revised September 2001

1. Introduction *

2. Workplace Hazardous Material Information System (WHMIS) *

3. Transportation of Dangerous Goods (TDG) *

4. Department and University Regulations *

5. Responding to Emergencies *

6. Getting to and from the Department *

7. Concluding Remarks *

Please read this booklet carefully. It is a legal requirement that the University provide you with safety training before you start working in the lab. When you have met the requirements, please sign the WHMIS portion of the Personnel Information sheet obtained from Room 536 and return it to Jaleen in Room 525.

The information in this book comprises the essential elements that apply to all persons in the Department. It should not be regarded as a complete list of all the areas of training. You may be required to undertake special training in the area in which you will be working. With respect to specialist training, the contents of this booklet are only a set of very general guidelines. Talk to your supervisor, the senior person in the laboratory, and anyone else who may have the information you require. Some of you will also perform laboratory work in other departments. Before undertaking such work, you may be required to take additional training on radiation, biosafety, etc. The requirements that are in place have been established to ensure your safety and that of other people around you.

You cannot work in any laboratory or workshop in the Department until you have fulfilled all the required safety training. It is therefore necessary for you to pay appropriate attention to each section in this booklet, and to demonstrate that you have fulfilled the Department’s requirements.

WHMIS is joint legislation between the federal and provincial governments, which was designed with significant input from industry. Its goal is to standardize legislation for the chemical work environment for the whole country. It targets any environment in which potentially hazardous materials are used. It is in place not only for the protection of the worker who uses the chemicals, but also for the protection of staff and students who work where such materials are used.

The legislation addresses the following major points, each of which will be discussed in greater detail below.

• Material Safety Data Sheets
• Labelling
• Training

It is important to remember that WHMIS is a Canadian law, and that foreign companies, including those in the USA, do not have to comply. However, the law applies to all material imported into Canada. The supplier and the user of imported materials are responsible for conforming to the WHMIS legislation. It is your responsibility to add the information required to the labels of goods that you receive before you use them, and to obtain or prepare an MSDS for materials and packaging not in compliance with the regulations.

Each MSDS contains safety information on a specific material (pure chemical or mixture) and each specific material must have its own MSDS. The MSDS lists the particular hazards to health, chemical incompatibilities, explosion, and other hazards. The MSDS also contains valuable physical data. They must be read prior to use of the material during your work. Ideally they should be read when the planning is done and before the chemicals are ordered, but this is not always feasible. Prepare yourself as best you can, and ensure that you read the MSDS before using the material.

It is important that you understand the information on the information sheets. If you do not understand any part of an MSDS, it is your responsibility to ask someone who does. The following information may be on the MSDS, but not necessarily in the order presented here.

CAS: Chemical Abstracts registry number. This number is unique for each material. You may use it to find references to the compound by using the index volumes of Chemical Abstracts, or the on-line service.

Exposure limits: This is the amount to which one can be exposed without experiencing known adverse effects. It may be reported in PPM or mg/m³. It is usually the time-weighted average that is reported. The agency/organization that did the testing (OSHA, ACGIH, NIOSH, etc.) is usually recorded.

Physical Data: The boiling/freezing point, odour threshold, volatility, evaporation rate, solubility, etc. are given, as far as the data are known. If the data are not known, the MSDS will say so.

Fire and Explosion Data: The flash point is usually given. It is the lowest temperature at which the vapour of the material will catch fire if a source of ignition is present.

Lower Explosive (Flammable) Limit is the lowest concentration of a product in air that will catch fire (or explode) if an ignition source is present.

Upper Explosive (Flammable) Limit is the highest concentration of a product in air that will catch fire (or explode) if an ignition source is present.

Autoignition Temperature is the lowest temperature at which a substance will ignite when no spark or flame is present.

Toxicity: LC50 is the lethal concentration for 50% of animals tested. LD50 is the lethal dose for 50% of the animals tested.

Health Effects and First Aid: This section of the MSDS lists the toxic effects of the material in question, the symptoms which may be experienced, recommended on-site treatments (if any), and advice or instructions regarding the medical aid required.

If an MSDS is sent to you, please make a copy and then leave the original for Andrée Koenig in her mailbox (Room 536) or on her desk (Room 454).

