Prior Approval Procedures for "Protocol" Chemicals
F&M CHEMICAL HYGIENE PLAN
4. CHEMICAL HYGIENE AND SAFETY
4.5 Prior Approval Procedures for "Protocol" Chemicals
(See Section 5.3.2 for definition.)
It is clearly in the best interest of the College to provide wide latitude in the scope of research conducted by its faculty. However, the College's capacity to make the safety-related capital improvements required for some areas of research is limited. For safety reasons, certain hazardous chemicals can not be used within the College's facilities without a thorough and expert assessment of risk, and strict controls on quantities, procedures, and disposition of the waste products. Indeed, the use of some chemicals may be barred completely. Identification of these chemicals, hereafter referred to as "protocol" chemicals, will be aided by the review process described below.
The name is derived from a written, chemical-specific safety protocol that will be required for use of these materials, and that will specify safety procedures that go beyond those in this Chemical Safety and Hygiene Plan. This safety protocol should explain precisely how and where all aspects of a research project involving the protocol chemical will be carried out.
The protocol must provide sufficient information to allow a determination of the degree of hazard involved in the research and the type of containment needed to ensure adequate protection for the laboratory workers, facility and the surrounding environment. This suggests the following format:
- Principal researcher's name and statement of prior training in the relevant techniques.
- All personnel participating in the research and their prior training.
- Full chemical name with the CAS number and common synonyms.
- Chemical and physical properties including: formula, structure, appearance, odor, melting and boiling points, specific gravity, vapor density; vapor pressure at temperature of use; solubility in solvents to be used; flash point; autoignition temperature; and flammable limits.
- Health hazard information including mandated or recommended exposure limits, possible routes of exposure, and the effects of overexposure.
- Hazards associated with the chemical including: stability; incompatibility; handling and storage requirements; recommended fire extinguisant; and special precautions.
- Maximum quantity (or activity if radiolabeled) to be purchased or stored.
- Rooms where the material will be stored and handled, the ventilation provisions present, and the designated area controls and posting required.
- Outline of experimental procedures including: amounts used per month; closed systems in which the procedure is conducted; principal solvents used. A summary of the rationale for the experiment could be included here.
- Safety precautions that will be taken, including information on storage, handling, solution preparation, transporting, personal protective equipment, ventilation requirements, and frequency of and methods for monitoring.
- Emergency procedures should be described, including; fire fighting techniques; first aid procedures for skin and eye contact, ingestion, or inhalation; spill and leakage clean-up and decontamination with emphasis on personal protective equipment and specific for each of the physical states of the material used, including in solution.
- Waste disposal procedures.
- Reference sources.
An example of a written protocol in this format is reproduced in Appendix C.
The protocol, when completed, should be forwarded to the Safety Coordinator who will distribute it to the members of a protocol review panel. This panel will consist of the faculty members of the Hazardous Materials and Radiation Safety Committees. The review process shall determine the adequacy of the experience and training of personnel; containment facilities and equipment; procedures to minimize exposure; decontamination procedures; waste disposal procedures; and emergency procedures.
The Safety Coordinator shall conduct a safety audit of the proposed facilities and discuss the results with all personnel involved, addressing specific concerns raised by the review panel. The audit will be used by the review panel to determine subsequent approval, disapproval, or request for revisions and resubmission. The review process will normally be completed within two weeks following receipt of a completed protocol procedure.
