.
Department:
Principal Investigator:
Laboratory Safety Contact/Lab
Manager:
Laboratory Phone:
Office Phone:
Emergency Contact:
Locations Covered in this SOP:
SOP Approval Date:
(Name and Phone Number)
(Building/Room Number)

(State the purpose and the procedure for the specific chemical that is used in the lab, include quantities and concentrations)
CAS #:
Emergency Overview:
75-09-2
OSHA Hazards
Carcinogen, Target Organ Effect, Harmful by ingestion,
Irritant
Target Organs
Liver, pancreas, Blood, Central nervous system, Heart,
Kidney
GHS Classification
Acute toxicity, Oral (Category 4)
Skin irritation (Category 2)
Eye irritation (Category 2B)
Carcinogenicity (Category 2)
Molecular Formula: CH
2
Cl
2
Form (physical state): Liquid
Color: Colorless
Boiling Point: 39.8 - 40 °C
Harmful if inhaled, swallowed, or absorbed through skin. Highly volatile, acute inhalation hazard. Causes eye irritation.
Dichloromethane is metabolized in the body producing carbon monoxide which increases and sustains carboxyhemoglobin levels in the blood, reducing the oxygen-carrying capacity of the blood.
Acts as a simple asphyxiant by displacing air. Can have anesthetic effects, or cause difficulty breathing, irregular breathing, headache, and/or dizziness.
Prolonged or repeated contact with skin may cause: defatting, dermatitis.

Contact with eyes can cause: redness, blurred vision, provokes tears.
Effects due to ingestion may include: gastrointestinal discomfort, central nervous system depression, paresthesia,drowsiness, convulsions, conjunctivitis, pulmonary edema.
Effects may be delayed.
Stomach/intestinal disorders, nausea, vomiting, increased liver enzymes. Weakness, heavy or prolonged skin exposure may result in the absorption of harmful amounts of material.
Respiratory Protection
The PEL for dichloromethane is 25 ppm TWA. A fume hood will be used when concentrations exceed this value. The odor threshold is 150-160 ppm. If the 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
Laminate film or polyvinyl alcohol gloves are recommended.
NOTE: Consult with your preferred glove manufacturer to ensure that the gloves you plan on using are compatible with methylene 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/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.
Work with methylene chloride 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.

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 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.
In case of eye contact:
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.
If swallowed : Never give anything by mouth to an unconscious person.
Rinse mouth with water. Consult a physician
Avoid heat, flames, sparks, and exposure to sunlight. Do not expose to alkali metals, aluminum, strong oxidizing agents, bases, amines, magnesium, strong acids and bases, vinyl compounds.
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.
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 58 th 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.
(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.
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:



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:

SDS
 CHEMINFO

CHEMpendium
 RTECS

OSH References
 Canadian enviroOSH Legislation plus Standards
 Additional Resources
Accessing CCINFO
To access:
1. Go to CCINFO
2. Choose collection from web collections
3. Type chemical name and click search
4. Choose correct product and click blue link to open safety data sheet
5. 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

(Add lab-specific protocol/procedure here)

Prior to conducting any work with methylene chloride (dichloromethane), 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.