The information that must be present on the label is specified in the regulations. The chemicals that are bought for use in the Department are normally in compliance with the law, but there can be exceptions. You should be especially careful regarding materials obtained through the chemical recycling program. Please make sure that an MSDS is available, then obtain the stamp "MSDS AVAILABLE" from Andrée Koenig, and stamp the label when you receive your order. Decanted solvent or solutions with which you are working need to be labeled as to content, but not with all the information required for commercial products. However, if you are going to transfer the samples to another person, or leave them unattended, you must ensure that the sample is properly labeled, and that the recipient also has ready access to an MSDS.

An important component of WHMIS is training. The Department has designed this booklet for use by all Department personnel and students, in order to provide all who work here with a basic reference source. This Department also holds three training seminars every year: in September, January and May. The requirement for training must also be met by students or staff arriving after the beginning of the academic year, and this booklet is designed with that in mind. To ensure your safety, before the beginning of your work in the laboratory, you must discuss with your supervisor, or a person appointed by him/her, the running of the equipment and the emergency procedures in place. You and your supervisor must complete the 'New Employee/Student Information Form' available in the main office. YOU CANNOT WORK IN THE LAB UNTIL YOU HAVE DONE SO!

The law regulating transportation of dangerous goods applies not only to the shipping of chemicals and laboratory samples but also to receiving them.

If a sample needs to be shipped off-campus, inform Andrée Koenig (Room 454, Phone 5159) as soon as possible, so that the necessary paperwork can be completed. Typically, the farther the sample has to travel, the longer it takes to fulfill the requirements. Samples going to a foreign destination (US, Europe, Asia, etc.) must comply with Canadian regulations, the regulations of the airline(s), and of all the countries where the plane may be landing. If the final destination is not in a major centre, transportation within the country of destination must also be arranged. Complying with all the requirements and completing all documentation will take significant time and effort.

Only someone trained and certified in TDG can do the receiving of chemicals within the Department. You may not accept any deliveries of chemicals unless you are certified to do so. All the chemicals that will be sent to you must be directed to Room 536, where the Department secretary (AnnMarie Brereton) can sign for them.

As soon as you receive chemicals in your lab, date them and check the MSDS for compatibility before you store them.

The Department and the University both comply with the WHMIS and the TDG regulations. You are responsible for ensuring that your actions are also in compliance (e.g., by making sure that all your experimental samples are labeled properly).

The times of day during which the Chemical and Mineral Engineering Building is open are different during different times of the year. The building is closed to visitors on all statutory holidays. If your work requires that you enter the building during irregular hours, your supervisor may authorize you to sign out a building key. Please check with your supervisor, and then see Jaleen Lessard in Room 507. Do not allow unauthorized persons access to the building.

All chemical waste must be sent to the appropriate site for waste disposal. The form is available from the web (www.ehs.ualberta.ca/disposal.htm) and can be sent in that way. It is forbidden to pour chemical waste down the drain, to place it in garbage cans, or dispose of it in any other inappropriate manner. All waste must be put into a suitable container and labeled as to content.

All broken glassware must be put in the yellow pails labeled " glass only". When full, the pails should be set out in the hallway on Tuesday night or Thursday night. They will be emptied overnight.

All used syringes and needles must put in the yellow pail labeled "biohazard" in the bottom of the fume hood in Room 454.

It is a requirement that you wear the appropriate clothing and safety equipment for the work you will be doing. While working in the laboratory, you must wear eye protection. There are different glasses, goggles and face-shields available. See Andrée Koenig for more information and assistance in choosing the appropriate level of eye protection for the work involved. You may need to wear protective gloves for handling materials or operating some equipment. Beware that some materials of which these gloves are made are permeable to solvents. Laboratory gloves are good protection for your hands, but they are not a substitute for proper handling procedures and care in the use of hazardous materials.

You may be required to use respiratory protection. You must get special fitting from the Occupational Health nurse. Book an appointment with her at 2-5378. You may then talk to Andree Koenig for help with selecting the right cartridges for your work. You may also require other safety equipment. Please discuss your needs with your supervisor. Andrée Koenig can provide guidance in selection of protective wear and information on suppliers.

There are several gases or volatile materials which pose specific hazards, including risk of poisoning (e.g., CO, H₂S), explosion (e.g., H₂), or fire, alone or mixed with air.

NEVER DISCONNECT A GAS SENSOR WHILE YOUR EQUIPMENT IS RUNNING.

You should always find out where the purge on/off switch is before starting your work in the lab. Remember to turn the fume hood fan back on after turning the purge off.

