GEOS-H&S-GUIDE-006-v1.0 (Dec 2016) CONTENTS 1. Introduction 2 2. Good Laboratory Practice 2 3. Good Chemical Practice 3 3. Pictograms and Labelling 4 4. Storage 6 5. Chemical Inventory and Material Safety Data Sheets 7 6. Personal Protective Equipment 8 7. Procurement 8 8. Risk Assessment 9 9. Waste Disposal 10 10. Emergency Procedures 10 11. Carcinogens, Mutagens and Reproductive Toxins (Teratogens) 11 Page 1 of 12
GEOS-H&S-GUIDE-006-v1.0 (Dec 2016) 1. Introduction 1.1 The School of GeoSciences uses a wide variety of chemicals, substances and mixtures which can be considered as hazardous to health. The hazards of working with chemicals may pose immediate consequences (corrosive or acutely toxic materials) or pose long term health risks (carcinogens, mutagens, reproductive toxins [teratogens] and sensitisers). This Safety Code of Practice will outline the general steps that should be taken in order to prevent or control exposure to chemicals and comply with best practice and prevailing legislation. 1.2 An effective chemical management system must consider all elements of the usage cycle, namely: risk assessment, procurement, delivery, storage, inventory, usage, waste generation and storage, disposal and emergency procedures. 1.3 Chemicals must only be handled unsupervised by those who are trained and competent in their use. Should any person be uncertain about the use or handling of any chemical substance they must seek assistance from their line manager, supervisor or other competent person before proceeding. 1.4 This guidance sets out the minimum standard expected within the School of GeoSciences. High hazard work (such as working with HF) will require significantly tighter controls. 2. Good Laboratory Practice 2.1 Good Laboratory Practice is a central tenet of safe and reliable operating in laboratory or workshop environments. This should be second nature to all staff and students working in laboratory or workshop environments. The Principles of good practice are as follows: 2.2 Forward Planning Fully understanding the proposed work and ensuring that all the required resources (materials, facilities, personnel, time etc.) are available. Time spent planning a task is not wasted time: It increases the chances of success and conserves valuable resources. A key element to forward planning includes ensuring that all personnel have the required training to safely perform the task. Also, the levels of supervision required should be considered at this point. 2.3 Risk Assessment The process of risk assessment is not just a paper exercise: It is a key planning tool to help ensure that avenues for failure, including ill-health and injury, are identifies and controlled. Risk assessments feed into operating methods / procedures and should be regarded as living documents. As such they should be regularly updated to reflect operating experience. 2.4 Careful, Tidy Working Untidy workplaces not only create hazards and put others at risk, they slow work down. Methodical, tidy working and regular housekeeping improves both safety and efficiency. This should include setting aside regular time for housekeeping tasks. Page 2 of 12
GEOS-H&S-GUIDE-006-v1.0 (Dec 2016) 2.5 Waste Management Wastes produced from laboratory work often pose serious hazards to health and the environment. Careful management of waste is a requirement of working in labs and workshops both to protect staff and students but also the environment. 2.6 Emergency Planning Unplanned events happen in even the best managed workplace. Being able to deal with such events in a planned and organized manner is not just the mark of a well-run workplace, it also maximizes efficiency as operations can resume more quickly. Where such events pose a risk to health, life, property or the environment, there is a legal and moral duty incumbent upon staff and students to plan for emergencies. 2.7 Lone and Out of Hours Working Outside of normal working hours, the support available in an emergency is limited. As such, there is a presumption that hazardous work requiring personal protective equipment will not be performed out of hours or at the weekend. Where this is strictly necessary, a Lone Working Risk Assessment must be performed and approved by the line manager for the operation. Provision must be made for emergency response and supervision. The Health and Safety Manager is available to advise. 