HSE-manual Waste disposalRisk assessment

Department of ChemistryKJM-MENA 4010 module 30

Vidar Blekastad, August 2015

CultureOur culture should be characterized by the fact that all staff and students take personal responsibility for following the policies and procedures and contribute to a secure, safe and good working environment.

Responsibility• The head of the chemistry department has overall responsibility for all aspects of HSE.• All staff and students have a personal responsibility for ensuring that rules and procedures

are followed and for contributing to a safe working environment.• The local working environment committee at the Department of Chemistry (LAMU) treat

matters that relate to safety and working environment. The HSE coordinator is contact person for this committee.

• The HSE coordinator will contribute to the Departments effort to perform all work within the framework of applicable HSE laws.

• The Safety Deputies (Verneombud) are the employee’s representatives in the working environment issues. The safety deputies has the authority to stop work that he (she) believes causes immediate danger for life or health. They are represented in the local working environment committee (LAMU).

• For each laboratory there is a person who is responsible for that room. Room responsibility role:

a) Have control and knowledge of the activities that take place in space.b) Ensure that activities follow the established procedures.c) Provide adequate labeling of laboratory chemicals.d) Those persons responsible for rooms must be full time employees of the Chemistry

department.e) The door should be labelled with information about the person who is responsible

for the room (name, phone number).

Behavior in case of accidents Alarm instruction. You will find a poster in every laboratory with information about behavior

in case of an alarm (you will hear a bell and a siren). Please note where this poster is located and read the text. If someone is hurt, call an ambulance. If you are in doubt if an ambulance is needed, you may call and ask the ambulance staff. If you need an ambulance, it is important to know the address to the Chemistry building. You will find it on this poster. Here is the text on the alarm poster:

ALARM INSTRUCTIONIf you hear a fire alarm, you are obliged to leave the building! Do not re-enter the building until an official clearance has been given.

Alert: Everybody in the area should be alerted. If you discover fire and don’t hear the bell, use the nearest fire alarm pull box or call 110!

Assist: Help persons who need assistance.Extinguish: If you discover fire, try to extinguish quickly without taking any risks.Control damage: Close doors and windows.Guide: If you know anything about the incident, inform responsible person.

PHONE NUMBERS:FIRE: 110AMBULANCE: 113POLICE: 112 Security alarm centre, University: 22 85 66 66

ADDRESS TO THIS BUILDING: KJEMIBYGNINGEN, Universitetet, BlindernSem Sælands vei 26 Room no:

In case of less serious damages (e.g. cut in a finger) you may go to the Emergency medical center (Legevakten, Storgata 40, Oslo) in town. All taxi drivers know this place, Taxi phone number is 02323.

Risk factors in the laboratory related to chemical handlingWe will now look at the most important risk factors related to chemical handling and what we can do to avoid these risks. In the next class we will learn about what we can do to reduce the consequences if something happens after all.

• Chemicals in the eye. I have this on the top of the list because the eye is the only place on the body which is not covered by skin. Therefore eye protection is required whenever you enter a laboratory where chemicals are used. Work should be done in a manner that involves minimal risk of splashing. All laboratories where chemicals are used are equipped with eye wash bottle. The laboratory door has an “eye protection required” sign.

• Chemicals on the body. Some chemicals may damage the skin. You should wear laboratory coat in the laboratory. Do not wear sandals and shorts when working with chemicals

• Fire. A fire in the Chemistry building may have very big and serious consequences. All of us should do our best to avoid a fire.

• Alarm system in the Chemical building

• Smoke/heat detectors (start the alarm bells and alert the fire department).Avoid false alarm! Avoid fumes and vapors near the smoke detectors!

• Fire alarm pull boxes (start the alarm bells and alert the fire department).

If you see a fire, but don’t hear the bell, use the fire alarm pull box. If something really serious happens, and you think it is necessary to evacuate the building, you may use this fire alarm pull box.

o Firefighting equipment in the Chemical building.CO2 extinguisher Located in the laboratories For small fires

(liquids). No pollutions

Powder extinguisher Located in cabinets for firefighting equipment and in some corridors.

More effective. Pollute a lot

Fire hose Located in cabinets for firefighting.

Effective.Not to be used on fire in liquid

Fire blanket Located at laboratory course rooms and organic laboratories.

Fire in persons, containers etc.

o Fire triangle

When we are talking about fire, it may be useful to look at the “fire triangle”. Three things are needed simultaneously to make a fire: heat, oxygen and combustible substance. If we remove one of the sides, the fire will stop.

HEAT OXYGEN

COMUSTIBLE SUBSTANCETherefore:- Heat: Do not keep chemicals near heat sources. Store flammable chemicals in fireproof

cabinets.- Oxygen: Some fires (e.g. fire in a beaker) can be extinguished by prevent air supply. If a

big fire occurs, leave the room and shut the door!- Combustible substance: Avoid more chemicals than necessary. Avoid big amounts if

possible. Do not store unnecessary mess! Keep the laboratory clear!!

Some terms you should be familiar with when you are going to use flammable liquids:• Flash point: The flash point of a volatile material is the lowest temperature at

which it can vaporize to form an ignitable mixture in air.• Ignition temperature: The lowest temperature at which it will

spontaneously ignite in a normal atmosphere without an external source of ignition, such as a flame or spark.

• Boiling point: Tell us how easy the liquid evaporate.

Example of some flammable liquids

Flash point°C

Ignition temperature°C

Boiling point°C

Diethyl Ether - 45 180 34,5

Gasoline - 45 250 32 – 250

Toluene 4,4 480 150 – 210

White spirit 65 240 175-225

• Exposed to chemicals. Some chemicals are toxic or hazardous to health. There are 4 main routs being exposed to chemicals.

FIRE!

o Ingestion: This is the most serious exposure, but the less likely. It is strictly forbidden to eat or drink in the laboratory. Do not drink water from the grey laboratory-taps; they may contain small amounts of cadmium.

o Inhalation is more likely and may be serious. Therefore we should always work in a fume hood when we are working with chemicals, even if they are not classified as hazardous today, they may be classified as hazardous later. There are different types of fume hoods at our building, the two most common are these

OLD FUME HOODS

Switch on MAX when using it. The window opening should not be more than 30 cm. When finish: Put the window down and the switch on MIN. If the red lamp is lightening, notify technical staff or HSE coordinator.

NEW FUME HOODS

When green lamp is lightening, it is ready for us. Red lamp: try to lower the window. If the red lamp is still lightening, notify technical staff or HSE coordinator.

o Skin contact. Some chemicals are corrosive or irritant. Work carefully, wear laboratory coat. You may use disposable gloves. Remember: some chemicals may penetrate the gloves, change them regularly.

o Burn injuries and cut injuries: Work carefully. If something happens, see “First aid in the laboratory”.

o Frost injury. When handling liquid nitrogen, use shoes which are covered properly by the trousers. Use gloves and eye protection. Filling liquid nitrogen: See the SOP at our home page.

o Chemical spills. Spread an absorbent material over the solution. Collect the waste in a container for later disposal. Absorbent material is to be found in an emergency cabinet. If the chemical is emitting toxic or hazardous fumes, wear a gasmask which also is to be found in the emergency cabinet.

• Accident with gas bottles. Only trained persons should handle gas bottles. The gas bottles shall be secured to a wall or other firm support. If a gas bottle with regulation valve tips over, it will behave as a rocket (due to the very big pressure) and do a lot of damage. Transportation of gas bottles: Make use of a trolley which is designed for gas bottles.

Storage of chemicals in the laboratory. Flammable liquids should be stored in fireproof cabinets. When you need some liquid, take

what you want and return the bottle and shut the cabinet door. Acid and bases should not be stored at a high level. If you lose the bottle you may get

corrosive liquid over you. Acid and bases can be stored e.g. in cabinets under the fume hood.

Incompatible chemicals should not be stored together. Liquid hazardous materials should be stored in secondary containment Refrigerators used for storing flammable liquids shall be designed for that purpose. Do not

use ordinary domestic units.

Flammable liquids Acid and bases Liquid hazardous materials

Chemical transportation inside the building.

Do not carry bottles like this, if you meet someone in the door, you may lose a bottle and then we may have an accident.

This is much better.

Or you may have the chemicals in a container on a trolley. Remember: Do not have incompatible chemicals in the same container.

WASTE TREATMENT Ordinary waste

This is an ordinary waste basket. This will be emptied by the cleaning staff every week. Therefore we are not allowed to put anything in this basket which may harm the cleaning staff: No sharp things and of course no chemicals.

Paper waste is to be recycled. Collect in designated boxes. Empty in containers by the lift every Thursday.

Glass waste is to be recycled. Collect the glass waste in a bucket or something similar on the laboratory. Take it outside the building and empty it in a big glass waste container in the backyard of the Chemistry building. NB! The glass must be clean. If it is difficult or impossible to get it clean, the glass may be given to the HSE-coordinator.

Glass waste Rubbish, old material etc.

Rubbish, old material. It is very important to get rid of empty cardboard boxes, styrofoam, old furniture etc. as soon as possible. If this is stored in the laboratory or in the corridor, the situation will be much worse in case of a fire. Take it outside the building and put it into a big container designed for such waste. The container is located in the backyard of the Chemistry building.

Hazardous waste• Definition: Hazardous waste is waste that cannot be handled together with ordinary waste if

it can cause serious pollution or risk of harm to humans or animals.• Regulation related to the recycling of waste (“avfallsforskriften”)

https://lovdata.no/dokument/SF/forskrift/2004-06-01-930See chapter 11 “Hazardous waste”

• Hazardous waste at Department of Chemistry:o Chemical wasteo Solvent wasteo Electrical waste (EE waste)o Hypodermic needles, infectious waste etc.o Radioactive waste

• Chemical residues are to be given to a waste company. The residues has to be sorted, packed in a safe way and declared. This will be done by the department. Therefore residues may be given to the HSE coordinator. NB! The chemicals must have a proper label. If the chemical waste can easily be destroyed in an environmentally friendly and acceptable method (e.g. neutralizing of some simple acids and bases), you may do this in the laboratory.

• Solvent waste. Organic solvents like hydrocarbons, alcohols, halogenated hydrocarbons and ketones may be collected in containers in the laboratory. Have separate container for halogenated hydrocarbons. Have a proper label on the containers! You may empty them in two tanks in the backyard of the Chemistry building, see picture. You may use your office key. The amounts should be recorded in a book you will find in the cupboard near the tanks.

There is one book for each tank. Wear safety glasses and start the fan when you are pouring out the liquids.

Solvent waste in the lab. Cage for big tanks for solvent waste

• Hypodermic needles, cannula needles. Put them into a dispenser or an empty bottle (relabel the bottle). Shut it thoroughly. If the needles are not contaminated by hazardous material, you may put it in an ordinary waste basket. If they are contaminated, you may give them to the HSE coordinator or put them into yellow containers for “risk waste”, see next point

• “Infectious substance”. If you have some equipment, gloves etc. which are contaminated with hazardous substance, you may put them in yellow containers which are labelled “infectious substance”. You will find these containers in the solvent waste cage (use your own key). When the container is full, place it in the cage and take an empty one. Disposable gloves etc. which are not contaminated are to be thrown into an ordinary waste basket.

Dispenser box for needles Container for infectious substance

• Electric and electronic waste (EE-waste) is to be collected in designated containers, you will find them when you enter the Physic building from the backyard of the Chemistry building.

EE waste• Declaration of hazardous waste. All companies generating hazardous waste are required to

deliver their waste at least once a year to an approved waste collector. Upon delivery each

type of waste (as defined by its Norwegian waste code) should be accompanied by a declaration form.

• How waste companies get rid of hazardous chemicals.o Organic chemicals: Burned in connection with manufacturing of concrete (Norcem,

Brevik). Some solvents are recycled through distillation. Inorganic acids, bases and other inorganic compounds: Neutralized in old mines (Langøya, Holmestrand). Some chemicals are treated in special installations in Norway and abroad.

Langøya, Holmestrand

Norcem AS is a Norwegian manufacturer of cement in Brevik.

o Electrical waste, EEwaste is treated in approved installations. The waste is taken to pieces and hazardous components are taken away and are treated as hazardous waste. Some components are to be recycled.

o “Infectious substance” (yellow containers) is burned in an incinerator.

