Laboratory Hazards and Controls PDF

# **Laboratory Hazards and Controls** ## **Module Objectives** Upon completion of this module, you should be able to: * **Understand** * The elements of an effective laboratory safety program. * The causes of some of the laboratory incidents at your school. * **Apply** * Energy sourc...

# **Laboratory Hazards and Controls** ## **Module Objectives** Upon completion of this module, you should be able to: * **Understand** * The elements of an effective laboratory safety program. * The causes of some of the laboratory incidents at your school. * **Apply** * Energy source and hazard recognition to a variety of laboratory situations and disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering labs. * The hierarchy of controls to various hazardous laboratory settings * Your knowledge of the elements of an effective laboratory safety program to identify elements missing in your school's laboratory safety program. **Please note:** This module is not designed to replace any laboratory safety orientation training required by a university or college. Rather this module is intended to apply the concepts of hazard and risk controls to a laboratory environment. # **Topic 1: Putting Safety First** ## **Students in the Lab** Many labs are more hazardous and risk-filled than the average workplace. As a student, it is important that you are aware of the potential hazards and risks in the laboratories at your school. By recognizing and understanding these risks and hazards, you will be able to work in a safe environment using safe practices. Your school, regardless of whether it's a university, technical college or other institution, should provide you with laboratory safety orientation and training for all the laboratories where you will be working. In addition to laboratory safety training, the school must ensure you receive WHMIS (Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System) training if you will be working with hazardous materials. Every province has regulations in place requiring WHMIS training in the workplace and this includes students in academic institutions. ## **Learning from the Past** Serious laboratory accidents in recent years have highlighted significant gaps in safety practices in academic labs. There is at least one significant laboratory incident each week at a university or college in North America in which a student or faculty member is seriously-sometimes fatally-injured. The following incidents illustrate how critical it is for those working in labs, including students, to be familiar with the materials they are working with and the precautions to take to prevent tragic consequences. You can learn more about each of these incidents by watching the U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board video "Experimenting with Danger." ### **Incident 1** On December 29, 2008, 23-year-old Sheri Shangji was conducting an experiment in a UCLA chemistry lab, where the recent graduate worked as research assistant to professor Patrick Harran. She was working with tert-butyllithium, an extremely hazardous liquid that ignites on contact with air. Shangji wore goggles and gloves but no lab coat over her synthetic-fiber sweatshirt as she transferred the tert-butyllithium from its bottle to another container using a syringe. When the syringe malfunctioned, the chemical was spilled and instantly ignited, setting Shangji's sweatshirt on fire. Shangji suffered third-degree burns over 40 percent of her body. She died 18 days later. Criminal charges were brought against both UCLA and Harran, but the professor settled out of court, agreeing to pay $10,000 to a regional burn centre and complete community service. Investigators with the California Occupational Safety and Health Administration concluded that: * Lab workers at the UCLA, including Sheri Shangji, did not receive adequate safety training. * Safety practices, such as the requirement to wear personal protective equipment, were not enforced in the laboratory. * The university principal investigators did not adequately oversee and were not accountable for laboratory safety. ### **Incident 2** On January 7, 2010, in the chemistry lab at Texas Tech University, graduate student Preston Brown was crushing a larger than normal amount of nickel hydrazine perchlorate (10 g vs. 30 mg), a highly energetic chemical, when it detonated. Preston was seriously injured: he received severe burns to his face and hands, one eye was perforated and he lost three fingers on his left hand. Investigators determined that the following systemic safety deficiencies at Texas Tech University had contributed to the accident. * The student had not received specific training on explosive compounds. * The physical hazards and risks of the chemicals in use were not effectively assessed or planned for. * A formal system for documenting and communicating laboratory incidents was not in place. * The university principal investigators did not adequately oversee and were not accountable for laboratory safety. ### **Incident 3** Karen Wetterhahn, a respected chemistry professor at Dartmouth College in New