental Health and Safety
Chemical: Vinyl chloride (chloroethylene)
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 #:
75-01-4
Emergency Overview: OSHA Hazards
Flammable gas, Compressed Gas, Carcinogen,
Toxic by ingestion
Target Organs
Liver, Blood, Brain., Central nervous system,
Kidney, Eyes
GHS Classification
Flammable gases (Category 1)
Gases under pressure (Liquefied gas)
Carcinogenicity (Category 1A)
Molecular Formula:
Form (physical state):
Color:
Flash Point:
C2H3Cl
Gas
Colorless
-61 °C
Potential Hazards/Toxicity
Inhalation May be harmful if inhaled. May cause respiratory tract irritation.
Skin Maybe be harmful if absorbed through skin. May cause skin irritation.
Eyes May cause eye irritation.
Ingestion Toxic if swallowed.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Respiratory Protection
The permissible exposure limit (PEL) for vinyl chloride is 1ppm. A fume hood shall be
used when concentrations exceed these 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 mandatory.
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
Gloves made with fluorinated rubber are to be used at a minimum when working with
vinyl chloride. Gloves should be changed whenever contamination has occurred.
NOTE: Consult with your preferred glove manufacturer to ensure that the gloves you plan
on using are compatible with vinyl chloride.
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
• Mapa Glove - mapaglove.com/
Eye Protection
The use tight fitting vapor proof goggles are required during procedures. In procedures
where spraying of vapour is likely, a face shield should be used in combination with
safety goggles.
Skin and Body Protection
Lab coats, full-length pants, and closed-toed shoes are required.
Hygiene Measures
Remove and replace PPE if contamination occurs. Wash hands after working with the
substance.
Engineering Controls
Work with vinyl 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
soap and 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.
Do NOT induce vomiting. 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 inhalation of vapor or mist.
Use explosion-proof equipment. Keep away from sources of ignition - No smoking. Take
measures to prevent the build
up of electrostatic charge.
Note: Vinyl chloride is a chemical listed on the Department of Homeland Security’s
Chemicals of Interest list. An accurate and up to date inventory of this chemical must be
maintained. See the University’s Chemical Inventory Policy for information on how to
track the chemical inventory for your laboratory.
Conditions for safe storage
Keep container tightly closed in a dry and well-ventilated place.
Contents under pressure. Light sensitive.
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) – Exit area allow time for vapors to be exhausted and fresh air to be cycled
into the area.
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.
Eye exposure – 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:
Dispose of Waste:
Store hazardous waste in closed containers, in
secondary containment, and in a designated
location. Waste must be under the control of the
person disposing of it.
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
Protocol/Procedure
(Add lab-specific protocol/procedure here)
Documentation of Training
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Prior to conducting any work with vinyl chloride, 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.