You should always be prepared for the eventuality of a spill. Obtain and read a copy of Chemical Spill Response, written by Environmental Health and Safety at the University of Alberta. Find out who the chemical spill response designates are for your area. A supply of spill cushions for clean up of small spills (under 4 L) is available in Room 454. They are compatible with almost all solvents and acids. They do not neutralize acids or bases. Do not handle the used spill cushions with bare hands. Be sure to wear gloves and put used spill cushions in sealable bags or other appropriate containers for waste disposal. If you are using containers or reservoirs that can contain more than 4 litres, it is worthwhile to also have a few bags of cat litter on hand at the workplace. In the event of a small accident, the cat litter can be used to absorb the spill and can also be used to prevent a large spill from spreading. A small spill kit is available in Room 454. The kit contains a face shield, a lab coat, respiratory protection (for organic solvents) and spill control pillows. The safest approach is to have an emergency supply of what you may need and keep it close to your equipment.

CAUTION: If you use hydrofluoric acid (HF) outside of Room 672, you will need special spill adsorbent and calcium gluconate gel for first aid treatment.

If a gas cylinder that is fitted with a regulator should fall or be hit hard, the regulator could be broken. If this happens, the contents of the cylinder will escape rapidly. This would pose three serious hazards:

Gas cylinders are heavy, and even a gas cylinder which is empty (or capped) can cause serious injury if it falls. Therefore, all gas cylinders must be tethered at all times, including when they are empty. Cylinders must be moved only with the cylinder carts available on loan from Room 454 or from Mingqian Zhang (Room 512, Phone 7962). NEVER MOVE A GAS CYLINDER WITH THE REGULATOR STILL ATTACHED. If you require assistance with moving the cylinders, please see Mingqian Zhang or Bob Konzuk to arrange help.

You should never undertake any hazardous or new activity until you are fully trained, and unless someone else is present and fully aware of what you are going to do. Fill out a communication agreement form and have it signed by your supervisor. Read the Hazards Assessment Sheet for your lab before you start working. If you cannot locate the assessment sheet ask Andree Koenig for a copy. The following are examples of hazardous tasks that should never be performed when you are alone:

• Handling hazardous materials.
• Loading, venting, or operating large high pressure vessels.
• Testing new equipment.
• Trying a new reaction or procedure.
• Other activities of potentially hazardous nature.

Someone should always be present, or close by and aware of what you are doing, in case something totally unexpected happens. The unexpected event may be an accident (poisoning, fall, blow-out, etc.) or medical in nature (fainting, heart attack, epilepsy, etc.).

Never perform any hazardous activities when alone at night or on weekends and holidays. Further, you should be fully alert when doing such work. So you should never do hazardous work when you are tired, if you are using medication which can cause drowsiness, or if you are distracted. Accidents in this Department are rare. The few which have happened occurred when the worker was unable to concentrate on the task at hand.

To summarize, always ensure that you are capable of completing a job before you start it, never work totally alone, and always ensure that someone knows where you are, what you are doing, and makes regular contact regular with you until you leave.

Similarly, if someone expects you to check up on them, do not leave them to work alone.

When moving chemicals from lab to lab or between buildings, use a chemical carrier (it looks like a plastic pail). Do not carry an open container. Do not carry noxious materials (poisons, volatiles, and smelly materials) into an elevator. Wear the appropriate protective clothing and, if necessary, spill containment and handling equipment.

There is an evacuation alarm for the building. Most people refer to it as the fire alarm, but you should remember that the alarm may sound for an emergency other than a fire. For example, a toxic gas line may have ruptured, or there may be a reactor runaway situation. Do not count on smelling burning material to see if there really is a fire or not (carbon monoxide has no smell). Make sure you know at least two routes of escape from the area of the building in which you are working.

Periodically, in the spring and summer, fire extinguisher training is offered to all Department personnel. Please check the bulletin boards by the main office, Room 536, for notices and the sign-up sheet. If you sign up for the training, make sure that you do attend the session.

In case of life threatening emergencies, call 2 - 5555. Give your name, your location, and the nature of the emergency. Someone from Campus Security will meet the city emergency vehicle at a pre-arranged location and direct them to the building where you are located. Please keep in mind that it is difficult for people unfamiliar with the university to find locations on campus.

CALLING 2 -5555 WILL PROVIDE THE FASTEST RESPONSE. Campus emergency personnel and the city fire department have conducted joint training sessions. Off-campus, the number to dial in case of emergency is 911. Note: 911 can be dialled from a public phone without putting in coins.

