1. ASK Dr SAFETY
Reactive and Air/Water
Sensitive Chemicals

2. Ask Dr. Safety
Neal Langerman
Advanced Chemical Safety
Harry Elston
Midwest Chemical Safety

3. Avoid these numbers!
The average number of chemical
2 accidents every day
Percent of chemical accidents which
6 result in death
Every 45 days there is a major
45 chemical accident
Million dollars of property damage
600 resulted from major chemical accidents
1980‐01
Thousand dollars is the average cost for a
15 single workers compensa7on claim
For details on sources, please see the business case.

4. What we are talking about
 Pyrophoric
• Silane
• Metal alkyls (t-Butyl Lithium)
 Air/Moisture Sensitive
• Alkali metals
• Organic halides (Acetyl chloride)
• Metal hydrides (Lithium Aluminum Hydride)
Advanced Chemical Safety
www.chemical-safety.com
Lab RAT Pyrophorics
Solutions@chemical-safety.com

5. Information Sources
• Bretherick's Handbook of Reactive Chemical
Hazards [Urben 2006]
• Sax's Dangerous Properties of Industrial Materials [Lewis 2004]
• NOAA Chemical Reactivity Worksheet (discussed later in this section) -
(http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/chemaids/react)
• International Chemical Safety Cards (accessible from CDC website at
(http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/ipcs/icstart.html)
• NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards (online version available at
(http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/npg/npg.html)
• NFPA Fire Protection Guide to Hazardous Materials [NFPA 2002]
• Coast Guard Hazardous Information System (http://www.chrismanual.com)
• Data from manufacturers/suppliers, including Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDSs)
• For more information on the OSHA alliance, visit: (www.osha.gov/dcsp/
alliances/reactives/reactives)
Chemical Reactivity Hazards Page 5

6. Hazmat Explorer =
Chemical Safety
Hazmat Explorer is an authorita7ve online resource for
chemical safety informa7on for chemists who need to
avoid chemical accidents.
• Quickly find and isolate high‐quality chemical safety informaEon
• Reduce the likelihood of accidents, injuries and harm to the
environment
• Save Eme with the ability to search by chemical sub‐structure
and similarity as well as chemical name, molecular formula and
CAS number
• Be able to link directly to associated material to make efficient
and effecEve chemical safety decisions

7. Complete & Robust Content
Hazmat Explorer
A reliable, easy‐to‐use source of
industrial chemical safety
Browse and Search informaEon. Core content:
by text and/or chemical
structure
5 Leading book
titles
Extensive Linking
Reactive Link to Scopus and
5,000 chemical ScienceDirect ‐ connecEng
hazards through to primary content
and based on chemical
idenEficaEon
2,200 Chemical
regulations
1,000 Flammability
records
Entries on
700 toxicology
dangers

8. Sneak Peek
From start to finish, the
research process takes
mere seconds to deliver
the information you need
—when and where you 8
need it.

9. HANDLING AIR SENSITIVE
CHEMICALS
 Syringe method
• 50 ml in a 100 ml gas tight syringe, MAX
• Single use syringe
 Double-ended needle method
• Larger volumes
 Glove box
• Best choice
Advanced Chemical Safety
www.chemical-safety.com
Lab RAT Pyrophorics
Solutions@chemical-safety.com

10. Lab Rat
Advanced Chemical Safety
www.chemical-safety.com
Lab RAT Pyrophorics
Solutions@chemical-safety.com

11. Handling
 Experimental Set-up
• Gloves can be
• “Pilots Gloves”
• Kevlar
• Leather
• Nitrile (thin mil) under, if desired
• Gas tight syringe, 15 – 60 cm SS needle
(NOTE: photo is example setup; done by John Palmer at
UCSD)
Advanced Chemical Safety
www.chemical-safety.com
Lab RAT Pyrophorics
Solutions@chemical-safety.com

12. Handling
 Second Person Essential
 Fire retardant clothing
 Faceshield/Proper us of sash
 Clear work space
 Adequate fire suppression
 Clear understanding of task

13. Handling
 Lab is fully equipped and experienced in
handling pyrophoric liquids
 Lab has a detailed, well-tested written
procedure
• If these BOTH are not met, should the task be
done?

14. IDENTIFYING REACTIVE HAZARDS
Reactive Metal & Solvent Fire

15. IDENTIFYING REACTIVE HAZARDS
UC-Irvine Fire

16. CHEMICAL REACTIVITY HAZARDS
Laboratory & Pilot Plant
Recognition & Control
Sponsored by the OSHA and
Chemical Reactivity Hazards
Management Alliance
Available at ACS Meetings
and at your facility.

17. Lab Rat
 QUESTIONS & DISCUSSION
Advanced Chemical Safety
www.chemical-safety.com
Handling Reactive Chemicals
Solutions@chemical-safety.com