This document provides an orientation to safety practices for a chemistry department. It covers identifying safety equipment in workspaces, managing unwanted materials, interpreting safety data sheets, using personal protective equipment, and responding to accidents. Key contacts and training requirements are also outlined. The goal is to prevent injuries by ensuring proper handling of chemicals and awareness of hazards.

1. Chemistry
Department
Orientation
SafetyTraining
Chemistry Department Safety Officer:
Melinda Box, mcbox2@ncsu.edu (919) 515-2537

2. Safety Goals
 Prevent acute injuries to yourself and others
 Prevent cumulative exposure to yourself and others
 Prevent damage to materials and facilities
NOTE:This training is an INTRODUCTION.
It is not all-inclusive, so if you’re ever unsure, ASK!
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3. Know the Space
NASA astronaut,Tim Kopra, using a Microgravity Glovebox
aboard the International Space Station 3

4. Know the Space
 safety shower
 eye wash
 first aid kit
 fire extinguisher
 fire alarm pull
 spill kit
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What safety items should you look for in your workspace?

5. Know the Space
 contact numbers – in addition to
911 and (919) 515-3000
 street address and room number
(not just building name)
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Other safety info you should look for:
 evacuation route map
(either posted or in the safety plan)
 land line telephone (as back-up)

6. Know the Space
 chemical storage locations
(in teaching labs, chemicals
present change regularly)
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Identify chemical hazards present
and the means to manage them:
 unwanted material
collection arrangements
(type, location)
 ventilation hoods
(types and how to operate)

7. Unwanted Material Mgmt,
General
 keep unwanted material container in
secondary containment
 keep capped when not in use
 for lidded/latching funnels keep
fully latched when not in use
 segregation, common examples:
 keep acids from bases, organics, and metals
 Regulated metal ions separately
 highly toxics from all else
 questions? Contact Michael Long
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8. Unwanted Material Mgmt,
Specific
 Labels must be generated by the EHSA system (no
handwritten labels)
 NEVER label unwanted material as “WASTE” or
”HAZARDOUS”
 Bottles must be labeled before any unwanted material is
placed in them
 Unwanted material must not be moved from the room
where it was generated (per US Dept ofTransportation)
 Sharps containers must have restricted access lids
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9. Lab Safety Info
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What do you mean, you didn’t check on that?
How hard could it be???

10. Lab Safety Info at NC State
 Door Sign
 contact person
 hazards inside lab
SAFETY
PLAN
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Where do you get safety info about your workspace?
 Safety Plan – hard copy in lab
as well as posted on-line
 Lab Safety Officer (aka Secondary Safety Contact)

11. Chemical Safety Info
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 SDS’s
 On-line chemical databases
 Standard Operating Procedures (SOP’s)
 Lab manuals (when teaching)
Where do you find it?
 EH&S email –
 Experience of lab mates
JUST ASK!
gives safety info & goes to purchaser
ex’s – highly toxics, air/water
reactives, peroxide formers

12. Interpreting Safety Info
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But how unstable is “UNSTABLE”?

13. Interpreting Safety Info
 SDS contents
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Hazard Statements
Precautionary Statements
First-aid
Storage
EngineeringControls (ex: fume hoods)
PPE
Toxicological Info

14. Interpreting Safety Info
GHS Hazard
Statements
GHS Precautionary
Statements
GHS Health Hazard
Category Limits
GHS Physical Hazard
Category Limits
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Globally Harmonized System (GHS) of Labeling

15. Interpreting Safety Info
Common Hazards
 Corrosive – respond rapidly to eye or skin contact;
also store in a cabinet designed for that purpose
(lower conc’s of ≤ 1 L may be kept at the bench)
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 Oxidizer – keep away from flammable and
combustible materials, including organic
reagents, clothing, and wooden shelves and
cabinets

16. Interpreting Safety Info
Common Hazards
 Irritant – avoid skin contact and breathing
 Sensitizer – avoid repeated contact
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 Carcinogen – eliminate or minimize exposure

17. Interpreting Safety Info
Common Hazards
 Toxin – OR OR
Avoid internal exposure.
NOTE: internal exposure can
be caused by touching
contaminated gloves, hands,
or cell phones to the face
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But how?

18. Interpreting Safety Info
Common Hazards
 Flammable – keep away from heat and
flames and store volumes ≥ 1L in a cabinet
designated for that purpose
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Uncommon Hazards
 Pyrophoric (ignites spontaneously in air at
temps  130 oF or 54.5 oC)– get training from
senior group members or PI

19. Interpreting Safety Info
 Mutagen (causes genetic mutation) - eliminate or minimize
exposure (may be associated with carcinogenicity)
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Uncommon Hazards
 Explosive – use a blast shield or hood sash
 Teratogen (causes harm to developing fetus) – avoid handling while
pregnant or while near someone who is pregnant
 Lachrymator (causes eyes to water) –
always handle in a fume hood

20. 20
Interpreting Safety Info
● AccessingToxicity Info
● Go to PubChem
 Click on the names given
 Under Contents, click on “Toxicity”
 Enter a chemical ID

21. Interpreting Safety Info
“So what does LD50 mean?”
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22. Chemical Labeling
andTransport Requirements
 Use secondary containment
(ex’s: bucket, bin, or cart with lip)
NOTE: restraining rail
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 Labeling –
 storage bottles - full name of all
components and approx. composition
 vials – initials, date, and
lab notebook page

23. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Requirements
Always wear safe attire in lab:
 safety glasses or goggles
 long pants (to the ankles)
 closed toed shoes
 covered torso and shoulders
 gloves as needed
 lab coat as needed
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What’s RIGHT with this picture?
What’s WRONG with this picture?

24. Response for Eye Wash
and Safety Shower Use
 Assist affected person to shower or eye
wash and make sure user rinses for
15 minutes
 send someone to get assistance while
you stay with the affected person and
call 911 for emergency assistance
 stop all work in the room & make sure
students shut down experiments safely
 prepare for flooding of the room
 make sure user of safety shower disrobes
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25. Fume Hoods
 Proper Use:
 keep face and body outside of hood
 keep sash height below marked limit
 keep work ≥ 6 inches inside the hood
 and, to save energy,
close hood when not in use (you save
~$3000/year in energy costs)
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What’s WRONG
with this picture?

26. Fume Hoods
 toxic solids (including weighing)
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What types of substances should you work
with inside the hood?
 volatiles (i.e. easily form vapor, low b.p.)
 dust irritants
 explosion risks
 sensitizers

27. PPE Support
Resources:
 Glove Selection:
 Ansell Chemical Resistance Guide
 North Chemical Resistance Guide
 Sigma Aldrich also provides a link, “Suggested Laboratory
Gloves,” located under the pricing on product pages.
 Getting a Lab Coat – contact Alan Harvell
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28. Managing Physical Hazards
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29. Managing Physical Hazards
a quick review of the familiar ones
 Burns -
 How do you prevent them?
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 alert lab mates to hot glassware
 How do you treat them?
 run cold water or place on ice for 15 minutes

30.  Fire
 What do I do if I’m on fire?
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Managing Physical Hazards
a quick review of the familiar ones
 stop, drop, and roll
and/or use the safety shower
 What do I do if something else is on fire?
 in a container, cover it
 small enough, use fire extinguisher (optional)
 on pyrophoric fires, use fire sand

31.  Crush/Pinch Point
 ask for assistance
 use proper means of moving, lifting, or transport
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Managing Physical Hazards
a quick review of the familiar ones
 Electrocution
 be vigilant around modified electronics
 do not override interlocks
 Loud noises
 white or sudden noise - wear hearing protection
 get pre-screened before exposure to high
decibel background
 get on-line Hearing Conservation Training

32.  UV rays – cumulative eye and skin damage
 don’t look directly into the lamp
 use a UV filtering window or safety
glasses to look under lamp
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Managing Physical Hazards
introduction to lab ones
 Silica Gel – breathing hazard
 irritation not scarring
 transfer in a hood
OR
 with a dust mask and eye
protection outside a hood

33.  Cryogens – dry ice and liquid nitrogen
 wear cyrogenic gloves when touching anything
cooled by the cryogen
 wear eye and face protection when handling
cryogen
 avoid breathing exhaust from a relief valve
 never fill a dewar more than 80%
 move away from a spill
 keep flammables away from cold traps
that may condense oxygen
AdditionalTraining in NCSU EHS
Cryogen SafetyVideo
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Managing Physical Hazards
introduction to lab ones

34.  Compressed Gases
 cap in transport or while not in use
 chain tanks to a cart or brace
 only open caps and valves with an approved tool
 don’t force connections
 don’t use lube or tape on threads
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Managing Physical Hazards
introduction to lab ones

35. How to Respond to an
Accident or Incident
 For fire evacuation or medical emergency call 911
from a campus or personal phone
 Provide building address and emergency situation
to campus dispatchers
 Remain on location until responders arrive
 Stay with the affected student; send someone else to get assistance
 For a spill, evacuate the room and close the door if the substance
may pose a breathing hazard. Then call (919)515-3000. EH&S has
someone on call to deal with spill clean-up.
 Fill out a report form – Chem Department’s and/or NCSU’s on-the-
job injury
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36. 36
Computer Ergonomics
(before)

37. 37
Computer Ergonomics
(after)

38. Taking Responsibility
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39. SafetyTraining Needed
For all NCSU employees:
 Manager’s Safety Checklist
(including research group’s SOP’s)
For anyone who might handle
chemicals:
 Chemical Hygiene Plan
 ChemicalWaste Management
To Whom It May Apply:
 BioSafety
 Formaldehyde
 Hearing Conservation Program
 Laser Safety
 Radioactive Material Safety
 RespiratorTraining
 X-ray Safety
 Nanomaterials
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40. Follow Best Practices
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The following includes requests
from your future Labmates!

41. Follow Best Practices
 Never work alone in lab
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What is wrong with these pictures?
 No lab items in office spaces

42. Follow Best Practices
 No gloves or lab coats in non-lab spaces
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What is wrong with these pictures?
 Never Eat or Drink in Lab
 Use good ergonomics for heavy lifting

43. Follow Best Practices in Lab
 Always make a plan, preferably written, before starting an
experiment.
 Considerations in making an experimental plan:
 chemical, physical, and health hazards
 work flow
 waste management
 other resources and equipment
 assess the hazards
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44. Follow Best Practices in Lab
 Allow extra time to do things (rushing tends to undo progress)
 Maintain good housekeeping (for improved experimental
success and for consideration of lab mates)
 keep bench organized and uncluttered
 return materials to shared storage
 keep work space open
(i.e. not crowded by storage)
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45. Campus Safety and Security
 For emergency - call 911 from any phone
 For assistance – call campus police at (919)515-3000
 For info about campus safety alerts,
automatic and requested, including natural disasters –
https://www.ncsu.edu/emergency-information/
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46. Helpful Resources
 Chem Dept Safety Officer – Melinda Box (919) 515-2537
 EH&S Website https://ehs.ncsu.edu/
 Chemistry Dept Safety Info
https://go.ncsu.edu/chemdeptsafety
 Hazardous Waste Management – Michael Long (919) 515-6307
 Radiation Safety – Amy Orders (919) 515-5208
 BioSafety – DarrenTreml (919) 515-6858
 Laser Safety – Simon Lappi (919) 515-6871
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47. Contributors
 Lab Safety Officers - Rosalynd Joyce, Madison Davidson,
Leiah Carey, Cameron Stevens, Brandon Zoellner, Maans
Ekeloef,Amanda Cooper, Christina Martinez, Xiaohu Xie,
Alec Falzone, Sara Martin, David Daley
 Undergraduate Lab Supervisor – Marcie Belisle
 Undergraduate Lab Manager – Maria Gallardo-Williams
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