Hampshire, died in June 1997 of mercury poisoning, almost a year after being accidently exposed to dimethyl mercury. Wetterhahn had taken several precautions for working with this potent neurotoxin: she was working in a fume hood to protect against fumes and was wearing a face shield and latex gloves. When she spilled several small drops of dimethyl mercury onto her latex gloves, Wetterhahn did not think she was in any immediate danger. She cleaned up the area and washed herself thoroughly. But it was too late. The deadly metal had permeated Wetterhahn's gloves and, within seconds, had entered her skin. Three months later, she had developed the first symptoms of heavy metal poisoning. Testing later showed that latex gloves do not protect against dimethyl mercury. Two factors contributed to this incident: * Reliance exclusively on safety precautions from suppliers (MSDS) instead of comprehensive hazard evaluations and risk assessments. * Insufficient knowledge of hazards associated with highly toxic chemicals. ## **Activity 1** Lab incidents continue to happen. There is at least one significant laboratory incident each week at a university or college in North America where a student or faculty member receives a serious-sometimes even fatal-injury or permanent disabling injury. The incidents in school laboratories, whether minor or significant, indicate that we need to improve risk management in the laboratory. It is important to note that, if not handled properly, a minor incident can easily escalate to a major one. We can learn from past lab incidents and apply what we've learned to enhance our lab safety programs. By taking action in response to minor incidents, we can improve lab safety and prevent major incidents from occurring. The following experiential learning assignment and related questions will help you learn about laboratory safety in your schools. Click on the 'Activity' button to access the activity. Then, click the 'Next' button to continue. ### **In this activity, you are to investigate a laboratory at your school and determine the incidents that have taken place in that lab over the last 12 months. You may choose any type of laboratory at your school: chemical, civil, electrical, mechanical, computer, etc.** **Speak with the laboratory supervisor to determine the nature of the incidents, the causes and the lessons learned.** ### **Question 1** **How many laboratory incidents did you review as part of your investigation?** * Less than 5 * 6 to 10 * More than 10 ### **Question 2** **Identify the causes of the incidents you reviewed (check as many as apply).** * Non-compliance with procedures. * Lack of correct procedures. * Lack of MSDS. * Lack of training. * Lack of personal protective equipment. * Lack of identifying all the hazards. * Lack of follow-up from a similar incident. * Lack of communications or accountability. * Lack of communicating learnings from past incidents. ## **Self-Check** At this point in the module, you should be able to: * Describe lessons learned from various laboratory incidents. The following questions are intended to help you monitor your own learning. You must determine the correct answer for each question in order to proceed, but you may make multiple attempts. **Click on a question to view the details. To indicate your answer, click on the appropriate circle. Then, click the 'Next' button to continue.** ### **Question 1** True or false? Only technical colleges have to provide students with laboratory safety orientation training. * True. ** *False.* ** ### **Question 2** Experienced lab workers can rely exclusively on information provided by suppliers, such as MSDS, to understand the hazards posed by a specific chemical. * True. ** *False.* ** ### **Question 3** Students working in laboratory environments must receive WHMIS training. * ** *True.* ** * False. # **Topic 2: Identifying and Understanding Lab Hazards** ## **Defining Hazards and Risks** When we use the words hazardous or risky to describe a situation or activity during casual conversation, we often mean the same thing. But in the field of risk analysis, the terms hazard and risk have specific and distinct technical meanings. * **Hazard:** A source of potential harm that exists when a source of energy could be released. Every hazard has a corresponding source of energy (e.g., chemical, mechanical, or electrical energy). When the energy corresponding to the hazard is released in an unwanted way, we refer to this as a loss of containment event. Some hazards are immediate and must be dealt with without delay to avoid a serious situation, while other hazards are less obvious and their effect may only be felt over a period of time. * **Risk:** Describes the amount of harm a hazard could potentially produce. It can be defined as probability of occurrence x consequence of the outcome. The probability of occurrence is an estimate of how often a hazard occurs, for example, 1.35 per 100,000 work hours. The consequence severity is the size of the impact if the hazard occurs, for example, one fatality, three critical injuries, and $500,000 in additional direct costs. Risk can be described