West Virginia University
Laboratory Training
Module 4. Chemical Safety
Topics to be covered
1. Chemical Waste Disposal
2. Emergency Response
3. Chemical Spills
1. Chemical Waste Disposal
Complete the online Hazardous Chemical
Disposal form at: http://www.wvu.edu/~ehs
If you have questions contact Environmental
Health and Safety (EH&S) at 293-3792.
EH&S will pick up the unwanted chemicals.
Chemicals, in containers, must be compatible
and labeled with the common name of each
chemical (no formulas)
Chemical Waste Disposal
Continued
Chemical containers should be no more
than 95% full to allow for expansion and
must have a screw cap closure or
equivalent.
WVU has a licensed contractor to
transport and properly dispose of
hazardous chemical waste
Storage of Waste Chemicals
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Waste chemical must be stored in a compatible manner. A
typical segregation of waste chemicals involve the following:
Acids
Caustics
Chlorinated Solvents
Non-chlorinated Solvents
Mercury Wastes
Oxidizing Agents
PCB Wastes
Reactive Wastes
Waste Oil
Wastes with Heavy Metal Contamination
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These chemicals need to be accumulated in separate
containers and isolated in such a way to isolate spills and
leaks from each other.
Characteristics of Hazardous
Waste
If a waste meets one or more of the
following four “characteristics” it is
considered a hazardous waste for
the purposes of disposal
1. Ignitable
2. Corrosive
3. Reactive
4. Toxic
Ignitability
Any liquid having a flashpoint of less than
140 degrees F is an “ignitable” material.
This includes almost all organic solvents.
Compressed gas (propane, methane,
etc.).
Ignitability continued:
Oxidizers (e.g., potassium nitrate, sodium nitrite)
It is not a liquid and is capable, under standard
temperature and pressure, of causing fire
through friction, absorption of moisture, or
spontaneous chemical changes and, when
ignited, burns so vigorously and persistently that
it creates a hazard.
Corrosivity:
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Any aqueous material having a pH less than
or equal to 2.0 or greater than or equal to
12.5 is a corrosive material.
Any liquid or solid, which corrodes steel at a
rate greater than 0.25 inch per year.
All common organic and mineral acids are
considered corrosives. Common bases
such as solid sodium hydroxide and
potassium hydroxide are also corrosive.
Reactivity:
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Reacts violently with water or forms
potentially explosive mixtures with water or,
when mixed with water forms toxic vapor or
fumes.
Can form hydrogen cyanide or hydrogen
sulfide gas when exposed to pH conditions
between 2 and 12.5.
Readily capable of detonation or explosive
decomposition if it is subjected to a strong
initiating source or is heated under
confinement.
Toxicity:
Any waste product is considered “TCLP
toxic” by RCRA regulations if it contains
any one of 40 named metals, solvents or
pesticides in specific quantities.
Regulated quantities are in fractions of, or
parts per million.
Chemicals found under the Toxicity
characteristic and are regulated in parts
per million concentration:
Metals
Arsenic
Barium
Cadmium
Chromium
Lead
Mercury
Selenium
Silver
Organics
Benzene
Carbon tetrachloride
Chlorobenzene
Chloroform
Cresol
Dichloroethane
Methyl ethyl ketone
Nitrobenzene
Pyridine
toxic metal-containing compounds
used at WVU:
Barium hydroxide
Nickel chloride
Cacodylic acid
Osmium tetroxide
Cadmium chlorid
Potassium
dichromate
Chromic acid
Selenous acid
Copper sulfate
Silver (used
photography fixer)
Lead subacetate
Sodium arsenate
Mercuric nitrate
Sodium cacodylate
Segregation of Chemical Waste:
Chemical waste must be segregated in
such a manner that only chemically
compatible wastes are allowed to be
mixed together.
The following guidelines must be
followed when collecting solid
chemical waste:
1. Segregate and collect solid chemical waste
according to their compatibilities. Contact
EH&S for guidance.
2. Do not mix solid waste and liquid waste.
Collect these wastes separately.