3. Good Chemical Practice 10 golden rules 3.1 Any person handling hazardous chemicals must use the control measures detailed in the risk assessment and method for the task being performed. When handling chemicals, certain minimum standards are required for safe operation regardless of the area or operation: 3.1.1 Segregate personal items and clothing from your work: personal clothing, bags etc. should not be brought into a laboratory and rather be stored in a locker or office to prevent contamination; 3.1.2 Dress appropriately and wear suitable PPE: where possible wear full length clothing, tie back long hair and do not wear open-toed footwear or sandals. PPE may include a laboratory coat, chemical overalls, gloves, eye protection, respiratory protection and appropriate footwear. Consult the risk assessment for advice; 3.1.3 Reduce the risk of ingesting chemicals: eating, drinking, smoking, applying cosmetics and the storage of food is prohibited in all laboratories and any area where hazardous chemicals are in use or are routinely used. Chemicals may only be taken into clean areas where they are essential to the task being performed (for example drain cleaner in a kitchen); 3.1.4 Never pipette or siphon by mouth; use bottle pumps, pipetting or siphoning aids; 3.1.5 Observe good personal hygiene: always ensure that you wash your hands regularly and on completion of the task or leaving the area such as a laboratory. Cover cuts and grazes with a waterproof dressing; Page 3 of 12
GEOS-H&S-GUIDE-006-v1.0 (Dec 2016) 3.1.6 Do not contaminate communal items or personal belongings: do not handle telephones, mobile telephones and door handles while wearing gloves. Leave your mobile phone in a clean area to avoid contamination. Gloves should not be worn in corridors unless transporting hazardous materials in which case only one glove should be worn. Leave the other hand free to open doors etc.; 3.1.7 Samples and bottles must be clearly labelled with the contents, any appropriate hazard symbol, preparation date and (if appropriate) the owner 3.1.8 Transport: hazardous materials must be suitably packaged for transport to prevent or control leakage. This includes transport within buildings and across campus; 3.1.9 Handle bottles carefully: if glass bottles are carried by the neck, the neck may shear; a bottle carrier should be used for transport. 3.1.10 Keep paperwork and work with chemicals separate; be aware that your paperwork could become contaminated. 3. PICTOGRAMS AND LABELLING 3.1 All hazardous substances must be labelled with the appropriate hazard warning pictograms. The UK and EU has adopted the pictograms from the UN Global Harmonised System (UN GHS) and as such, the black on orange pictograms will only be encountered on older stocks of chemicals. Any new lables must be compliant with the UN GHS standards. Table 1 gives a comparison of the existing pictograms and definitions from the old and the new systems. 3.2 Where the hazardous substance is to be decanted for storage or use, the container must be clearly labelled with the hazard, contents, preparation date and (if appropriate) the owner. 3.3 Where reagents are in use, such as laboratory solutions, the container must be labelled with its contents and the name of the person responsible for the vessel. In the event of an emergency, such as a spillage, the responder must be able to identify any hazard associated with such preparations. 3.4 Chemicals frequently have alternative names (synonyms). These may include trade names, trivial (non-standard) or historical nomenclature. Each chemical does however, have a unique identification number: the Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) Number is unique to each chemical and is recognised internationally. If you have to reference a particular chemical which has known synonyms, using the CAS number removes ambiguity e.g. Caustic Soda and Sodium Hydroxide are both known as [1310-73-2]. This may be found on the Safety Data Sheet (SDS) and is frequently printed on the packaging. Page 4 of 12
GEOS-H&S-GUIDE-006-v1.0 (Dec 2016) Old Pictogram Old Definition UN GHS Pictogram UN GHS Definition Highly Toxic Toxic Toxic Harmful / Sensitiser Irritant Materials with moderate risks with relation to: Toxicity; Skin and eye irritation; Skin sensitisation; Target organ toxicity and Environmental impact. Explosive Explosive Oxidising Oxidising Highly Flammable Flammable Flammable Corrosive Corrosive Harmful to the Environment Harmful to the Environment Carcinogen, Mutagen or Teratogen (Reproductive Toxin) Health Hazard: Sensitiser, Mutagen, Carcinogen, Teratogen, Target Organ Toxicity,Toxic by Inhalation Table 1 Hazard Warning Pictograms Page 5 of 12