either qualitatively (e.g., high risk, moderate risk, or low risk) or quantitatively (e.g., frequency of fatalities per unit time). In summary, a hazard is a source of potential harm while risk describes the probable size of the impact of a hazard. | Energy | Hazard | |---|---| | Gravity | Working at heights or unsecured objects | | Electricity | Live exposed electrical wires | | Mechanical | Moving equipment or parts | | Chemical | Toxic gases and chemicals | | Pressure | Air or compressed gas | | Noise | Sustained or repeated exposure to loud noise | | Thermal | Sustained or repeated exposure to heat or cold | | Radiant | Intense light, ionizing radiation, thermal radiation | | Body Mechanics | Improper lifting or body position | ## **Hierarchy of Controls** The Hierarchy of Controls is a way of thinking about controlling risk. It describes five methods for controlling risk arranged in order of decreasing effectiveness: * **Elimination:** Elimination is the most effective way to control hazards. If the hazard no longer exists, then the risk no longer exists. Eliminating a hazard ensures everyone and everything is safer. * **Inherent Safety:** An inherently safer design is one that permanently eliminates or reduces hazards to avoid or reduce the consequences of incidents. A process can be made inherently safer using one of four inherently safer design principles: * **Minimization:** Minimization means reducing the amount of a hazard that is present. * **Substitution:** Substitution is the replacement of a hazard with a lesser hazard. * **Moderation:** Moderation refers to using a less hazardous form of a hazard. * **Simplification:** Simplification means operating around a hazard in as easy and direct a manner as possible, thus minimizing the probability of errors. * **Engineering Controls:** Engineering controls are systems added on to a process in order to prevent or mitigate a loss of containment. A loss of containment event occurs when the energy corresponding to the hazard is released in an unwanted way. * **Administrative Controls:** Administrative controls are controls that reduce risk by instructing how work must be done safely. They include activities such as training, and written rules and procedures for how to act when around hazards. * **Personal Protective Equipment:** Personal protective equipment is equipment that a worker wears to protect themselves from hazards. It is the final item on the hierarchy of controls which means it is the least effective control. ## **Approaches to Hazard Identification** Now that we have defined hazard and risk and understand the hierarchy of controls, lets look at approaches for identifying a hazard. One approach is based on a person's experience and the other on identification of energy sources. ## **Identifying Hazards Through Energy Sources** Let's consider the two components for identifying hazards by looking at and becoming familiar with energy sources in the examples below. Each example involves a different energy source. * **Mechanical Energy:** A spinning shaft without a guard is an unprotected source of mechanical energy. An uncontrolled or unplanned or unexpected release of mechanical energy occurs when the spinning shaft bearings fail and parts are flung about. * **Chemical Energy:** Fuming sulphuric acid in an unlabeled container without a lid sitting on a laboratory bench is an unprotected source of chemical energy. Uncontrolled or unplanned or unexpected release of chemical energy occurs when the container of fuming sulphuric acid is knocked over. * **Radiation Energy:** A work area where arc welding is being performed that is not protected by flash screens is an unprotected source of radiation energy. Uncontrolled or unplanned or unexpected release of radiation energy occurs when the electrode on the arc welder is inadvertently grounded. ## **Energy Sources and Hazards in the Lab** In the laboratory environment, hazards associated with different energy sources can exist. Referring back to the three examples we just discussed, now consider the hazards related to the following energy sources: * **Energy 1: Gravity:** Look around the lab and ask yourself, 'What can fall?' Lab glassware or bottles of reagents stored on a shelf? Tanks of compressed gas sitting on the floor? What about you? Could you trip over something and fall? Now ask yourself, "What will create a bigger problem if it fell?" When assessing hazards associated with gravity, look at: * Workers and equipment above you. * Items stored or shelved above you. * Items that need to be anchored. * Stacked materials. * **Energy 2: Mechanical:** Momentum, rotating, revolving, reciprocating. Laboratories can contain a variety of mechanical equipment, from small bench-top pieces to large, industrial-sized items fixed to the floor. This equipment has moving parts, parts with momentum that rotate, revolve, and reciprocate. These parts can pose a hazard. They can become loose and fall or fly off the equipment. In addition, clothing, hair, and fingers can get caught in these moving parts. * **Energy 3: Potential Energy:** Potential energy is stored energy and it can cause