3. Label the chemical with the chemical IUPAC
name and concentration.
4. Needles, syringes, and sharps must be
collected separately in a plastic needle discard
container.
Incompatible Chemical Mixtures:
Caution and common sense must be used
when collecting chemical waste in the
laboratory so that incompatible materials
are not mixed together. Empty waste
containers should be properly rinsed if
they held a material, which is incompatible
with the waste to be collected.
The following dangerous chemical
mixtures must be avoided:
Acid mixed with most cyanide salts or solutions generate highly
toxic hydrogen cyanide gas.
Acid mixed with most sulfide salts or solutions generate highly
toxic hydrogen sulfide gas.
Acid mixed with bleach generates highly toxic chlorine gas.
Oxidizing acids (e.g., nitric, perchloric) react violently with
combustible materials (paper, common solvents) and may cause
a fire.
Solid oxidizers (e.g., nitrates, iodates, permanganates) react with
combustible materials (paper, common solvents) and may cause
a fire.
Hydrides (e.g., sodium hydride) react with water to form
flammable hydrogen gas.
Dangerous chemical mixtures that
must be avoided continued:
Phosphides (e.g., sodium phosphide) react with water to form highly
toxic phosphine gas.
When silver salts are mixed with ammonia in the presence of a
strong base, an explosively unstable solid is generated.
Alkali metals (e.g., sodium, potassium, calcium, etc.,) react with
water to form flammable hydrogen gas.
Oxidizers (e.g., nitric acid) react with reducers (e.g., hydrazine) to
yield fires or explosions.
Unsaturated compounds (carbonyls, double bonds, etc.) may
polymerize violently in the presence of acids or bases.
Hydrogen peroxide/acetone mixtures may explode when heated in
the presence of acid.
Hydrogen peroxide/acetic acid solutions may explode when heated.
Hydrogen peroxide/sulfuric acid mixtures are susceptible to
spontaneous and unpredictable chemical detonation.
Materials Prohibited in the
Chemical Waste Stream
1. Radioactive Materials
2. Uranium Compounds (uranyl acetate, uranyl
nitrite)
3. PCB’s (polychlorinated biphenyls, arochlor,
chlorextol, chlorodiphenyl)
4. Infectious Waste or Etiological Agents (human
blood, serum, body fluids, etc.)
5. Dioxin Waste (TCDD, pentachlorophenol, triand tetrachlorophenol)
6. Asbestos
Guidelines which must be followed
when collecting chemical waste:
Containers must be clearly labeled with the
IUPAC chemical name (no abbreviations) and
concentration.
Unused chemical reagents in original
containers with intact labels need no further
labeling.
Chemical waste containers must be sealed
airtight with a proper lid. Rubber stoppers,
corks, and parafilm are not allowed.
Continued:
An air gap of 5-10% must be left in the container to allow
for expansion of the liquid.
Before collecting waste in a used container, rinse the
container.
Chemical waste must be collected in a chemically
compatible container to prevent the chemical from
dissolving the container. For example, if waste acetic
acid is collected in a steel container, the acid will soon
corrode the container’s wall and an unwanted leak will
occur. The original container that a chemical was
shipped in is a good container to collect the waste.
Empty Chemical Container
Disposal Procedure
Empty chemical containers that held a
material, which was flammable, corrosive,
reactive, or toxic, must be picked up by
EH&S. Fill out the chemical waste to
request a pickup. Non-hazardous
containers may be discarded in the
domestic trash as long as they are not
made of glass. Empty non-hazardous
containers may be discarded in the regular
trash.
Gas Cylinders
Empty gas cylinders and lecture bottles
present a special disposal problem
because it is not always obvious when
they are empty. Contact EH&S for
assistance.
Remember gas cylinders must be stored
in an upright position and secured to
prevent falls!
Trace Contaminated Waste
(Carcinogen, Mutagen, Toxic)
Laboratory chemicals, which are extremely
toxic, or are a potent mutagen, teratogen
or carcinogen must be handled in a
manner that minimizes personal
exposures.
