Chemical Procurement, Distribution, Storage & Inventory

Procurement:

Before a chemical is ordered, the person who intends to use it should know the proper handling, storage and disposal procedures for it. To minimize storage space problems and waste disposal costs, only quantities anticipated for particular experiments planned, or those anticipated for ongoing laboratory courses, should be purchased.

All chemicals should be received in the ground-floor receiving area. No container should be accepted without an adequate identifying label. The "date received" should be written on the container label at the time of inspection of the package containing the chemical ordered.

Distribution:

Chemicals that are to be transported from the receiving area should be put onto a cart and transported via the Building A-1 freight elevator. Highly volatile liquids (as common lab solvents) and concentrated acids should be transported in appropriate containers that minimize the likelihood of bottle breakage. Items originally taken from the acid storage area, or appropriate storage area within any laboratory preparation room, should be discarded or returned to its storage when no longer needed in the laboratory itself.

Storage:

The major quantity of most chemicals should be stored in acid cabinets, flammables cabinets, or in appropriate storage areas in laboratory preparation rooms. (Only small quantities of chemicals should be transferred to secondary containers, properly labeled, and stored in the laboratories.)

Chemicals should not be stored on bench tops, under hoods, or atop cabinets. Any item-chemical or apparatus-must be stored with a clearance of at least 18 inches from a sprinkler head to allow proper functioning of the sprinkler system. Heavy materials should not be stored on high surfaces or shelves. Exits, passageways, areas under tables or benches, and emergency equipment areas must be free of stored equipment and materials.

Hazardous chemicals should be segregated in a well-identified area with proper ventilation.

Chemicals that are highly toxic should be kept in unbreakable secondary containers.

Stored chemicals should be examined annually for deterioration and container integrity.

Exposure of chemicals to heat or direct sunlight should be avoided.

Flammable liquids should be stored in approved flammable liquid storage cabinets.

Chemical storage areas must be established, so that storing incompatible reagents can be avoided.

Refrigerators used for chemical storage must be labeled "NO FOOD-CHEMICAL STORAGE ONLY." This refrigerator must then be used to store chemicals only. All materials stored inside must be labeled with (1) contents, (2) owner, (3) date of acquisition or preparation, and (4) nature of any potential hazard. Flammable liquids must not be stored in any laboratory refrigerator unless that appliance is approved for such storage.

Special precautions with gas cylinders:

• Cylinders should be labeled as to its contents. Reliance on the manufacturer's color code is not advised.
• Gas cylinders should be strapped or chained to a wall or bench top.
• When a cylinder is no longer in use, the tank valve should be closed; pressure in gas regulator, released; the regulator, removed; and the tank valve should be capped. Empty cylinders should be segregated from full (or partially full) ones. They should be strapped or chained properly until they are returned to the supplier.
• Gas cylinders stored should be kept away from other stored chemicals.
• Incompatible gases should be stored separately. Flammable gases should be stored away from reactives, including oxidizers and corrosives.
• Signs should be posted conspicuously in areas in which flammable compressed gases are stored. For example,
  ACETYLENE-FLAMMABLE GAS
  NO SMOKING-NO OPEN FLAMES

Inventory:

The Chemical Hygiene and Safety Officer will inventory all chemical holdings in the ISAT building. When a new supply of a chemical is received, it will be entered into the main computerized inventory prior to being placed in stock or taken to a laboratory.

The chemical inventory will contain these data fields:

• Name, as printed on the container
• Molecular formula, for further identification and to provide a simple means of searching
• Chemical Abstract Service (CAS) registry number, for unambiguous identification of chemicals despite the use of different naming conventions
• Source
• Size of container
• Hazard classification, as a guide to safe storage, handling and disposal
• Date of acquisition, to ensure that unstable chemicals are not stored beyond their useful life
• Storage location, in laboratories where multiple locations exist

The chemical inventory will be checked and updated annually by the Chemical Hygiene and Safety Officer-prior to the anticipated annual waste disposal. At this time, quantities of holdings will be estimated for each chemical, and decisions will be made concerning needed disposal of any holding which is deemed "out of date."