damage when it is unexpectedly released. A spring or other piece of equipment under tension or compressed can become a hazard when it is not controlled. * **Energy 4: Electrical:** There are many dangers associated with electricity and different types of electrical hazards. Some specific electrical hazards that you might encounter in a laboratory environment include: * Overloaded electrical panels. * Frayed, bare electrical cords. * Misused extension cords. * Reverse polarity at outlets. * **Energy 5: Chemical:** As the three incidents described earlier in this module illustrated, chemicals can pose a significant hazard to anyone working in a laboratory. Some chemicals are extremely reactive, flammable or toxic. Even a chemical in storage is a potential hazard if it has not been stored properly. It is extremely important to look around the lab and identify and become familiar with these chemicals. * **Energy 6: Thermal:** Hot and cold surfaces or spaces in the lab can be hazardous to workers causing minor to severe burns. Hot plates, Bunsen burners, autoclaves, and stills all produce heat, as do many other types of lab equipment. Heat can also be produced in chemical reactions. Other lab processes such as preserving samples involve using extreme cold. * **Energy 7: Toxic:** Laboratories can contain a range of toxic or poisonous chemicals or agents including live organisms such as viruses or bacteria. If a worker is exposed to a toxic substance, the effects of the toxin may be immediate or they may not become apparent for hours, days or even years later. * **Energy 8: Radiation:** Hazards associated with radiation include visible light, ultraviolet light, lasers, radioactive material and ionizing radiation. Exposure to these hazards can cause burns and other damage to human cells with possible long-term effects such as cancer. * **Energy 9: Pressure:** Many laboratories use gases and liquids stored in cannisters or tanks under pressure. Low pressure exerted over a large area can create a large force. When working with compressed gases and other materials under pressure, it's important to know your operating pressures and select the correct range of pressure using the gauge. ## **Applying the Hierarchy of Controls to Laboratory Safety** We can use the hierarchy of controls to reduce risk and address hazards from one or more of the nine energy sources. In the laboratory, administrative controls and personal protective equipment are key means of controlling hazards associated with all of the nine energy sources. Proper laboratory housekeeping practices, for example, are paramount for reducing hazards and managing risk in the lab. Establishing and maintaining these practices would be considered administrative controls. The other controls used to address hazards from different energy sources depend very much on the nature of the laboratory. The table below lists the type of control that might be used to manage hazards related to a particular energy source. | Control |Energy Source | |---|---| | Elimination | Gravity, chemical, thermal, radiation energy | | Inherent safety |Gravity, potential energy, electrical, chemical, thermal, toxic, radiation, pressure| | Engineering controls |Mechanical, potential energy, electrical, chemical, thermal, toxic, radiation, pressure| ## **Self-Check** At this point in the module, you should be able to: * Describe lessons learned from various laboratory incidents. * Apply energy source and hazard recognition to a variety of laboratory situations. * Apply the hierarchy of controls to managing laboratory hazards. The following questions are intended to help you monitor your own learning. You must determine the correct answer for each question in order to proceed, but you may make multiple attempts. **Click on a question to view the details. To indicate your answer, select the correct response from the options given. Then, click the 'Next' button to continue.** ### **Question 1** Which of the following statements dealing with hazards is accurate? Select all the apply. * ** *A hazard is a source of potential harm.* ** * All hazards are immediate and must be dealt with without delay to avoid a serious situation. * A hazard can exist even without a source of energy. * ** *Some hazards are not immediately obvious and their effect may only be felt over a period of time.* ** ### **Question 2** Which of the following approaches can be used to identify a hazard? * ** *Someone with specific experience in a process can inspect the environment for hazards.* ** * Someone who is inexperienced in a process can look for and become familiar with energy sources. * ** *All of the above.* ** * None of the above. ### **Question 3** Which of the following sources of energy can result in a hazard in the lab environment? * Potential. * Radiation. * Chemical. * Thermal. * ** *All of the above.* ** ### **Question 4** In the laboratory, which controls from the hierarchy of controls are most commonly used to manage hazards from all nine energy sources? Select all that apply. * Elimination. * Inherent Safety. * ** *Personal Protective Equipment.* ** * Engineering. * ** *Administrative.