Trace Contaminated Waste
(Carcinogen, Mutagen, Toxic)
Laboratory workers must identify which chemicals they
work with are hazardous. A Material Safety Data
Sheet (MSDS) should be consulted for each chemical
so a proper assessment can be made regarding its
toxicity.
Trace contaminated wastes should be collected for
materials that have been in contact with chemicals that
are carcinogenic, potent mutagens, or are extremely
toxic.
Contact EH&S for waste disposal advice before
actually collecting trace contaminated waste products.
EH&S will help you determine whether these waste
products warrant special collection.
Continued
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When collecting trace contaminated waste the
following guidelines apply:
Collect solid and liquid waste separately.
Collect syringes and sharps in plastic needle buckets.
Dispose full buckets into infectious waste stream.
Collect trace contaminated waste separately from all
other wastes.
All waste must be collected in airtight containers.
Properly label all waste containers.
Dispose of all trace contaminated waste through EH&S.
Universal Waste
As part of the EPA’s commitment to reduce
waste, the Agency has issued the Universal
Waste Rule. This rule has been designed to
reduce the amount of material that is being
disposed of as hazardous waste. It includes:
Nickel-cadmium batteries
Lead-acid batteries
Some agricultural pesticides
Thermostats
Fluorescent Bulbs
Batteries:
Most batteries can be recycled by sending them
back to the company or using a recycling facility.
Please contact EH&S for information regarding
recycling.
Each battery must be clearly marked as
“Universal Waste Batteries”, or “Used Batteries”
with the date.
Leaking or damaged batteries must be stored in
a closed, structurally sound container, with
secondary containment.
Have the batteries collected by or deliver them
to an authorized battery recycler.
Fluorescent Lamps
A variety of vendors are available in many areas to recycle
fluorescent light bulbs. Please contact Environmental Health and
Safety for a list of recycling companies.
Fluorescent lamps must be must be labeled “Universal Waste
Electric Lamps” or “Used Lamps” with the date on which your first
began storing the lamps.
Lamps must be packaged in a way to minimize breakage and to
prevent release of lamp fragments if breakage were to occur. Store
unbroken lamps in a box or fiber drum.
Have the lamps collected by an authorized universal waste handler
within one year of the date marked on the container.
Broken or damaged bulbs will be treated as hazardous waste. All
the spill debris from broken or damaged bulbs must be cleaned up
and placed into a sealed bag. Please contact EH&S for assistance
with spill cleanup.
Used Oil
A variety of vendors exist to recycle oil.
Call EH&S for information regarding oil
recycling.
Used oil must be stored in a fail proof
container and must be clearly labeled with
the type of oil.
2. Emergency Response
Know where your emergency equipment
is; make sure the equipment is not
blocked.
Have emergency phone numbers posted
near the phone.
Medical Emergencies:
1. Call 911 to report emergency
2. Provide minimum first aid to prevent
further injury to the victim.
3. Follow other department procedures
(meet paramedics)
4. Complete an accident report form.
Calling 911:
Report the locations; nature of
emergency
Answer the dispatcher questions
Meet emergency personnel at the door
Chemical Splashes:
Get victim to safety shower and eyewash
Flush for 15 minutes or until help arrives
Remove contaminated clothing
Eyes:
Quick response is important
Flush for 15 minutes
You may have to force the eye lids open
Have the victim roll their eyes around
Safety Showers and Eyewashes
Fire Emergencies: (If a fire
occurs)
Pull the fire alarm to evacuate the building
Call 911 and report the location of the fire
If you do call 911, be sure to meet the emergency
personnel to give them relevant information and direct
them to the exact location of the emergency.
Isolate the fire (close fume hood sash or lock door)
Confine or control the fire if possible: Immediately turn
off gas supplies and electrical power sources.
Use an appropriate fire extinguisher
Which Fire Extinguisher Do I Use?
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CO2 extinguishers are for flammable liquids
(Class B fires) or electrical fire (Class C).
