Safety and Health Precautions in Laboratories Workshop on laboratory basics and fundamentals of ISO Quality Management Standards March 21-22, 2018, Kyiv, Ukraine

1. EUROPEAN UNION WATER INITIATIVE PLUS
FOR THE EASTERN PARTNERSHIP
Support of Water Policy Reforms towards Integrated Water Resources Management
Workshop on laboratory basics and
fundamentals of ISO Certification

2. Safety and Health Precautions
in Laboratories
Thomas Remesch

3. Brainstorming !
What do you think is important according
safety and health care if you are working in a
lab as a chemist ?
And what else if you are going outdoors for
sampling ?

4. Principle rules in a lab
Cleanness and tidiness in all working areas like
rooms for analysis but also room for storage
or other purposes:
These principles are important not only as a source
for contamination of samples than also as a source
for possible health impacts and/or safety problems !

6. Rules for access
and access control
 Only employees who are working in the lab should
have access to get there.
 Important because of the use of dangerous
substances (especially poisons).
 Special rules are needed if CMR-substances
(carcinogenic, mutagenic, reprotoxic) are in use
 External guests should have a special permission
to enter a lab

7. Facts for the Evaluation
of Risks
 hazard potential
 state of health
 age and sex
 homogeneity of the population
 category of usage
 duration of exposition
 intensity of exposition
 frequency of exposition
 path of incorporation

8. Incorporation of Pollutions
by the Lung
 size of solid particles in the air
 volatility of solid or liquid substances
 amount of air changed while breathing
 solubility of substances
 concentration of substances

9. Incorporation of Pollutions
by the Skin
 thickness of the skin
 state of the skin protective shell
 permeability of the skin
 possible existing skin damages
 labelling „H“ in the limits order by-law

10. Incorporation of Pollutions
by the Gastrointestinal Tract
 solubility of chemicals
 pH-differences in stomach and intestine
 different chemicals in use
 duration of stay in stomach or intestine

11. Risks and potential dangers, to which employees are
exposed, are often underestimated, because
substances are often used for many years, and
„never something did happen“, or which prevails the
(wrong) opinion:
„If the product is allowed to be sold, it can’t be so
dangerous.“

12. „Dangerous Characteristics “
of Chemicals based on GHS
 Physical Hazards (16)
• Explosives
• Flammable Gases
• Flammable Aerosols
• Oxidizing Gases
• Gases under Pressure
• Flammable Liquids
• Flammable Solids
• Self-Reactive Substances

13. „Dangerous Characteristics “
of Chemicals based on GHS
 Physical Hazards (16)
• Pyrophoric Liquids
• Pyrophoric Solids
• Self-Heating Substances
• Substances which on Contact with Water Emit Flammable Gases
• Oxidizing Liquids
• Oxidizing Solids
• Organic Peroxides
• Substances Corrosive to Metal

14. „Dangerous Characteristics “
of Chemicals based on GHS
 Health Hazards (10)
• Acute Toxicity
• Skin Corrosion
• Skin Irritation
• Eye Effects
• Sensitization

15. „Dangerous Characteristics “
of Chemicals based on GHS
 Health Hazards (10)
• Germ Cell Mutagenicity
• Carcinogenicity
• Reproductive Toxicity
• Target Organ Systemic Toxicity (TOST): Single Exposure & Repeated
Exposure
• Aspiration Hazard

16. „Dangerous Characteristics “
of Chemicals based on GHS
 Environmental Hazards
• Hazardous to the Aquatic Environment
 Other Hazards (only EU)
• Hazardous to the ozone layer

17. „Dangerous Characteristics “
of Chemicals
 causing Fibrosis
 radioactive
 infectious
 biological inert

18. Hazard Pictograms (new)
Toxic HarmfulHealth hazard

19. Hazard Pictograms (new)
Flammable Oxidizing Compressed Gas

20. Hazard Pictograms (new)
Corrosive Environmental hazard Explosive

21. Hazard Pictograms (old)

22. Hazard Pictograms (old)

23. More principle rules in a lab
No eating, no drinking, no smoking in all
rooms in a lab, where samples or dangerous
substances are in use !
Keep all evacuation routes clear !

26. Working with
dangerous substances
Especially when working with acids, bases,
flammable substances, volatile substances
(e.g. many organic solvents), dusts or
powders, liquid hydrogen
Protective measures are needed
AND
 Personal safety equipment shall be used !

27. Working with
dangerous substances
Examples:
 Use of fume hoods
 Wear a Lab suit (also in summer)
 Use closed shoes
 Protective gloves (change regularly)
 Safety googles
 Safety masks
 …

28. Inhalation Protection
Industrial gas masks with
• gas filters
• particle filters
• combination filters
ATTENTION:
Industrial gas masks don’t protect against
oxygen deficiency !!!

29. Important
when using industrial gas masks:
preferably carry no beard
in case of smelling or tasting gas
immediately change the gas filter
in case of raised airway resistance change
the particle filter

31. Working with
dangerous substances
Have a look on SDS’s:
 Which kind of gloves shall be used
 Which mask filters
 What are the important first aid measures
 What to do in case of fire
 Special rules for storage
 How to deal with waste

32. Other safety equipment
 Fire extinguisher
 First aid kit
And for outdoor use:
 Safety shoes
 Helmet
 Safety jacket and/or suit
 Life jacket
 Safety harness

35. Working with containers,
vessels, glassware,… in the lab
 Always keep them closed if possible when they contain
substances which are harmful for health
 Always store them at their intended places or area
 For handling with poisons special rules are necessary:
• Storage always in lockable poison cabinets or poison
rooms
• Documentation of all amounts coming into the lab and
all amounts used (or wasted)

37. Working with containers,
vessels, glassware,… in the lab
 Gas cylinders, filter flasks,… should always be secured
against tumbling
 All containers should be marked to give information about
their content
 The original labelling of samples in food packings should
be obliterated
 Also waste containers should be marked, to give
information about their chemical properties !

41. Storage of Chemicals
(big amounts)
 Only store the required amounts for a day at the
working place
 Storage separated according to their properties
 Liquids should be stored in or above retention ponds
 In areas labelled as areas with possible danger of
flammable or explosive substances
 NO MOBILE PHONES ALLOWED !!!
(e.g. storage room for flammable gases)

43. Time based rule
At no time an employee should work alone in
an area with many different possible dangers !
(e.g. rooms or areas with dangerous
substances, cold-storage rooms,…)

44. Thank you for your attention !

45. EU MEMBER STATES AND EUROPEAN COMMISSION:
EASTERN PARTNERSHIP (EaP) COUNTRIES:
BELARUS MOLDOVA UKRAINEARMENIA AZERBAIJAN GEORGIA
AUSTRIA FRANCE
INTERNATIONAL ORGANISATIONS: