1 laboratory survival skills for georgia tech custodial workers deborah wolfe-lopez laboratory and...
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Laboratory Survival Skills for Georgia Tech Custodial Workers
Deborah Wolfe-Lopez
Laboratory and Chemical Safety Manager
Georgia Tech EHS 404-382-2964
November 2009
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Laboratory Hazards - Physical
Slips, trips and falls on wet or cluttered floorsElectrical hazardsHigh magnetic field hazardsCuts and punctures from sharpsExplosions/flying objects/chemical sprayUnsecured gas cylindersLasers
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Physical Hazards
Slips, trips, and falls on cluttered or wet floors
Electrical hazards may include extension cords on floors
High magnetic fields are a hazard to persons with pacemakers and ferrous metal implants
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Avoiding slip, electrical, and magnetic field hazards is a matter of common sense…Slips and falls- no different in labs than anywhere else-
rubber soled shoes; proper technique when wet mopping, watch your step in cluttered labs
Electrical- watch out for extension cords on floor or machinery with electrical components close to the floor- don’t wet mop, don’t contact with dry mop
Magnetic fields are posted- persons with pacemakers or surgical steel medical implants should not enter These areas are likely to also have electrical hazards
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Cuts and punctures from sharps
EHS averages about 4 calls a year regarding sharps, usually needles in trash.
Most, but not all are from laboratories, the rest are usually from insulin needles inappropriately discarded into office trash cans
2005- ES&T: Housekeeper became ill after suffering a needle stick injury from needles in regular trash
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Needle stick injuries-Best Defense
Use appropriate- one handed technique when picking up trash
Hold the bag away from youIf you find needles in the trash, save the
trash bag, note the room number, and call EHS- even if no one got hurt.
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Explosions/flying objects
ES&T 2003- crushed glass thrown 22 feet
U of Kentucky- Fume hood explosion broke light fixture 20’ away
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Explosions/Flying Objects/Chemical Spray- Best Defense
Be alert- if the lab staff starts to run, you should follow them
Evacuate away from fume hoods as this is probably where the problem is originating
Wear safety glasses at all times in laboratories
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Gas Cylinders- Physical Hazards
Gas cylinders need to be secured at all times.
(Even an empty cylinder can fall over and break a foot or a leg)
Cylinders like this pose no hazard
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Unsecured Gas Cylinders -
Cylinders are especially dangerous when they are not capped (valve is vulnerable)
If this cylinder fell over and broke at the valve, it would become a rocket.
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Unsecured Cylinders- Best Defense
Capped- but unsecured- stay away
Not capped and not secured- leave the lab immediately.
If there is someone from the lab present, bring it to their attention.
If there is no one there, (or the lab staff doesn’t do anything) call EHS- (we will need the emergency information off the lab door)
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LasersThere are 5 different
classes of lasers 1,2,3a, 3b, and 4
Class 3 and 4 lasers are capable of causing accidental eye injuries to passers-by.
Some can also cause sun burn
Class 4 lasers are also capable of starting fires
Lasers also present electrocution and (sometimes) chemical hazards
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Lasers- Best Defense
Do not enter labs when the laser sign is illuminated or warning lights are on.
Knock before entering any lab which has a paper laser sign on the door, but no illuminated sign or warning lights.
Researchers do leave the room with the laser running- Do not enter the room if there is no one present to tell you it’s safe. Supervisor, leave a note that this lab must put their
trash out in the hall and schedule floor cleaning. Inform the Building Manager.
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Lab Hazards - Chemical
Chemical Solids/powders/ airborne
dusts Liquids/vapors/mists Chemical spray from
explosions gases
Biological Solids liquids
Radiological Solids liquids
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Best Defense- Chemical Biological, and Radiological Hazarards
The same procedures that you use to protect yourself from these
Will protect you from these
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What Is a Hazardous Chemical?
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration defines a hazardous chemical as “any chemical which is a physical or a health hazard”If you wouldn’t eat it or rub it in your eyes- it’s
hazardous
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General Classifications of Hazardous Chemicals
Corrosive IrritantAsphyxiantToxicFlammableReactiveExplosive
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Simple Asphyxiants
Act by physically displacing oxygen to less than 19.5%
Include inert gasses such as N2, He, Ar, and CO2.
Other non-inert materials can also displace oxygen so that they become a dual asphyxiant/poison hazard- especially solvents which typically evaporate at room temperature or lower.
