The American University in Cairo

Environmental Health & Safety Department

Chemical Safety on the Job

Introduction
The Occupational Safety and Health
Administration (OSHA) issued a
standard entitled Hazard
Communication 29 CFR 1910.1200
The Hazard Communication Standards
gives workers the lawful right to learn
about hazardous materials in the
workplace so that they can protect
themselves against potential hazards.

We use many chemicals

We want you to know how to use them safely
You will learn about
The Hazards of Chemicals
Our Written Program
How Chemicals are Labeled
Safe Use of Chemicals
Material Safety Data Sheets
Basic Procedures for Spills
Who you can ask for more information

Hazards of Chemicals
There are 2 basic types of chemical hazards
Physical Hazards
Health Hazards
The first rule of Chemical safety is
"Know what you are working with and
how to protect yourself and others

Physical Hazards
Chemicals are classified as having Physical
Hazards if they are
Explosive
Compressed Gas
Combustible Liquids
Flammable
Unstable
Water Reactive
Oxidizers

Health Hazards
Chemicals are classified as being a health
hazard if they:
Can cause cancer
Are poisonous (toxic)
Cause harm to your skin, internal organs, or
nervous system
Are corrosive - such as acids
Cause allergic reactions after repeated
exposure

Chemicals can enter the body through:

your lungs if you breath
fumes, mists or dust

your skin if liquid or dust

touches or spills on you or
splashes in your eyes

your mouth if you eat after

handling chemicals

accidental swallowing of a
chemical

A Material is Considered
Hazardous if it is:
Specifically listed in the law, 29 CFR part
1910, subpart Z.
Assigned a TLV value by the American
Conference of Governmental Industrial
Hygienists (ACGIH).
Has a physical or health hazards.

Our Written Hazard Communication

Program provides
Written information on hazards
Lists Chemicals we use and their
hazards
System for ensuring chemicals are
labeled
Means to ensure we have a Material
Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each
chemical

Our Written Hazard

Communication Program
Lists who is responsible for the program
Provides chemical specific safety training
methods
Tells you where to find chemical safety
information
You can see a copy of our written
program by asking your supervisor

Labeling of Chemicals
Chemical Labels provide
information on Identity,
Hazards and Safe Use

All chemical containers

are labeled by the
manufacturer
We may place additional
labels on the containers

Labeling of Chemicals
If chemicals are placed in another
container, this new container must
have a label placed on it.
All containers must be properly
labeled

3 Basic Uniform Labels

HMIS - Hazardous Material Identification
System

NFPA - National Fire protection Association

RTK -

Right to Know
All types must identify the
chemical name and hazards

HMIS & NFPA labels are very similar

Both use colored boxes to identify specific
hazards
Numbers or codes in the boxes tell you the
hazard value

higher number = higher hazard

NFPA & HMIS Label Colors

Red Fire Hazard
Blue - Health Hazard
Yellow - Reactivity Hazard - explosive,
unstable

White - Special Hazards - corrosive,

radioactive, water reactive, acid

NFPA Label..
The purpose of the NFPA 704
labeling system is to provide a
way of quickly identifying the
various fire related hazardous
associated with a particular
material. The NFPA 704
"diamond" is commonly
found on bulk storage
containers, but is also widely
used on chemical containers
and MSDS sheets.

NFPA Flammability Codes

4 Liquids with a flashpoint below 73F
and a boiling point below 100F.

3 Liquids with a flashpoint below 73F

and a boiling point above 100F.

2 Materials that must be moderately

heated or exposed to relatively high
ambient temperatures before ignition
can occur.

NFPA Flammability Codes

1 Materials that must be preheated before
ignition can occur. Liquids that have a
flashpoint above 200F.

0 Materials that will not burn.

NFPA Health Hazard Codes

4 Materials that on very short
exposure could cause death or
major residual injury.

3 Materials that on short exposure

could cause serious temporary or
residual injury.

NFPA Health Hazard Codes

2 Materials that on intense or
continued, but not chronic
exposure could cause
incapacitation or possible
residual injury.

NFPA Health Hazard Codes

1 Materials that on exposure
would cause irritation but only
minor residual injury.

0 Materials that on exposure

under fire conditions would
offer no hazard beyond that of
ordinary combustible material.

