Foundation Training in

Biological Safety

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 Module 2
Hazardous chemicals

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Routes of exposure
Most serious Most readily
Inhalation absorbed Gases, fumes,
vapours, very
fine powders

Corrosive
Skin contact
liquids and
those that
readily cross
the skin barrier

Ingestion Dense solids

Least likely Least readily
absorbed
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Risk factors
Intrinsic hazard associated with the substance
Severity of hazard

Low health hazard

Substances designated as irritant (those that affect
the skin and sometimes the eyes)

Medium health hazard

Substances designated as corrosive, irritant
(particularly by the inhalation route) or harmful
(particularly by the inhalation route)

High health hazard

Substances designated as toxic, very toxic,
carcinogenic, mutagenic and those that may
impair fertility or harm the unborn child

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Risk factors
Risk Phrases

 All hazardous substances are allocated Risk Phrases that

describe the particular hazard(s) associated with that
substance

 Risk Phrases can be found on the Material Safety Data

Sheet (MSDS) supplied with the substance.

 It is a legal requirement for suppliers to provide safety

information in the form of an MSDS

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Risk factors

Currently 60+ Risk

Phrases listed under
Chemical (Hazard
Information and
Packaging for Supply)
Regulations
(CHIP)

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Risk factors
It is also a legal requirement for suppliers to provide
appropriate hazard labelling for chemicals

How many types of hazard label are there?

Packing and Supply Hazard Warning Transport

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 Risk factors

Suppliers must also

identify and label
chemicals that present a
safety risk as opposed to
a health risk…..

….and those that have an environmental impact

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Risk factors

Suppliers must
also package
chemicals safely

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Risks factors
Workplace Exposure Limits (WELs)

 In addition to Risk Phrases, some hazardous substances

have occupational exposure limits set under COSHH in
order to protect the health of the worker

 These are airborne concentrations, averaged over a time

period, that must not be exceeded

 Information on WELs can also be found on the MSDS for

the substance:

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Risk factors
Physical properties

Dictate the potential to become airborne

e.g.
Liquids: high boiling point > medium BP > low BP
Solids: pellets / granules > crystalline > dusty

Quantity
e.g.
small > medium > high
(<1g [ml]) (1 – 100g [ml]) (>100g [ml])

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Risk factors

By multiplying values for:

INTRINSIC HAZARD
x
PHYSICAL PROPERTIES
x
QUANTITY

….we can arrive at a

figure that gives an
indication of overall risk
factor

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Control measures
Prevention of exposure takes priority over control

Substitute the hazardous chemical with a safer alternative

Ethidium
Bromide

Use a safer form of the same chemical

Exclude non-essential personnel from the area

Access control systems
No write up areas in labs
Hazard zoning
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Control measures
Minimise the quantities used, stored and transported

Ventilation:
use fume cupboards
where necessary…...
and check that they
are being maintained

Store hazardous chemicals

in an appropriate manner

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Control measures

Transport hazardous
chemicals
using appropriate
containment methods

Wear appropriate
Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)

Dispose of chemical waste properly: sink or specialist waste

contractor?

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Control measures

Observe
good
housekeeping

Ensure users are provided with sufficient information,

instruction, training and supervision

Ensure that suitable emergency procedures are in place

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 No horseplay in the lab !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

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Carrying out and recording the COSHH risk
assessment
STEP 1:
Identify the hazards

STEP 2:
Identify who may be at risk

STEP 3:
Establish control measures

STEP 4:
Record the assessment

STEP 5:
Review the assessment
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Laboratory activities that present a specific risk
Activity Control measures
Weighing Consider using fume cupboard or other benchtop
enclosure such as weighing station
Pipetting Consider using fume cupboard and or drip trays;
dispose of pipette tips properly; use good pipetting
technique; clean and maintain automatic pipettes
Shaking / mixing Consider using fume cupboard in conjunction with PPE

Centrifugation Ensure compatibility of tubes with chemicals; balance

tubes; PPE; clean-up procedures and training
Syringe filtering Consider alternative methods; use Luer lock fittings;
select right pore size; dilute sample; FC and PPE
Use of sharps Eliminate wherever possible; select right tool for job;
wear appropriate PPE; ensure safe disposal
Elevated temperature Lower temperature if possible: use fume cupboard;
cover or partially cover; reduce surface area
High pressure equipment Consider location of equipment in conjunction with PPE
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Accidents do happen……
Chemical splash to face / eyes
Chemical splash to hand / arm
Chemical splash on laboratory coat
Chemical injected beneath skin by needle
Exposure by inhalation (sometimes including eye irritation)
Numerous reports of ‘solvent’ smells
Allergic reaction attributed to chemical contact
Acute asthma attack
Spillage onto bench / floor
Chemical in mouth – rare

….and a skin blister arising from self treatment of wart on foot

with liquid nitrogen!
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……so report them

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Some other legislation relating to chemicals

Dangerous Substances and Explosive Atmospheres

Regulations (DSEAR)

Home Office Drug Precursor Legislation

Chemical Weapons Act

Anti-Terrorism Crime and Security Act

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Sources of further information
Internal
Safety Department website:
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/guidanceandadvice/chemicals
afety
http://www3.imperial.ac.uk/safety/guidanceandadvice/hazwaste

External
HSE:
http://www.hse.gov.uk/index.htm

Sigma Aldrich:
http://www.sigmaaldrich.com/Area_of_Interest/Europe_Home/U
K.html

Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/

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Workshop Exercise 1
1.Is the substance flammable?
No. Flammability is usually indicated in Sections 3 (Hazards Identification) and 15
(Regulatory Information)
2. What is the UK Workplace Exposure Limit for this substance?
2ppm (Section 8 - Exposure Controls and Personal Protection). OEL is the
Occupational Exposure Limit
3. How would you dispose of 5 Litres waste chloroform?
Via specialist waste contractor organised by Estates Helpdesk – (Section 13, Disposal
Considerations).
4. How would you store the substance in the laboratory?
In a solvent cabinet with appropriate signage and preferably equipped with a spillage
tray. Section 7, Handling and Storage offers little useful guidance in this instance.
5. Would you need to wear a respirator for routinely handling laboratory
quantities of this substance?
If the substance is handled properly in a functional, well maintained fume cupboard,
this should be sufficient to ensure that respiratory exposure is minimised and kept
below the 2ppm WEL. Respiratory protection would probably only be envisaged for
dealing with a large spill outside a fume cupboard.

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Workshop Exercise 2
SCENARIO:
You enter a laboratory first thing in the morning and notice an odour.
You recognise that two specimen jars on the benchtop have cracked
and spilled 4% formaldehyde onto the benchtop and an area of the
floor. There is still evidence of liquid present.

WHAT DO YOU DO NEXT?

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MODEL ANSWER
1. Leave the room again immediately.
2. Close the door and secure if possible.
3. If the door cannot be secured, attract the attention of a colleague to stand by the door or
prepare some temporary warning signage to affix to the door.
4. Report the incident to your Group Safety Adviser / DSO.
5. Nobody should enter the room until the airborne concentration of formaldehyde is
established. This can be determined using a portable formaldemeter – several meters are
kept by the Safety Department and others are held locally.
6. Once the readings have been established there are two options:
a. A member of staff can enter wearing suitable respiratory protective equipment and clean
the spillage up using a polymerising agent.
b. The room can be left vacant until the formaldhyde has evaporated completely. The length
of time that this takes will be dependent upon the quantity spilt and the ventilation standards
within the laboratory.
7. Complete a dangerous occurrence report in accordance with established College
procedures.

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