RISK ASSESSMENTWe need risk assessment of master thesis (the supervisor’s responsibility) and experiments (the student’s responsibility). You can do a risk assessment in different ways depending of what sort of work you are going to do. The most important thing is to assess the risk before you do a new experiment and to document in the journal. One simple way to do a risk assessment is to ask you these three questions:• What can go wrong?• What can we do to prevent it? • What can we do to reduce the consequences if something happens?

This may be put into a table, and the risk assessment of a master thesis may look like this:What can go wrong What can we do to prevent it What can we do to reduce the

consequences if something happens

Exposing to toxic and carcinogenic substances

Work with chemicals in a fume hood.Get information about the substances (MSDS).

contact a physicianReport it

Fire in the hood Follow the procedure and work carefully.Keep the hood tidy

Extinguish with an extinguisher or a fire blanket.Keep the hood tidy

Explosion in the rotavapor. Follow the procedure and work carefully.Follow the SOP for rotavapor very carefully.Have a shield between you and the rotavapor. Eye protection.

Get help, contact a physician if necessary.

Accident by handling gas cylinders.

Get good instruction. Follow SOP for gas cylinders.

Evacuate, alert other persons.

Example of risk assessment for a simple experiment:Description of experiment:…..includes adding metallic Na to a beaker which contains EtOHWhat can go wrong What can we do to prevent it What can we do to reduce the

consequences if something happens

EtOH may catch fire when the temperature increases

EtOH-beaker is placed in ice-bath.

The fume-hood is kept tidy. No storing of unnecessary things. Extinguisher near by

For simple experiments which do not represent any special risk when the procedure and HSErules are followed. This means that you use the fume hood, eye protection etc. Then it is sufficient to write that the experiment has been evaluated, that the MSDSs are read, and that the experiment does not represent any additional risks (refer to the risk assessment of the master thesis) when the procedure and safety rules are followed. Check that fire extinguisher and eye flush bottle are near and make note of this in your journal.

If you are going to do a new experiment with several steps which may be risky, you may do a Safe Job Analysis. Then you divide the procedure into subtasks and put into this form:SAFE JOB ANALYSISSubtask What may cause an undesired

event?Possible caution

Safe job analysis may also be used if you are going to make a Standard operation Procedure for an instrument or another procedure, e.g. Handling of gas bottles.Subtask What may cause an undesired

event?Possible caution

Transport and storage

of bottles

Gas bottles toppling, leading to uncontrolled release of gas.

All gas bottles should be securely fastened to a wall or other immovable objects to avoid toppling.If transported for longer distances, appropriate trolleys should be used

Opening of gas bottlesafter connecting them

Sudden high pressure could cause connections to fail or explode.

Stand a bit to the side of the connection when opening a bottle. Always take care to ensure leak-free connections before opening.

General use ofcompressed gas

Release of some gases may be a fire or health hazard.

Always take care to ensure leak-free connections in all parts of a gas system.Always know the hazards of the specific gas you are usingCheck the possible leakage after changing the reduction valve of the gas bottle.

Risk is a product of likelihood and consequence. A method for risk assessment of incidents is by using this matrix:

Red: unacceptable risk, immediate action is requiredYellow: considerable risk, precaution should be make plans for.Green: acceptable risk, no precaution is required.

Example: A light bulb may fall down and hurt somebody: 1X2=2 Green, AcceptableThe forecast is hurricane: 4X4=16. Immediate action is required.

Material safety data sheet (MSDS) (=sikkerhetsdatablad) 16 points.Material safety data sheets are build up according to global regulation. Therefore you always will find e.g. hazard(s) identification in point 2 (this is the most important point) and first aid measures in point 4.

1. Identification2. Hazard(s) identification3. Composition/ information on ingredients4. First-aid measures5. Fire-fighting measures6. Accidental release measures7. Handling and storage8. Exposure control/ personal protection9. Physical and chemical properties10. Stability and reactivity11. Toxicological information12. Ecological information13. Disposal considerations14. Transport information15. Regulatory information16. Other information.

According to Norwegian acts, you must have a MSDS for all chemicals we are using and storing in the laboratories. This may be in an electronic index file, you will find more information about this at our HSE site http://www.mn.uio.no/kjemi/english/about/hse/msds/Whenever you are going to use a new chemical, you should have a look at the MSDS before you make the risk assessment.