1. Occupational Hygiene Unit Chemicals in the Laboratory

2. Occupational Hygiene Unit Chemicals in the Lab Legal Requirements Drugs and Poisons Dangerous Goods Hazardous Substances Risk Assessments

3. Occupational Hygiene Unit Legal Requirements Worksafe –Is part of the Victorian Workcover Authority –Promote and enforce health and safety in Victorian workplaces –Responsible authority for the Occupational Health and Safety Act 2004 and the Dangerous Goods Act 1985 All dangerous goods and hazardous substances but not drugs and poisons

4. Occupational Hygiene Unit Legal Requirements Department of Health and Ageing –Responsible authority for the Drugs and Poisons Regulations –Standard for the Uniform Scheduling of Drugs and Poisons (SUSDP)

5. Occupational Hygiene Unit Drugs and Poisons, Dangerous Goods & Hazardous Substances

6. Occupational Hygiene Unit Drugs and Poisons Many chemicals listed (list updated 3 – 4 times a year) Schedules 1 through to 9 Different legal requirements for each Schedule Specific labelling rules for many Schedules Specific storage requirements for Schedules 4, 7, 8 and 9

7. Occupational Hygiene Unit Drugs and Poisons Labelling Rules –Specific to each Schedule –Different depending on listing within Schedule and end use –See Occupational Hygiene Unit for access to SUSDP

8. Occupational Hygiene Unit Drugs and Poisons Storage –Schedule 4 & 7 Keep in locked cupboard Order and delivery paperwork kept ALL use to be logged, with clear concise reason for use and containers weighed pre and post usage and witnessed by Authorised Signatory –Schedule 8 & 9 Keep in approved Safe (key held by Approved Signatory) Order and delivery paperwork kept ALL use to be logged, with clear concise reason for use and containers weighed pre and post usage and witnessed by Authorised Signatory

9. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dangerous Goods What are Dangerous Goods? Why do I need to know? What do I do when I have found them?

10. Occupational Hygiene Unit What are Dangerous Goods? Essentially they have the potential to create a “dangerous situation” by their chemical nature Can cause an immediate threat to health (eg. Fire or explosion) Listed in the ADG Code, or Meet the criteria referenced in the ADG Code

11. Occupational Hygiene Unit What are Dangerous Goods?

12. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dangerous Goods Flammables Maximum quantity of Flammable liquid within a laboratory (outside of a DG Class 3 Flammable safety cabinet) is 10 kg or L per 50 m 2

13. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dangerous Goods Oxidizers

14. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dangerous Goods Corrosives

15. Occupational Hygiene Unit What are Dangerous Goods? Toxic (Poisonous)

16. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dangerous Goods Radioactive

17. Occupational Hygiene Unit What are Dangerous Goods? Miscellaneous

18. Occupational Hygiene Unit Why do I need to know about Dangerous Goods? To comply with Victorian Worksafe Dangerous Goods (Storage and Handling) Regulations 2000, as required by law To protect the health and safety of the worker and prevent damage to property and/or the environment

19. Occupational Hygiene Unit What do I do when I find Dangerous Goods? As specified by the regulations, users of Dangerous Goods must ensure : Correct storage Correct labelling Keep a register of dangerous goods MSDS available Undertake a Risk Assessment Keep a record of the risk assessment Review and revise the risk assessment

20. Occupational Hygiene Unit Hazardous Substances What are Hazardous Substances? Why do I need to know? What do I do when I have found them?

21. Occupational Hygiene Unit What are Hazardous Substances ? Substances that can cause illness or disease. Can be acute or chronic Are listed in the List of Designated Hazardous Substances; or Meets the criteria for a hazardous substance set out in the Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances Noted on the MSDS (if from Australia or Europe)

22. Occupational Hygiene Unit Why do I need to know about Hazardous Substances? To comply with the Victorian Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007, as required by law To protect people at work against risks to their health associated with the use of hazardous substances

23. Occupational Hygiene Unit What do I do when I have Hazardous Substances? As specified by the Occupational Health and Safety Regulations 2007, users must ensure: Correct labelling Keep a register of hazardous substances MSDS available Undertake a Risk Assessment Keep a record of the risk assessment Review and revise the risk assessment

24. Occupational Hygiene Unit Hazardous Substances Risk Phrases A list of standard terms that describes the hazard associated with the chemical Examples –Methanol R11 Highly flammable R23/25 Toxic by inhalation and if swallowed –Nitric acid R35 Causes severe burns –Dichloromethane R40(3) Limited evidence of a carcinogenic effect, group 3 carcinogen

