sources of chemical safety information

Tulane University - Office of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)

SOURCES OF CHEMICAL SAFETY INFORMATION

FOR TULANE LABORATORY EMPLOYEES WHO WANT TO FIND

INFORMATION ON CHEMICALS THEY MAY ENCOUNTER AND HOW

TO PROTECT THEMSELVES

January, 2005


Objectives

• To become familiar with some useful resources (online websites, books, regulatory agencies) where one can find information on chemical and laboratory safety related topics


Office of Environmental Health & SafetyWebsite

OEHS has put together a website which is a great resource tool and a wealth of safety information:

www.som.tulane.edu/oehs

http://www.som.tulane.edu/oehs


OEHS Website TopicsThese are some of the topics and links that can be found on the OEHS website:

• Material Safety Data Sheets

• Chemical Safety• Hazardous Materials

& Waste• Fire Safety• Departmental Safety

Representatives

• Biological Safety• Radiation Safety• Laser Safety• Ergonomics• General Safety• OEHS Policies &

Procedures Manual


OEHS Website – Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Link

• Material Safety Data Sheets are available on the OEHS website under the MSDS link

• See the OEHS PowerPoint presentation on the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard for information regarding MSDSs

• MSDSs are documents provided by the manufacturer of a chemical that tell you about that chemical and how to protect yourself


OEHS Website - Chemical Safety LinkThis is some of the information available under the Chemical

Safety link of the OEHS website:• Annual Lab Safety

Documentation Forms

• OSHA Formaldehyde Standard Guide

• OSHA Hazard Communication Standard Guide

• OSHA Lab Standard/Chemical Hygiene Plan Guide

• Chemical Inventory Form

• Incompatible Chemical List

• Lab Hoods

• Lab Door Labels

• Compressed Gas Cylinders

• Ethyl Ether


Howard Hughes Medical InstituteThe Howard Hughes Medical Institute has put together an online course on

lab safety available to all. If you decide to review it, please send training documentation to OEHS. OEHS also has videos from HHMI on various lab

related topics. Call OEHS if you would like to borrow one.

www.practicingsafescience.org

(Online Lab Safety Course)

http://www.practicingsafescience.org/


Prudent Practices in the Laboratory

National Research Council

This is an excellent, highly recommended reference of

laboratory safety information- now available online at

www.nap.edu/catalog/4911.html

http://www.nap.edu/catalog/4911.html


Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories

Less is Better: Laboratory Chemical Management for Waste Reduction

Publications from the American Chemical Society -

Available online at http://membership.acs.org/c/ccs/pubs/SACL_faculty.pdf

http://membership.acs.org/c/ccs/pubs/less_is_better.pdf


Chemical Health & Safety

Journal Publication of the American Chemical Society -

Division of Chemical Health & Safety

(See Division’s website: http://membership.acs.org/c/chas )

http://membership.acs.org/c/chas


NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

The National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health has produced this useful guide on chemicals and their hazards:

Available online at www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npg.html


Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories

This is an especially useful source of lab safety information for microbiological and biomedical laboratories:

U.S. Dept. of Health & Human ServicesCenters for Disease Control & Prevention

National Institutes of Health (Available online - See the Biological

Safety link of OEHS website)


Hawley’s Condensed Chemical Dictionary

The Merck Index

Chemical Abstracts

These are additional sources of chemical safety information.


Household Products DatabaseThis extensive database is a consumer’s guide providing easy to

understand information on the potential health effects of more than 4,000 common household products

The National Library of Medicine

Available online at householdproducts.nlm.nih.gov


Essential Practices for Managing Chemical Reactive HazardsThis is a useful resource on reactive hazards:

Center for Chemical Process Safety (CCPS)

Available online at www.aiche.org/ccps/resources.htm


Emergency Response GuidebookThis is a useful resource for first responders during the initial

phase of a dangerous goods/hazardous materials incident:

Guidebook developed by Transport Canada, the US Dept of Transportation, and the Secretariat of Transport & Communications of Mexico for use by fire fighters, police, and other emergency service personnel


Regulatory WebsitesThese sites contain safety information and references to regulations.

Some, like OSHA, even provide online training on various topics.

• www.osha.gov – Occupational Safety and Health Administration website

• www.epa.gov – Environmental Protection Agency website

• www.bt.cdc.gov – bioterrorism site of Centers for Disease Control

• www.cdc.gov/niosh - Centers for Disease Control/ NIOSH website

• www.dot.gov – Department of Transportation website

http://www.osha.gov/

http://www.epa.gov/

http://www.bt.cdc.gov/

http://www.cdc.gov/niosh

http://www.dot.gov/


Summary• There are many sources where one can

find information about chemicals or products they may encounter

• Material Safety Data Sheets are not the only source available to learn about a chemical’s hazards

• Many regulatory agencies provide websites where one can learn about regulations – some even provide online training at their websites

Tulane UniversityOffice of Environmental Health & Safety (OEHS)

Pam Fatland, Chemical Safety Manager(504) 988-2800

www.som.tulane.edu/[email protected]

If unable to proceed to quiz, type the link below into your browserhttp://aurora.tcs.tulane.edu/ehs/enterssn.cfm?testnum=19

Proceed to Quiz

http://www.som.tulane.edu/oehs

mailto:[email protected]

http://aurora.tcs.tulane.edu/ehs/enterssn.cfm?testnum=19

sources of chemical safety information

Documents