To enable staff to respond to minor incidents, cuts or burns, first aid boxes have been placed in some labs. Check with your co-workers for the location in (or nearest to) your lab. Please notify your supervisor if you find that the supplies in the box have been depleted, and then replenish the supplies. If you cannot find the first aid box, or it does not contain what you need, there is a first aid box in Room 454. Please leave a note for Andrée Koenig (on the desk or on the blackboard, Room 454) to let her know what you have used. This way we can ensure that the box will be replenished as soon as possible.

In the event of a blood/body fluid splash on the floor or a table surface, please complete the following procedures:

Your eyes are among your most vulnerable and sensitive organs. That is why you are required to wear eye protection in the laboratory. Even if you wear protective equipment, there is still a small chance that an accident could happen which would affect your eyes.

Emergency eyewash stations are accessible in the corridor on the fourth floor, in Rooms 356, 336, 368 and 372 on the third floor, and on the eighth floor in Rooms 808, 813, 823, and 852. If, for any reason, any laboratory material gets into your eyes, you must first irrigate your eyes for at least five minutes, and then consult a physician.

Before using a toxic or corrosive material check out the location of the nearest sink and emergency shower station. In the Department of Chemical and Materials Engineering, they are located on the third floor in the hallway between room 368 and 372, in Rooms 336 and 356, on the fourth floor in Room 431, on the eighth floor in Rooms 808, 813, 823, and 852.

Many toxic materials can enter your body through your skin, even if you do not have cuts or other damage. Some materials are corrosive to skin, especially if left in contact with skin for an extended time. In some cases, the material can be absorbed through the skin into the body to affect other organs. In other cases, the skin can be severely damaged, but there is little or no pain involved (e.g., HF). Therefore, it is important that you wash any exposed area with copious amounts of water, and seek the follow up treatment prescribed in the MSDS.

In the case of spills onto clothing, immediately remove the affected clothing, and wash and treat the affected skin.

If there has been a splash, spill, venting or other cause which has resulted in exposure of one or more parts of your body to a hazardous material, you should immediately use an emergency shower. To activate an emergency shower, stand directly under the shower and pull the chain. You will be drenched by a lot of water in a relatively short time. You should then seek the prescribed treatment as specified in the MSDS, and consult a physician.

If you work with dangerous gases familiarize yourself with the location of the self-contained breathing apparatus. There is one on the third floor next to Room 338 and one on the eighth floor outside Room 813. These are to be used in an emergency, especially when someone’s life is threatened. Never re-enter a laboratory where a life threatening substance was spilled, unless you are properly equipped and have received training in the use of the self-contained breathing apparatus.

Never use the self-contained breathing apparatus to do your experiments, or to do routine work. Their only purpose is to protect persons responding to an emergency to remove people from a dangerous situation or to contain a spill or vent that is harmful to people inside or outside of the building.

Be aware that, in winter, the sidewalks and the streets can be very icy. This is especially true for some sites just outside our building.

You should probably talk to a bicycle commuter who has been here a few winters before you attempt riding your bicycle in the winter. If you plan to drive, and are not used to winter road conditions in Edmonton, ask for advice and be careful.

Keep in mind that the winters are long and the winter daylight hours are very short. It may sometimes be difficult to adapt to so many changes. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Talk to your supervisor, or people in Health Services (Phone 2612), if you find that you are ill or suffering from stress.

The Chemical and Materials Engineering Department has experienced only a very few accidents in the past. This good safety record is in great part due to the good preparation provided to staff and students, who are always prepared to act as responsible chemical and materials engineers. We require that you also act in a professional manner.

The few incidents that have occurred each had relatively little in the way of bad consequences. This is not a matter of luck. It is a consequence of readiness through prior planning and appropriate response training.

Two examples will illustrate our preparedness: i) we had a carbon monoxide line rupture which resulted in very little time lost, and no injuries, because it was mounted in a fume-hood to allow for such an eventuality, and ii) we have had spills, mostly small but some of them large. Students’ quick reactions in each case limited the damage. You must also be prepared to respond to an unusual situation, by knowing about any procedure or equipment, and what to do if the unexpected should actually happen. That is your best protection.

If you have safety concerns, talk first to the people involved. If you are not satisfied, talk to your supervisor. Then, if you still feel there is a problem, talk to the Chair of the Department. If you prefer that your name remain confidential, you may give a written copy of your concerns to Sandra McFadyen in room 520B. She will forward it to the person in charge of the area. She will then give you a copy of the reply. Only she will know who you are.

Praxair: 451 - 2086