4. Storage 4.1 The Control of Substances Hazardous to Health Regulations 2002 (COSHH) requires that hazardous substances are safely stored. Incompatible substances must be segregated. This requires that storage is separated by hazard group rather than alphabetically, with substances of mixed hazards stored in one location. 4.2 Specific storage requirements for the hazard categories are as follows: 4.2.1 Flammable: Store in a designated flammables cabinet with drip tray. No more than 50 litres per laboratory / fire compartment including waste solvent. Working quantities such as spray bottles must be stored in a flammables cabinet overnight. When replacing old flammables cabinets, the new cabinets must conform to BS EN 14470-1:2004. Contact the Health and Safety Manager for advice. Fridges and freezers must be spark-proof and appropriately labelled if they are to be used to store flammables, due to the potential explosion risk from fumes. 4.2.2 Toxic (inc Schedule 1 Poisons): Store in a locked, secure cabinet. Keys must not be readily accessible. 4.2.3 Health Hazard Store in a locked, secure cabinet. May be stored alongside Toxic chemicals in the absence of other incompatibilities. 4.2.3 Corrosive: Store in a designated corrosives cabinet with drip tray. Smaller quantities (less than 5 Litres) of alkalis and acids may be stored in the same cabinet in different drip trays. Where larger quantities of acids and alkalis are to be stored, they must be in separate cabinets. 4.2.4 Oxidisers: Segregate from other chemicals 4.2.5 Explosive: Contact Health and Safety Manager for specific storage requirements 4.2.6 Harmful & Irritant: Segregate from other chemicals 4.2.7 Drugs: Page 6 of 12
Prescription Only Medicines (POM s) must be stored within a secure, locked drugs cabinet with restricted access. 4.3 Where substances have more than one hazard associated with them, storage should be based on the greater hazard and the incompatibilities noted in the Safety Data Sheet (SDS). Specific case-by-case advice is available from the Health and Safety Manager. 4.4 Chemicals must never be stored above head height except in a designated chemical store room with appropriate means of access. 5. Chemical Inventory and Material Safety Data Sheets 5.1 Every area must keep an inventory of its hazardous substances. The inventory must include: 5.1.1 Area name 5.1.2 Substance / preparation name 5.1.3 Chemical Abstract Services (CAS) number (single substances only) 5.1.4 Storage location 5.1.5 Typical quantity 5.1.6 Hazards 5.2 A system must exist in each area to ensure that the inventory is kept up-to-date. A good chemical inventory can aid stock control and prevent over ordering. 5.3 It is a legal requirement that every hazardous substance or preparation is supplied with a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). SDSs contain data that must be used during the risk assessment process. They also contain emergency and first aid data which must be immediately available in an emergency. 5.4 These SDSs must be retained, organised, filed and be available for consultation in an emergency. In the event of an accident requiring the casualty to be taken to hospital, the SDS must be taken with them for consultation by the emergency services. 5.5 SDSs are updated as new data on a substance becomes available. The date of receipt of the SDS should be noted on the SDS and each area must have a system to check for updates. This should be part of the risk assessment review process. Page 7 of 12
6. Personal Protective Equipment 6.1 PPE must only be considered as a control measure after elimination / substitution of the substance and engineering controls have been considered or implemented and there is still a residual risk which requires control and no other method of control is available. 6.2 PPE must be both suitable for the task and the individual. The wearing of PPE must not create further hazards and must be compatible with other equipment which may be used or worn for the task. 6.3 Where gloves are to be used for chemical protection, the chemical permeation data (available from the manufacturer) must be checked to ensure that the gloves will provide adequate protection to the wearer. For instance, phenol will penetrate latex and nitrile gloves in minutes and may not provide the required level of protection. Where this is critical, glove specification must be noted in the risk assessment. 6.4 Respiratory Protective Equipment (RPE) must be suitable for the task and the user. For face masks, the user must have had a respiratory fit test performed within the last three years. Where the RPE is to be used for chemical protection, the filter will normally be of the ABEK type. Consult the Health and Safety Manager for advice on the selection and use of RPE. 6.5 PPE must not be worn in clean areas where any contamination on the PPE may be passed onto other personnel. Examples include toilets, meeting rooms and offices. 6.6 Where reusable PPE is issued, it must be inspected for defects at least every 6 months and the inspections recorded. Where the PPE is disposable, e.g. nitrile gloves, the gloves should be briefly checked before use. Where a defect is found in a batch of disposable PPE it must be reported to the Health and Safety Manager so that the batch can be withdrawn from use if required. 7. Procurement 7.1 The hazard posed by any hazardous substance must be considered before that substance is brought onto site. Where a less hazardous substance may be used, substitution must be considered. 7.2 When purchasing / procuring equipment that may generate hazardous substances such as fumes and dusts, a risk assessment must be performed before the equipment is purchased. Contact the Health and Safety Manager for specific advice. 7.3 Before procurement of any substance, there must be a risk assessment in place for the use of that substance. The SDS and EH40 (http://www.hse.gov.uk/pubns/books/eh40.htm) should be consulted for information of hazards, toxicity and Workplace Exposure Limits (WEL's). Page 8 of 12