NFPA Reactivity Hazard Codes

4 May detonate.
3 Shock & heat may detonate.
2 Violent chemical change.
1 Unstable if heated.
0 Stable.

NFPA Special Hazard Codes

ACID = Acid Products
ALK = Alkali or Bases
COR = Corrosive Products
OX = Oxidizer
W =Reacts with water
Radioactive

NFPA LABELS

NFPA LABELS

NFPA LABELS

HMIS SYSTEM

HMIS LABELS

HMIS LABELS

RIGHT TO KNOW SYSTEM

RTK labels offer an
easy to understand,
complete labeling
system.
Personal Protection
pictorials can be added
to RTK system for
additional worker
awareness.

RTK LABELS

Suppliers Label
TOLUENE
PRODUCT
SULFONIC
IDENTIFIER
ACID
RISK PHRASES:
Highly irritating to skin, eyes, and nose
HEALTH HAZARD DATA:
Strong Acid: Treat as sulphuric acid
EFFECTS OF OVEREXPOSURE: ACUTE

PRECAUTIONARY MEASURES:

Supplier
identifier
ABC Chemicals
123 Chemical Drive
Chemical City
1-800-CHE-MICAL

PERSONAL PROTECTIVE EQUIPMENT

EYE: Face shield and goggles
GLOVES: Rubber
OTHER CLOTHING AND EQUIPMENT:
Rubber apron, rubber boots

FIRST AID:
EYES: Flush with water for 15 minutes. Consult
with physician
SKIN: Flush with water as per sulphuric acid
INGESTION: Treat as per sulphuric acid. Consult
with physician

Refer to Material Safety

Data Sheet
FRANCAIS AU VERSO

Warning Labels

What do I do
if there is no label or I cannot read the
label?
STOP - do not use the chemical
TELL your supervisor
READ the MSDS and have another label
put on the container

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Show chemical safety information
Each chemical has a separate MSDS
MSDS is written by the chemical
manufacturer
MSDS are kept in the workplace for your
use
If you can't find an MSDS, ask your
supervisor

Material Safety Data Sheets

Supplier must provide
Accessible to ALL
workers in the
workplace
Must be kept up to date
Must be made available
to doctor in the event
of exposure

Material Safety Data Sheets

are provided by the chemical
manufacturer to provide
additional information
concerning safe use of the
product.

Each MSDS tells you

1. Common Name and Chemical Name of
the material
2. Name, address and phone number of the
manufacturer
3. Emergency phone numbers for
immediate hazard information
4. Date the MSDS was written

MSDS
5. Hazardous ingredients
6. Physical & Health Hazards of the
chemicals
7. Identification of chemical and physical
properties
8. First Aid / Emergency Information
9. Safe handling and use information

MSDS
have specific hazard information on
Fire & Explosion
Chemical Reactions
Control Measures
Health Hazards
Spill & Leak Procedures

MSDS Fire & Explosion Information

Material Flash Point, autoignition temperature and
upper/lower flammability
limits
Fire extinguishing agents to be
used
Fire fighting techniques
Any unusual fire or explosive
hazards

MSDS Reaction Information

Stability of Chemical..
Conditions and other materials which
can cause reactions with the chemical
Dangerous substances that can be
produced when the chemical reacts

MSDS Control Measures

Engineering Controls required for safe
product use
Personal protective equipment required for
use of product
Safe storage requirements and guidelines
Safe handling procedures

MSDS Health Hazards

Permissable Exposure and Threshold Limits

(PEL & TLV)

Symptoms of exposure
Routes of entry into the body
Medical conditions that can be made worse
by exposure
Cancer causing properties
Emergency & First Aid Procedures

MSDS Spill & Leak Procedures

Clean up techniques
Personal Protective Equipment to be

used during cleanup

Disposal of waste & cleanup material

Chemical Disposal
Each chemical and container must be
disposed of properly

No container is truly "empty" unless

properly cleaned
Follow MSDS requirements for
container disposal

Chemical Disposal
Recycle unused chemicals
Do not place hazardous
chemicals in normal trash
receptacles.
Do not pour chemicals into
sinks, onto the ground or
in storm drains

Safe Storage
Store incompatible chemicals in
separate areas

Limit the amount of flammable material

to the minimum needed
Store flammable liquids in approved
flammable storage lockers

Safe Storage
Store acids in separate acid storage
lockers

Do not store chemicals in a refrigerator

used for food storage
Do not store food in refrigerators used
for chemical storage

In case of an emergency
Implement the proper Emergency Action Plan
Evacuate people from the area

Isolate the area- keep other from entering

Turn off ignition and heat sources
Only trained employees are permitted to clean
up spills

Protecting Yourself
Personal Protective Equipment
(PPE) may be needed to
protect yourself from
chemical hazards
Use the PPE our Company has
required for each chemical
Check the PPE before use to
make sure it is not damaged

Protecting Yourself
Use face shield and Goggles if there is a
splash hazard

Use the proper respirator for dusts,

mists and fumes

Protecting Yourself
Use the right gloves when handling
chemicals

Properly clean and store your PPE

after use
Don't take PPE home - why risk
exposing your family?