Solid or dry chemical fire extinguishers can be
used for all fires; paper and wood (Class A),
flammable liquids (Class B), or electrical
(Class C) fires.
Yellow “Class D” extinguishers are for metal
fires.
3. Chemical Spills
All chemical spills that occur at West
Virginia University should be reported to
the departmental chemical hygiene officer
and your supervisor.
The spill report needs to include the date,
time, location, and the chemical(s) and
their volume.
If a spill occurs:
Contact Environmental Health and Safety with
the location of the spill and, if known, the
chemical and volume spilled.
If the spill presents an immediate danger,
leave the spill site and control entry to the spill
site.
Notify nearby persons and evacuate as
necessary.
If flammable vapors are involved, do not
operate electrical switches.
Continued:
If the substance involved is an unknown, then
emergency spill response procedures are limited
to self-protection, notification of EH&S, isolation
of the chemical, and evacuating and securing
the area involved.
If the spill does not present immediate personal
danger, try to control the spread or volume of the
spill. Locate and retrieve the departmental spill
kit for absorbent material.
Do not touch the spill without protective clothing.
Never assume gases or vapors do not exist or
are harmless because of lack of smell.
Spilled Liquids:
Confine the spill to small area.
For small quantities of inorganic acids or bases, use a
neutralizing agent or an absorbent mixture (soda ash
or diatomaceous earth). For small quantities of other
materials, absorb the spill with a nonreactive material
(vermiculite, clay, sand, absorbent towels, pillows).
For large spills contact Environmental Health and
Safety and try to prevent the spill from spreading.
Carefully pick up the bottles and the soiled absorbent
material and place in a 5-gallon bucket with a label
identifying the chemical. Contact EH&S for disposal.
Spilled Solids:
Sweep spilled solids of low toxicity into a
dustpan and place them into a suitable
container. Additional precautions such
as the use of a HEPA filter vacuum
cleaner may be necessary.
Contact EH&S for disposal.
Mercury Spills:
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Mercury is extremely dangerous and every effort
should be taken to prevent spills.
For small spills, a laboratory coat, safety glasses, and
gloves should be used. The following gloves have
been approved for use with mercury:
Chlorinated polyethylene
Polyurethane
Viton
Butyl Rubber
Polyvinyl Chloride
Nitrile Rubber
Neoprene
Mercury Spills continued:
Please use a mercury spill kit to clean up a
mercury spill. Call EH&S for assistance.
Wearing protective clothing, place the sponge,
provided in the spill kit, rough side up on a level
surface. The rough side contains the active
material that will amalgamate mercury.
Dampen the sponge with about 2ml of water.
Spread the water evenly with a gloved finger
and wait one minute. (Excessive water may
reduce the ability of the sponge to pick up
mercury).
Mercury Spills continued:
With the active side down, slowly wipe the area
contaminated with mercury. The mercury droplets will be
amalgamated by the chemical layer of the sponge.
The capacity of the sponge can be increased with a
small amount of moistened HG Absorb Powder rubbed
into the surface of the activated sponge.
After finishing the Hg Absorb sponge should be returned
to its plastic bag and disposed of. Contact
Environmental Health and Safety for disposal.
Air Monitoring:
Any mercury spill has the potential to generate airborne
concentrations in excess of regulated levels. Please
contact EH&S at 293-3792 for air monitoring of the spill
area.
Leaking Compressed Gas
Cylinders
If a leak is suspected contact EH&S at
293-3792 and they will advise you to
follow the appropriate action.
Recommended Spill Kit Contents
Supervisors in areas in which the potential exist for
chemical spills, should store and maintain a spill kit.
The contents of this kit (5 gallon bucket) include:
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1 Universal Spill Boom (Snake) 3”X4’
2 Universal Spill Pads
2.5 gallons of vermiculite
2 30 gallon trash bags
Gloves
Eye Protection
1 “Hazardous Waste” Label
If you have any questions as to how to obtain these
materials contact EH&S.