7.4 Chemicals should, where possible, be purchased in packaging which reduces the risk of breakage and spillage. For example, plastic or plastic coated glass bottles are preferred over normal glass bottles. 7.5 When ordering hazardous substances, the usage rate of the Group or area should be considered so that excess is not ordered. The Group / area should be able to use the substance before any expiry date is reached after which the integrity of the packaging and purity of the material should be questioned. As such, the smallest pack size commensurate with the usage rate should be ordered to reduce wastage. While larger packs are often only a little more expensive to purchase, if the material is not used, this creates waste with an environmental impact and disposal cost to the School. 8. Risk Assessment 8.1 All hazardous tasks within the School must be covered by a suitable and sufficient risk assessment. Where the task involves the use or generation of substances hazardous to health, the risk assessment must include the requirements of COSHH. 8.2 Where a substance hazardous to health is supplied or purchased, it must be accompanied by a Safety Data Sheet (SDS). The SDS is a legal requirement and contains much of the information required to conduct a risk assessment. The SDS must be appropriately filed and retained for use. All users of the substance must have access to the SDSs. 8.3 Where the task, of itself, generates substances hazardous to health, an SDS may not be available. Industry guidance or advice from the Health and Safety Manager should be sought as to how to carry out assessments in this case. 8.4 All groups affected by the risk assessment must be made aware of the significant findings of the risk assessment and trained accordingly. Copies must be available to all personnel. Assessments must be read, understood and adhered to by all staff affected by the assessment. A record must be kept of those authorized to perform individual tasks. 8.5 Where the Risk Assessment identifies significant risks and control measures, these must be used to create a Safe System of Work (SSoW). Users of the substances must be trained in the SSoW and supervised to an appropriate level commensurate with their experience and the risks involved. 8.6 Risk Assessments must pay special attention to the routes of exposure to chemicals: 8.6.1 Ingestion Ingestion most commonly occurs from hand-to-face contact which can occur as often as 20 times per hour. It is estimated that, even in the best run facilities, unless work is contained in glove boxes, about 10-6 of hazardous materials handled may be ingested. Where poor practice is tolerated this may be orders of magnitude higher. 8.6.2 Inhalation Page 9 of 12
Creation of aerosols or the handling of volatile substances outside of a fume hood may create the risk of inhalation. Many substances are subject to limits on their concentration in the air. See the HSE Document EH40 for more details. 8.6.3 Skin Contact Many chemicals can be absorbed through the skin. In addition, many solvents can carry chemicals through the skin. Barriers, such as disposable gloves, may be effective however close attention must be paid to breakthrough times for the chemicals being used. Risk assessments that specify hand protection, must specify the glove material (and perhaps the specific product). Ideally, the breakthrough time should also be noted. 8.6.4. Eye Contact Routine laboratory wet work may pose small risks of splashes to the face. Chemicals that have a low risk to the skin may be destructive to the eyes (for example alkaline buffers). Any procedure that poses the risk of splashes where chemicals pose a serious risk to the eyes should be conducted behind a barrier. This may be safety glasses but, depending on the risk, goggles or even a Perspex shield or fume hood sash may be required. 8.6.5 Abrasion & Injection Once the skin barrier is broken, either by abrasion, laceration or injection, chemicals may freely enter the body. Any technique where sharps handling is involved must be carefully assessed and include a safe disposal route for the sharps generated. 