Stay safe when using chemicals

Know what you are working with
Know where MSDS are located and how to
use them
Ask your supervisor if you have questions
Only trained employees may use chemicals

Stay Safe
Make sure all containers
are properly labeled
Use the proper protective
equipment
Store chemicals only in
approved areas
Immediately report leaks
and spills
Dispose of used chemicals
and containers properly

Definition: Flash Point

The flash point is the lowest
temperature at which a liquid
produces enough vapour to ignite
in the presence of a source of
ignition.
The lower the flash point, the
greater the risk of fire.

Definition: LD50
LD50 (Lethal Dose50) is the
amount of a substance that,
when administered by a
defined route of entry (e.g. oral
or dermal) over a specified
period of time, is expected to
cause the death of 50 per cent
of a defined animal population.

Definition: LC50
LC50 (Lethal Concentration50) is
the amount of a substance in
air that, when given by
inhalation over a specified
period of time, is expected to
cause the death in 50 per cent
of a defined animal population.

Common Chemicals forming

Peroxides
Diethyl ether
Tetrahydrofuran
Dioxane
Methyl isobutyl ketone

Pyrophoric Materials
Air reactive
White phosphorus, diborane,
diethyl aluminum chloride,
lithium
Store under an inert
atmosphere such as nitrogen

When a Spill Strikes

1) Assess the risk
Minor Spill, handled by personnel within lab or
department
Major Spill, isolate area, Safety Team required
Provide Safety Team with MSDS for spilled material,
quantity spilled

When a Spill Strikes

2) Select personal protective equipment
consult MSDS and other literature sources

3) Confine the spill

Speed Counts
Limit the spill area by blocking, diverting, or confining
spill
Use absorbents, drain plugs, dikes

When a Spill Strikes

4) Stop the Source
5) Evaluate the Incident & Implement
Clean-up
Used absorbents should be considered
hazardous waste

When a Spill Strikes

6) Decontaminate
Decontaminate site, personnel, & equipment
by removing or neutralizing the hazardous
materials

7) Complete Incident Report

While Working in the Lab:

Shoes with full
coverage and good grip
soles
Restrain long hair,
loose clothing and
jewelry
Use appropriate eye,
skin, and hand
protection

Eye protection
Protects against risk of
flying objects or dust
particles, splashes of
hazardous materials or
harmful rays

Safety Glasses
Unbreakable lenses of
plastic or tempered
glass
For light-to-moderate
work
Can be prescription
lenses
Do not interfere with
contact lenses

Goggles
Work with significant
risk of splash of
chemicals or projectiles
Can be worn over
prescription glasses

Face Shield
Work with significant
risk of splash on face or
possible explosion
Face shield protects
face adequately but not
eyes

Hand Protection
Protects against risk of
cuts, abrasions, burns,
or exposure to
hazardous materials.
Requires selection of
the appropriate
chemical resistant
gloves

While Working in the Lab:

Follow universal
precautions

Handle unknowns as if
they were hazardous

While Working in the Lab:

Handle volatiles in a
chemical fume hood

Contain
bioaerosols in a
biological safety
cabinet

While Working in the Lab:

Use mechanical
transfer devices

While Working in the Lab:

Authorized persons
only
Identify
EVERYTHING!
No food, beverages,
tobacco products, or
application of cosmetics

While Working in the Lab:

Report all:

Accidents
Injuries
Fires
Spills
Close calls

1
Disabling injury

10

Minor injuries

30
Property damage incidents

600
Close Calls

Before Leaving the Lab:

Turn off:
Gas
Water
Power supplies
Vacuum lines
Compression lines
Heating apparatus

Before Leaving the Lab:

Identify and package
waste, dispose properly
Lock/out and tag/out
defective equipment
Decontaminate work
surfaces and equipment

Before Leaving the Lab:

Return unused
equipment, apparatus,
etc.
Leave lab coat in the
lab
Wash
Close and lock door

Evaluating Lab Hazards

Regular review of the
types of hazards:
chemical
physical
biological
ergonomic
mechanical

Weekly Lab Checks

Eye wash (purge)
Fire extinguisher
First Aid Kit
Fume Hood
Tubing, pressurized
connections
Chemical storage