25. Occupational Hygiene Unit Risk Phrases For the purposes of classification, health effects are subdivided into: acute lethal effects (R20-28); non-lethal irreversible effects after a single exposure (R39, R68); severe effects after repeated or prolonged exposure (R48); cumulative effects (R33); corrosive effects (R34, R35); irritant effects (R36, R37, R38, R41); sensitizing effects (R42, R43); carcinogenic effects (R40, R45, R49); mutagenic effects (R46) reproductive effects (R60-64); and other toxicological effects (R65-R67) A substance may have more than one health effect

26. Occupational Hygiene Unit Hazardous Substances IARC Carcinogen Classification Group 1 Known human carcinogen Group 2A Probable human carcinogen Group 2B Possible human carcinogen Group 3 Not classifiable for human carcinogenicity Group 4 Probably not carcinogenic to humans

27. Occupational Hygiene Unit Labelling Name shall be spelt out in full –Can use sample numbers when associated with a sample register Must be legible For Dangerous Goods include class diamond Should include the risk phrase or signal word –Nitric acid R35 Causes severe burns or –Nitric acid Corrosive

28. Occupational Hygiene Unit Labelling Nitric acid 70% R35 Causes severe burns Nitric acid 5M Corrosive or

29. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dilute Solutions Corrosive –If pH of solution is less than 2 or greater than 11.5 solution is corrosive –If pH is between 2 and 11.5 then it is no longer classified as corrosive –Strong acids and bases diluted below 0.01M are no longer corrosive

30. Occupational Hygiene Unit Dilute Solutions Need to refer to tables in Approved Criteria for Classifying Hazardous Substances (NOHSC) 2004

31. Occupational Hygiene Unit Chemical Storage Dangerous Goods chemicals must be separated by –distance (refer to Table on following page) or –a fire rated partition eg. Flammable liquid storage cabinets Oxidising agents storage cabinets

32. Occupational Hygiene Unit Segregation Segregation Guide AS/NZS 3833:2007

33. Occupational Hygiene Unit Segregation Accessed by Deakin University on 8/2/10

34. Occupational Hygiene Unit Risk Assessments Which Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Substances require a risk assessment? When to do a risk assessment? How to do a risk assessment?

35. Occupational Hygiene Unit Which Dangerous Goods/Hazardous Substances require a risk assessment? Category 4 and 5 –Categories are determined by the chemical’s risk phrases (found on MSDS) and displayed in Risk Assessment pro-forma Category 5 DANGER “Probable injury and destruction” Category 4 WARNING “Threatening work”

36. Occupational Hygiene Unit When to do a risk assessment? all category 4 and 5’s once MSDS is obtained when ordering new chemicals (before it arrives in the store) before storing and handling

37. Occupational Hygiene Unit Risk Assessment Pro forma

38. Occupational Hygiene Unit Risk Assessment Pro forma

39. Occupational Hygiene Unit Risk Assessment Pro forma

40. Occupational Hygiene Unit Risk Assessment Pro forma

41. Occupational Hygiene Unit How to do a risk assessment? Complete RA pro forma –Risk Evaluation e.g. Corrosives Low risk – 20 mL dilute hydrochloric acid (HCl) High risk – 20 mL hydrofluoric acid (HF) Flammables Low risk – 100 mL flammable liquid in fume hood High risk – 2 L flammable liquid heated

42. Occupational Hygiene Unit How to do a risk assessment? Complete RA pro forma –Control measures Elimination - assess need Substitution - for a less hazardous substance Engineering - e.g. fume hoods, glove box Administration - training, safe work procedures PPCE - e.g. nitrile gloves, face shields, aprons

43. Occupational Hygiene Unit Peroxides Peroxides can be EXPLOSIVE!!! Peroxide forming chemicals eg. Diethyl ether, propan-2-ol, tetrahydrofuran (check on MSDS for peroxide formation) Good lab practices (Must be dated upon arrival & upon opening) Safe handling (i.e. potentially explosive) Regular testing required (every 6 months) once opened using strips available from lab manager

44. Chlorine based chemicals e.g. hypochlorites for bleaching, disinfecting, rinsing Good lab practices (Must be dated upon arrival & upon opening) Lose activity over time so effectiveness is reduced Regular testing required (every 6 months) to check chlorine content Occupational Hygiene Unit

45. Permit Systems Permit to Work System –“Permit for Unattended Operations” Download from the OHS web page –Experiment in progress sign and emergency contact details on lab entrance –Fill out log book for after hours work –Keep lab tidy and clean at all times

46. Occupational Hygiene Unit Web Addresses OHS web page http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/current/ohs/ http://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/staff- only/ohs/index.phphttp://www.deakin.edu.au/scitech/staff- only/ohs/index.php