8.6 Further guidance can be found in the University Code of Practice P5CL1 Risk Assessment Risk Assessment Templates are found on the University Health and Safety Website 9. Waste Disposal 9.1 All hazardous materials must be disposed of in a safe manner in compliance with local and national standards. Reference must be made to the Hazardous Waste Intranet Site: http://www.ed.ac.uk/estates/waste-recycling/hazardous-waste 9.2 Where laboratories have mercury thermometers in use, the laboratory must have a mercury spill kit available. Laboratories should phase out the use of mercury thermometers where practical. 10. Emergency Procedures 10.1 All laboratories must have a suitable spills kit available. These should have sufficient absorbents / neutralizing agents appropriate for the type and quantity of chemicals in use together with PPE and waste containers. Advice on the contents of such kits is available from the Health and Safety Manager. Page 10 of 12
10.2 For all procedures handling substances hazardous to health, the method sheet / SOP / risk assessment must detail adequate emergency procedures. 10.3 As a minimum, the following emergency situations should be considered: 10.3.1 Personal contamination and First Aid 10.3.2 Ingestion / inhalation and First Aid 10.3.3 Spillage and release to the environment 10.3.4 Fire 10.4 Where the risk assessment identifies specific emergency precautions, these must be communicated to all groups identified as at risk by the risk assessment. 10.5 The effectiveness of emergency procedures should be evaluated through both critical review and practical exercises within the group as appropriate to the level of risk and the consequences of an accident. 10.6 Where a spillage would constitute a significant risk to health and safety or the environment, the Health and Safety Manager must be involved when setting up the emergency procedures. In the event of a significant spillage of a hazardous substance the Health and Safety Manager or Central Health and Safety Department must be contacted. 11. Carcinogens, Mutagens and reproductive toxins (Teratogens) 11.1 Carcinogens, Mutagens and Teratogens are defined as having the following R Phrases or H Phrases assigned in the appropriate MDS: R-Phrases R40 R45 R46 R49 R60 R61 R62 R63 R68 Limited evidence of carcinogenic effect May cause cancer May cause heritable genetic damage May cause cancer by inhalation May impair fertility May cause harm to the unborn child Possible risk of impaired fertility Possible risk of harm to the unborn child Possible risk of irreversible effects H-Phrases H340 May cause genetic defects Page 11 of 12
H341 H350 H350i H351 H360F H360D H360FD H360Fd H360Df H361 H361f H361d H361fd Suspected of causing genetic defects May cause cancer May cause cancer by inhalation Suspected of causing cancer May damage fertility May damage the unborn child May damage fertility; May damage the unborn child May damage fertility; Suspected of damaging the unborn child May damage the unborn child; Suspected of damaging fertility Suspected of damaging fertility or the unborn child Suspected of damaging fertility Suspected of damaging the unborn child Suspected of damaging fertility; Suspected of damaging or the unborn child 11.2 Where carcinogens, mutagens, sensitisers and teratogens are in use, the areas must be identified with appropriate signage. 11.3 Where possible, the use of carcinogens, mutagens and teratogens should be segregated from normal work areas and in a laboratory such work should be conducted on a white spill tray, with liner, clearly marked with appropriate warning tape. The health hazard warning sign in Table 1 should also be displayed. 11.4 Where substances covered in 11.1 and/or substances with the warnings R 64 (May cause harm to breast-fed babies) or H362 (May cause harm to breast-fed children) are in use, these chemicals must be identified and, where possible, substituted for a substances with a lower risk. Where this is not possible, risk assessments must take account of women of childbearing age, pregnant and breastfeeding employees. A list of these substances must be kept for each area to facilitate maternity related risk assessments. 11.5 Pregnant employees must not be exposed to substances bearing the R Phrases listed in 11.1, and breastfeeding employees must not be exposed to substances bearing the R or H Phrases listed in 11.1 and 11.4. To achieve this, the employer must assess the work of that individual and, if necessary, alter the employee s working conditions to ensure that the employee is not exposed. This may include additional control measures, dropping or changing some duties accordingly. The employee or Line Manager should contact the Health and Safety Manager who will advise. [END] Page 12 of 12