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Chemical Over Exposures Usually Result From
Being exposed to large volumes of material for short durations- such as cleaning up a spill
Being exposed to high concentrations in confined spaces (small volume spills can be more significant here)
Being exposed to levels above the Threshold Limit Value for extended period of time or repeated occurrences- lower concentration, longer duration
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Poisons (Toxics)
Poisons typically enter the body through one part of the body, (lungs, skin, stomach), travel through the blood, and damage another part of the body, such as liver, kidneys, or the nervous system
Solvents are an important poison because they are so common and have a number of target organs.
Solvents slow down the nervous system. In severe exposure cases-the brain “forgets” to tell the lungs to breathe.
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Examples of Toxic Effects
Target Organ Effects- Frequently liver, kidney and bone marrow damage
Mutagenic Effects- capable of causing changes in the DNA
Reproductive Effects- Capable of affecting the ability to produce normal sperm or or ova
Teratogenic Effects- Capable of causing birth defects without outwardly affecting the parent.
Carcinogenic- capable of converting normal cells to cancer cells
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Corrosives and Irritants
Cause damage to whatever they touch first (direct tissue damage)
Symptoms include red, burning or itching eyes or skinBurning of the nose throat/coughingBurning/pain in the chest and/or difficulty
breathingChemical Burns
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Examples of Corrosives and Irritants
Corrosives- AcidsSulfuric (battery acid, drain cleaners),
Hydrochloric acid (Muriatic acid, pool acid), Hydrofluoric acid (auto wheel cleaners, HVAC coil cleaners)
Corrosives- Bases (alkali, lye)Lye, lime, bleach, sodium hydroxide (drain
cleaners), ammoniaIrritants
Almost everything else
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Damage from Corrosives/Irritants
Can result in swelling of the airways impacting the ability to move air
Can extend down to the gas exchange region of the lungs impacting the ability to oxygenate the blood
Many “green” cleaning products are irritants capable of producing ill effects if not used carefully
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Sensitizers
Organic substances which are of natural origin or structurally resemble natural substancesCapable of causing an immune (allergic)
responseMay be a skin response (rash) or asthma-like
response. Developing an allergic reaction to something
frequently makes you more likely to develop allergic reactions to other, chemically similar materials
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Examples of Sensitizers
Enzymatic cleaners that are considered “green” are still capable of causing allergic reactionsRash, hivesRespiratory reactions
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There is more than one way to be exposed!
Means of ExposureThrough the skinThrough the eyesPuncture wounds Ingestion (by mouth)Inhalation
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How to avoid eye exposures
Put on your safety glasses before entering the lab.
You never know what may come flying off of a bench, out of a fume hood, or even out of a refrigerator
Refrigerator Explosion, U of Va
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How to avoid skin exposuresDon nitrile gloves before
entering the lab for routine tasks
Always wear nitrile exam gloves, even if you are just picking up the trash- remember that you can never tell what may have been “slopped” on the bag
Switch to heavier, longer nitrile gloves for tasks that are more demanding, such as moving objects on the floor to wet mop or clean up flooded areas
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Coagulative necrosis
Ugandan woman 12 days after an attacker poured acid over her
Material remained on skin for several hours
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How to Avoid Ingestion / By Mouth Exposures
Don safety glasses and nitrile gloves before entering a laboratory
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Avoiding Exposures by Mouth
Wash Your HandsAs soon as you take off the glovesBefore you eat or drink anything
(includes gum or breath mints)Before you smoke
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Avoiding exposures by inhalation
Odors in labs are normal- just because you can smell something, doesn’t mean that you are in danger, however…
If odors are strong, and no one is around for you to ask about the odor- come back later.
Most laboratories are designed with ventilation systems that protect the people in the lab very well
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Avoiding exposures by inhalation
Use your nose- Don’t rely on the lab staff to to up signs to alert you of a recently developed hazard, such as a spill
Don’t try to use a dust mask to protect you from chemical hazards They are meant for
nuisance dust-and that is really all they are good for
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Task Specific Requirements
Trash Pick Up Safety glasses (with side
shields) and nitrile gloves to enter the lab
Change gloves if you notice they are wet
Use proper technique- hold the bag with one hand!
Change gloves before moving into non-lab areas
Wash hands after removing gloves
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Task Specific Requirements
Loading paper towels/ soap in laboratory dispensersSafety glasses and nitrile gloves to enter labRemove gloves before leaving labWash hands
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Task Specific Requirements
Dry Mopping Safety glasses and nitrile
gloves to enter the lab Always treat the lab floor
as if it is contaminated Clean non lab areas first,
then the labs Never use a mop head that
has been used in a lab in an non-lab area
If the job is a dusty one, you may wear an N-95 dust mask to protect you – in or outside of labs
Remove gloves before leaving lab area
Wash hands
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Task Specific Requirements
Wet mopping
Don safety glasses and nitrile gloves to dispense cleaning chemicals
Use heavy/long (chemically resistant) nitrile gloves to mopThese gloves may be re-
used Never use a mop head
that has been used in a lab in an non-lab area
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Task Specific- Wet Mopping
Bag the mop head for transport back to O’Keefe
When done, rinse gloves off, remove gloves and wash hands
Examine gloves for pinholes and tears- save or discard as appropriate.
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Task Specific
Floor Stripping and WaxingSafety glasses and
nitrile gloves to handle the stripper and the wax
Long rubber or nitrile gloves
Rubber boots or boot covers
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Task Specific- Flood Clean Up
Safety glasses and heavy nitrile gloves
Shoe Protectors are also to be worn in flooded labs
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Task Specific- flood clean up
Treat everything in the lab as contaminated- do not touch anything bare handed
If possible, have the lab staff move bottles, cans, containers, and equipment
Unless directed otherwise, water may go down the drain (safety glasses and heavy, chemically resistant gloves for this job!)
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Things you should not do…
Clean up chemical spillsMove chemicalsRemove spill clean up materials as
regular trash- leave it for EHS (Call EHS to let us know where it is - 404-894-6224)
Clean up residues from spill clean ups unless EHS has approved it
Allow lab personnel to use your mops to clean up chemical spills
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Things you may do
Allow lab personnel to use your mops/mop heads to mop the lab floor (but not when chemical spills are involved)
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What to do in an emergency
FiresPull the fire alarm Call 911 or GT Police at 404-894-2500
Floods Call GT Police & Your supervisor
SpillsYou-evacuate the room (the lab staff may choose to
stay)See if the lab staff can handle it, if not call GT
Police & EHS
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What to do in an emergency
Chemical Exposure by InhalationGet Victim out to Fresh air- (outside room or
outside building)Do not send victim out alone- send a “buddy”
with them to monitor/report back on the victim’s condition
Make sure that the “buddy” has a cell phone and that you, EHS, or the GT Police have the number
Call GT Police
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Chemical Exposure Emergencies
It is very important that you are able to “act without stopping to think” in a chemical exposure incident.
TAKE NOTE of the location of eyewashes and safety showers in the areas where you are working
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What to do in an emergency- skin exposures If you are exposed to a
chemical on your hands, arms or feet, you can rinse off in a sink for 15 minutes using tepid, (NOT HOT) water
If you are splashed with a chemical in an area of your body which cannot be put under a sink faucet and flooded immediately- you must use an emergency shower
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How to Use an Emergency Shower
Remove clothing on the way to the shower- Shout for helpRemain in the shower for 15 minutesGet someone to call the GT PoliceDo not re-don contaminated clothingGet someone to print out 4 copies of the MSDS
(and find you something to wear)Remember that the SHOWER is also the best
answer when a person is on fire
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Why you need to use an emergency shower (and not the one in the restroom)
Emergency showers flow at 20 gallons a minute (bathroom showers flow at about 2 gallons per minute)
Emergency showers are located within 50 feet or a 10 second fast walk from where chemicals are used or stored
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What to do in an emergency- eye exposures
Shout for helpHold your eyelids
open with your fingers as you rinse your eyes
Have your helper watch a clock for you to make sure that you continue to rinse your eyes for a full 15 minutes
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Post Eyewash
You must seek medical attention immediately afterwards
GT EH&S recommends you go to Grady Hospital to ensure proper care
MSDSs- one copy goes with the victim to the hospitalOne Copy goes to the paramedicOne Copy for the GT PoliceOne Copy for EHS
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INFORMATION SOURCES
GEORGIA TECH LAB SAFETY MANUALPRUDENT PRACTICES FOR HANDLING
CHEMICALS IN LABORATORIESMATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEETS
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Georgia Tech Environmental Health and SafetyDepartment Front Office…………………………...4-4636
Spills/Waste- Ed Pozniak…………………….....4-6224 Bio-Hazard- Lisa Broadhurst …………..……....4-6120Physical Safety- Aleece Fox ……………….…..5-0263(Electrical Safety, Ergonomics, Lock-out-tag-out)
Fire Marshal- Mike Hodgson……………….…..4-2990Chem-Hazard- D. Wolfe-Lopez………….…….5-2964 Also Noise, Non-ionizing Radiation, Indoor Air Quality)
Radiation Safety- Nazia Zakir…………………..4-3621Laser Safety-Gary Spichiger …..………………4-3605 http://www.ehs.gatech.edu