* ** # **Topic 3: The Elements of an Effective Laboratory Health and Safety Management Program** ## **The Ten Elements of an Effective Laboratory Safety Program** Every laboratory should establish a health and safety program. This program would include policies and procedures that recognize the hazards and minimizes the risks associated with the laboratory environment, thus ensuring the safety of those working in the lab. An effective laboratory health and safety program includes the following elements: * **Element 1: Leadership:** Leadership is the driver of an effective laboratory health and safety program. A school's number one priority should be student and staff safety. The school's leadership with respect to lab safety includes deans, assistant deans, chairs, professors and instructors. Schools' leaders should provide the necessary resources to ensure students are properly trained and understand the procedures to work safely and comply with those procedures. Leaders are involved in all of the elements of the health and safety program, participating regularly in lab inspections, identifying the hazards, following up on incidents, etc. * **Element 2: Hazard identification:** The laboratory is a hazardous environment for a student. The possibility of a student being exposed to a risk in the lab is higher than in any other school setting. A lab health and safety program focuses on identifying risks by requiring that trained personnel conduct periodic risk assessments of existing lab facilities as well as new facilities such as pilot labs. * **Element 3: Planned inspections:** During a planned inspection, a team that might include the dean, department chair, the lab supervisor or instructor, the professor and students take a purposeful break from their work in order to focus on safety. The inspection involves touring the lab, observing procedures, and reviewing safety documentation to identify hazardous conditions and risky practices. Students should be encouraged to participate in planned inspections on a rotating basis to develop skills and provide perspective on correcting deficiencies. A planned inspection enables supervisors, professors and department leaders to: * Be highly visible. * Talk with your students and researchers in the lab. * Interview students and researchers about their safety concerns. * Coach students and researchers on how to manage the risks in the lab. * Combat complacency. * Demonstrate their commitment to safety. * **Element 4: Personal protective equipment (PPE):** The school should specify the PPE to be used during specific procedures in its different laboratory settings and according to the requirements listed in the university or college laboratory safety manual and/or relevant Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). The lab instructor and/or professor should ensure that students use the appropriate PPE at all times. PPE must be easily accessible to all students. This equipment might include safety glasses, goggles, lab clothing, gloves, and hearing protection, as well as equipment for specialized applications such as working with radioactive sources, radiation generating equipment, medical and bio hazardous materials. * **Element 5: Job safety analysis and safe operating procedures:** Job safety analysis (JSA) and safe operating procedures (SOPs) are widely practiced by leading industrial companies. JSA is a methodology for planning, analysing, assessing, and safely executing any lab task, job, procedure or project. The SOP incorporates the tasks and control measures as identified in the JSA into a sequential list of instructions to safely carry out the lab work. * **Element 6: Safe handling of materials:** The lab health and safety program should provide information that enables students and lab workers to safely store, handle and dispose of lab materials. This information should be consistent with provincial regulatory requirements for Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) and Workplace Hazardous Materials Information Systems (WHMIS). * **Element 7: Lab management:** A lab's health and safety program should include policies and procedures for controlling access to the lab; emergencies including emergency equipment and preparedness, and working alone in the lab. * **Element 8: Training and records:** Students and new lab staff should receive orientation training. This training should include an overview of the lab's health and safety program. The lab supervisor or instructor should keep records of the training completed by each student and lab worker. These records provide proof that an individual has received training and help the lab supervisor or instructor identify training gaps. * **Element 9: Field level risk assessment (FLRA):** In leading organizations, FLRAs are in place before work is started on any task. In the lab when the task involves only one student, an FLRA means that the student has assessed the hazards involved in a particular procedure and either eliminated or controlled those hazards before starting work. If the student is unsure about the correct procedure to follow or the PPE to use, the