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Laboratory Safety Manual

Table of Contents

  • Introduction
    1. Emergency Numbers
    2. Special Incident Reporting
    3. EHS Scope of Service
    4. Other Resources
  • Chapter 1: Laboratory Safety at UNC-Chapel Hill
    1. Commitment to Safety
    2. The OSHA Laboratory Standard and the Chemical Hygiene Plan
    3. Cooperation
    4. Responsibilities
    5. Collaborative Laboratory Inspection Program
    6. Compliance with Laboratory Safety Standards
    7. The Most Important Laboratory Safety Factor
    8. How Safe is Your Lab? Laboratory Self-Assessment
    9. Request for Hazard Investigation
    10. Exposure Monitoring
    11. Reporting Injuries and Illnesses
    12. Medical Consultations and Examinations
    13. Information and Training
    14. Obtaining Safety Data Sheets
    15. Recordkeeping
    16. Planning for Emergencies
      • Fire Emergency Procedures
      • Emergency Response to Chemical Spills
      • Mercury Spills
      • Requesting Assistance for Chemical Spills
    17. Appendices
      • Appendix 1-A: Completing the Laboratory/Radiation Worker Registration Form
      • Appendix 1-B: Request for Monitoring
      • Appendix 1-C: Request for Medical Consultation or Examination
      • Appendix 1-D: UNC-Chapel Hill Laboratory Safety Self-Inspection Checklist
  • Chapter 2: Laboratory Safety Plan
    1. Introduction
    2. Schedule A: Laboratory Project Information
    3. Schedule B: Hazardous Chemicals and Equipment
    4. Schedule C & D: Radioactive Materials and X-Ray Equipment
    5. Schedule E: Laser Equipment
    6. Schedule F: Biological Hazards
    7. Schedule G: Recombinant DNA
    8. Schedule H: Use of Transgenic Animals or Plants
    9. Schedule I: Shipping
    10. Appendix 2-A: Online Chemical Inventory Instructions
  • Chapter 3: General Safety Principles and Practices
    1. Safety Awareness
    2. Unattended Operations
    3. Eating, Drinking, and Smoking
    4. Housekeeping
    5. Working Alone
    6. Hazard Information Signs and Placards
    7. Labels on Chemical Containers
    8. Eyewash and Safety Shower Facilities
    9. Maintenance Personnel
    10. Equipment Decontamination
    11. Machine Guarding
    12. Safety Shielding
    13. Compressed Gases
    14. Systems Under Pressure
    15. Cold Traps and Cryogenic Hazards
    16. Glassware
    17. Needles and Sharps Safety
    18. Electrical Safety
    19. Storage in Buildings with Sprinkler Systems
    20. Appendices
      • Appendix 3-A: Safety Clearance Form
      • Appendix 3-B: Cryogenic Hazards
      • Appendix 3-C: Unattended Operation – Example Sign
  • Chapter 4: Proper Storage of Chemicals in Laboratories
    1. Inventory and Inspection
    2. Proper Sealing of Chemical Containers
    3. Smaller Container Sizes – Less is Better
    4. Storage Symbols
    5. Color Codes
    6. Chemical Storage Locations
    7. Storage by Compatibility Group
    8. Appendix 4-A: Suggested Shelf Storage Pattern
  • Chapter 5: Protective Clothing and Equipment
    1. Eye and Face Protection
      • Safety Glasses
      • Goggles
      • Face Shields
      • Cost, Care and Reclamation
      • Contact Lenses
    2. Use of Gloves
    3. Laboratory Clothing and Protective Apparel
    4. Foot Protection
    5. Respiratory Protection
    6. Appendix 5-A: Information for Employees Using Respirators When Not Required Under the Respiratory Protection Standard
    7. Appendix 5-B: Glove Selection
  • Chapter 6: Safe Handling of Chemicals
    1. Introduction
    2. Routes of Exposure
      • Dermal Contact
      • Inhalation
      • Ingestion
      • Injection
      • Ocular Exposure
    3. Safe Handling Practices for Chemical Substances
      • Access Control
      • Personal Practices
      • Decontamination of Work Surfaces
      • Minimizing Aerosols
      • Use of Laboratory Hoods and Biological Safety Cabinets
    4. Specific Handling Procedures for Hydrofluoric Acid
      • Hazards – Overview
      • Dermal Exposure Case Studies
      • Handling and Personal Protective Equipment
      • Post-Exposure Treatment
      • Incompatibles and Storage
      • Spills
  • Chapter 7: Highly Toxic Chemicals and Select Carcinogens
    1. Introduction
    2. Laboratory Safety Plans
    3. Facility Requirements
    4. Protective Clothing
    5. Use of Primary Containment Equipment
    6. Use and Decontamination of Analytical Instrumentation
    7. Storage, Inventory, and Identification
    8. Working Quantities
    9. Laboratory Transport
    10. Protection of Vacuum Lines
    11. Packaging and Shipping
    12. Decontamination
    13. Disposal
    14. Animal Experimentation
    15. Appendices
      • Appendix 7-A: Highly Toxic Chemicals List
      • Appendix 7-B: Select Carcinogens List
  • Chapter 8: Reproductive Hazards
    1. Introduction
    2. Laboratory Safety Plans
    3. Facility Requirements
    4. Protective Clothing
    5. Use of Primary Containment Equipment
    6. Use and Decontamination of Analytical Instrumentation
    7. Storage, Inventory, and Identification
    8. Working Quantities
    9. Laboratory Transport
    10. Protection of Vacuum Lines
    11. Packaging and Shipping
    12. Decontamination
    13. Disposal
    14. Animal Experimentation
    15. Reproductive Hazards and the Pregnant Employee
      • Introduction
      • Chemical and Radiological Reproductive Hazards
      • Microbiological Reproductive Hazards
      • Declared Pregnancy
      • Conceptus Protection Program
      • Action Levels
    16. Appendix 8-A: Reproductive Toxins List
  • Chapter 9: Controlled Substances
    1. Introduction
    2. Controlled Substance Requirements
      • Schedules
      • Registration and Acquisition
      • Security
        • Facility Security
        • Personnel Security
        • Inventory and Recordkeeping
        • Loss, Theft, or Misuse
      • Disposal
      • Importing and Exporting Controlled Substances
    3. Appendices
      • Appendix 9-A: Controlled Substances – Alphabetical Order
      • Appendix 9-B: Questionnaire for Personnel who will have Access to Substances Regulated by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration
      • Appendix 9-C: Continuing Record for Acquisition and Disposition of Controlled Substances
      • Appendix 9-D: Inventory of Schedule I and II Controlled Substances
  • Chapter 10: Fire Safety
    1. Introduction
    2. Properties of Flammable and Combustible Substances
      • Liquids
      • Solids
      • Gases
      • Ignitability
    3. Sources of Ignition
    4. Use of Flammable Substances
    5. Storage Rules
    6. Fire Extinguisher Labeling
    7. Fire Extinguisher Maintenance
    8. Training
    9. Appendix 10-A: Allowed Container Sizes for Flammable and Combustible Liquids
  • Chapter 11: Explosive and Reactive Chemical Hazards
    1. Introduction
    2. Explosive Materials in Laboratories
    3. Common Reactive Hazards in Laboratories
  • Chapter 12: Laboratory Waste Management Plan
    1. Introduction
    2. Part 1: Labeling
    3. Part 1: Chemical Waste Removal
    4. Part 2: Best Management Practices for Chemical Waste
    5. Part 2: Other Laboratory Wastes
  • Chapter 13: Safe Handling of Peroxidizable Compounds
    1. Introduction
    2. Peroxidizable Compounds
    3. Detection of Peroxides
    4. Storage
    5. Removal of Peroxides
    6. Disposal
    7. Distillation and Evaporation Precautions
    8. Safety Audit
    9. Appendix 13-A
  • Chapter 14: Safe Handling of Laboratory Animals
    1. Introduction
    2. Regulatory Structure for Animal Handling at UNC-Chapel Hill
    3. Common Injuries Associated With Animal Husbandry and Care
    4. Safety in DCM Facilities
    5. Animal-Related Hazards
      • Bites and Scratches
      • Animal-Associated Allergy
      • Zoonoses
    6. Use of Hazardous Agents in Animal Experimentation
      • Use of Chemical Hazards in Laboratory Animals Form
      • Use of Biohazardous Materials in Laboratory Animals Form
      • Use of Radioactive Materials in Laboratory Animals Form
  • Chapter 15: Safe Handling of Biological Hazards
    1. Introduction
    2. Registering Biohazards for Use at UNC
    3. Human/Non-Human Primate Blood, Blood Products, Body Fluids, Tissues, and Cells
      • Regulation
      • Cultured Cells and Tissue
    4. Training
    5. Signage for Laboratories Using Biological Hazards
    6. Medical Surveillance
    7. Exposure Reporting
    8. Biohazard Waste Disposal Policy
    9. Packaging and Shipping
  • Chapter 16: Biological Safety Cabinets
    1. Introduction
    2. Principles of Containment
    3. Classification of Biological Safety Cabinets
      • Class I Cabinets
      • Class II Cabinets
      • Class III Cabinets
    4. Laminar Flow Clean Benches
      • Table 16.1 – Comparison of Biological Safety Cabinet Characteristics and Applications
    5. Selection of Biological Safety Cabinets
    6. Installation and Certification of Biological Safety Cabinets
      • Installation
      • Certification
    7. Procedures for the Proper Use of a Class II Biological Safety Cabinet
  • Chapter 17: Laboratory Hoods
    1. Introduction
    2. Frequently Asked Questions
    3. Laboratory Hood Work Practice Guidelines
    4. Snorkel Ducts
    5. Laboratory Hood and Ventilation Policy
    6. Appendix 17-A: Out-of-Service Posting for Hoods
  • Chapter 18: Safe Use of Nanomaterials
    1. Introduction
    2. Size and Types of Nanomaterials
    3. Uses of Nanoparticles/Nanomaterials
      • Consumer Products
      • Laboratory Products
      • Uses in Medicine
      • Carbon Nanotubes
    4. Potential Health Hazards of Nanomaterials
      • Respirable Exposures
      • Skin Exposures
      • Ingestion Exposures
    5. Potential Safety Hazards of Nanomaterials
    6. Protective Measures
      • Engineering Controls
      • Work Practice Controls
      • Personal Protective Equipment
    7. Waste Handling
    8. Nanotechnology Safety Policy
    9. Conclusion
  • Chapter 19: Research Laboratory Freezer Alarms
    1. Purpose
    2. Policy
    3. Procedures
      • Installation
      • System Maintenance
      • Alarm Response
  • Chapter 20: Formaldehyde Exposure Control Policy
    1. Regulatory Standard
    2. Scope of Applicability
    3. Responsibilities
    4. Exposure Control Plan
    5. Related Requirements
  • Chapter 21: High School Students and Minors in Laboratories Policy
    1. Children Under 12
    2. Visitors Ages 12 to 18
    3. High School Lab Workers Ages 15 and Above