student should check with the laboratory supervisor. When working with a team or group, an FLRA provides a way for a leader to communicate the nature of the job and the associated hazards with team or group members and ensure they understand the control measures in place to eliminate or mitigate the hazards. * **Element 10: Incident reporting, follow-up and correction:** Incident reporting, follow-up and correction is one of the most important elements of an effective lab health and safety program. All lab incidents should be reported and investigated to determine why an incident happened and if changes can be made that would reduce the chances of the incident from happening again. If incidents in school laboratories are not reported or reporting is incomplete, this often indicates that a strong safety culture does not exist at the school. We can determine how effective incident follow-up is by the number of repeat events that occur in the laboratory. For example, do students and lab personnel comply with the "no eating in the lab" rules? Have similar lab fires occurred? Are all lab incidents being reported properly? ## **Activity 2** For this assignment, you are to review the safety program in place at one of the laboratories at your college or university. You will need to meet with the laboratory supervisor or professor to gather information about the laboratory safety program in place. **Click on the 'Activity' button to access the activity. Then, click the 'Next' button to continue.** ### **In this activity, you are to review the safety program in place at one of the laboratories at your college or university. You will need to meet with the laboratory supervisor or professor to gather information about the laboratory safety program in place. As part of this review, you are to:** * Determine how many of the ten elements of an effective laboratory safety program discussed in this module have been incorporated into the laboratory safety program. * Identify the three most important lab safety elements where opportunities for improvement exist. ## **Self-Check** At this point in the module, you should be able to: * Describe lessons learned from various laboratory incidents. * Apply energy source and hazard recognition to a variety of laboratory situations. * Apply the hierarchy of controls to managing laboratory hazards. * Recognize the elements of an effective laboratory safety program. The following questions are intended to help you monitor your own learning. You must determine the correct answer for each question in order to proceed, but you may make multiple attempts. **Click on a question to view the details. To indicate your answer, click on the appropriate box. Then, click the 'Next' button to continue.** ### **Question 1** True or False: Labs in universities and colleges do not need to have health and safety programs. * True. * ** *False.* ** ### **Question 2** The lab health and safety program should provide information that enables students and lab workers to safely store, handle and dispose of lab materials. This information includes the following. Select all that apply: * ** *Hazardous material information pages.* ** * ** *Material Safety Data Sheets.* ** * ** *Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System.* ** * Laboratory Hazards Information System. * Material Hazards Data Sheets. ### **Question 3** Of the following individuals at an academic institution, who is responsible for lab safety? Select all that apply. * ** *Students.* ** * ** *Deans.* ** * ** *Assistant deans.* ** * ** *Department chairs.* ** * ** *Professors.* ** * ** *Instructors.* ** # **Module Summary** The ultimate objective of any safety and risk management program is to engage people in actively identifying hazards and managing risks in their daily work. Our focus in this module has been on laboratory safety. In this module, you learned from real incidents and discovered what can go wrong when hazards are not properly identified and managed. You also learned about the hazards present in different laboratory settings and ways to address these hazards. We concluded the module by outlining the ten elements of an effective laboratory safety program, and emphasized that leadership is the most important element. Remember: everyone is a leader when it comes to health and safety. **You should now be able to:** * **Remember** * Important lessons learned from laboratory incidents. * **Understand** * The elements of an effective laboratory safety program. * The causes of some of the laboratory incidents at your school. * **Apply** * Energy source and hazard recognition to a variety of laboratory situations and disciplines such as civil, mechanical, electrical and chemical engineering labs. * The hierarchy of controls to various hazardous laboratory settings * Your knowledge of the elements of an effective laboratory safety program to identify elements missing in your school's laboratory safety program. **You can review the course content anytime by accessing the course menu. If you are ready to take the module exam, click the 'Complete' button below to close this module and access the exam.**