This is a reminder of
the very serious and devastating consequences that
can happen when working with reactive chemicals,
such as pyrophorics. Please read the story and
forward it to others who may be working with
reactive chemicals.
UCLA lab assistant dies*
23
January 2009
The recent death of a research assistant at the
University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA)
from injuries sustained while working with a
pyrophoric chemical have led to internal and
external scrutiny of the university's laboratory
safety procedures. The tragic event, which
involved t-butyl lithium, a
compound that spontaneously ignites on
exposure to air, could have
widespread implications for academic chemistry
departments.
'Every single major university will have to look
at their policies regarding the handling of this
type of material and will make adjustments
accordingly,' Russ Phifer, who chairs the
American Chemical Society's chemical safety
committee, tells Chemistry World. 'Some may
restrict the use of pyrophoric materials, or put
protocols in place that require additional
training for researchers.'
Phifer notes that several important lab safety
rules appear to have been violated by the
victim, a 23-year-old research assistant
employed at UCLA since October. For example, she
was working alone in the lab,
which is prohibited, and it
appears that she was not wearing the
appropriate protective clothing.
Flash fire
UCLA
had told its researchers that they could work
during the holiday break shut down for 'critical
research needs,' and on 29 December she was
working with a bottle of t-butyl lithium
dissolved in pentane. While using a
syringe to withdraw a quantity of the reagent,
it seems she accidentally pulled the plunger all
the way out, introducing air and creating a
flash fire.
The
incident raises questions about her
training and supervision. 'She was not
familiar enough with the material and delivery
means to be doing the experiment on her own,'
says Phifer.
The
university believes she was wearing nitrile
gloves, safety glasses rather than goggles, and
a synthetic sweater with no lab coat.
When the fire ignited the gloves and the
sweater, she sustained second and third degree
burns over 40 per cent of her body and was
immediately hospitalized. UCLA was notified on
16 January that she had died of her injuries.
After
the incident and before her death, UCLA launched
a full review of its laboratory safety
protocols. The review is in progress, and the
university says it is also cooperating with a
separate investigation being conducted by state
regulators at the California Division of
Occupational Safety and Health, also known as
Cal/OSHA. The investigation is likely to take
two to three months, the regulator says, and any
citations could bring fines ranging from $500 to
upwards of $250,000.
'I
would not be surprised if Cal/OSHA fines UCLA
if, for example, the school can't document
appropriate training,' Phifer adds.
'My
hope would be that this raises awareness about
the dangers of working in a chemistry lab,'
states Robert Latsch, an environmental safety
and compliance officer at Case Western
Reserve University's Department of Occupational
and Environmental Safety. He says the UCLA
accident was preventable and hopes it triggers
at least an evaluation of chemistry lab safety
procedures at his university and others.
*Taken from Rebecca Trager, US correspondent for
Research Day USA.
Bold and underlining added. The victim's name
has also been removed.
Pyrophoric and Water-Reactive
Chemical Use
If your scientists are conducting organic
synthesis they are likely working with some very
reactive chemicals, including chemicals which
are pyrophoric (fire on contact with air) and
water-reactive (fire or release toxic gas on
contact with water), such as:
Lithium nitride
Lithium diisopropylamide
Magnesium powder
Palladium
Phosphine
Phosphorous
Silane
Sodium hydrosulfite
Sodium methylate
tert-Butyllithium
Titanium chloride
Trimethylaluminum
Some basic questions that you may want to ask
yourself include:
Do you know if any reactives chemicals are
being used at your facility?
If you are working with reactive chemicals,
are employees provided and using appropriate
controls and protection?
Have the equipment and procedure
been evaluated for safety?
Are employees properly trained and
supervised?
Laboratory Safety Reminders
PPE:
Personal protective equipment (PPE) must be provided
by the employer and protect against hazards to which
employees may be exposed when engineering and
administrative controls are not feasible or
effective in reducing exposures to an acceptable
level. In addition, employees must be trained to
know:
when PPE is necessary,
what PPE is necessary,
how to effectively don, doff, adjust and
wear PPE,
limitation of use, and
proper care, maintenance, useful life and
disposal.
When handling or working near hazardous
chemicals, the minimum protection in a
laboratory is: a laboratory coat, safety
glasses with side shields, closed-toed shoes,
and appropriate gloves. If there is a splash
hazard, an apron and safety goggles (and
possibly face shield) are usually necessary at a
minimum.
If there is a fire hazard (e.g., handling pyrophoric
materials) ensure that lab coats are constructed of
Nomex or another fire resistant material.
Also remember that PPE is not a substitute for
providing your first line of defense: the
appropriate use of engineering and administrative
controls. With reactive chemicals, specialized
equipment, such as explosion-proof shielding may be
necessary. Additionally, a written operating
procedure may also be warranted.
Inventory and properly store:
Maintain an accurate inventory of your chemicals
in a searchable database, such as
EH&S Manager. Make sure these chemicals do
not exceed Fire Code limits, and I recommend
that all reactive chemicals be reported to the
Fire Department in your HMBP inventory (which is
not required in all jurisdictions). Conduct a
physical inventory of your chemicals
periodically (I recommend every two years
maximum). Include in the inventory an
inspection of containers and the removal of
expired chemicals. Remember some chemicals
(e.g., diethyl ether) can become potentially
explosive during storage. Also look for signs
of leakage, faded or missing labels, improper
storage, and nearby incompatible chemicals
(e.g., water bearing chemical next to
water-reactive ones).
Safety shower and eye wash:
Ensure a safety shower and eye wash are located
in an accessible location (requiring no more
than 10 seconds for an injured person to reach)
in areas where corrosive, irritating, toxic, or
tissue damaging chemicals are used. Make sure
these have been installed properly, remain
unblocked, are tested weekly (note: OSHA
requires monthly, but ANSI Z358.1-2004 standard
requires weekly) and employees know how to use
them.
Working alone policy:
Have a "No working alone" policy
and enforce it.
Closely supervise new
employees:
New employees are much more likely
to be involved in an accident that
an experienced employee. For this
reason they need close supervision
by their supervisor. Remind your
managers and supervisors of this.
Training:
Train and re-train employees and document
it. It is the employer's responsibility to
provide as much training as is necessary to
ensure employees are safe. This generally
means that employees need initial and
recurring training (in my opinion annually)
on chemical safety. There are ways to make
the training fresh each year, by asking
attendees to all email topics of interest
ahead of time. Make sure supervisors and
managers are involved in the training.
Services I Provide
Contact me and I would be happy to discuss chemical
inventory, chemical storage and training services
particular to the chemicals used at your facility.
Some of the related services I provide include:
Hazardous waste auditing, minimization and
reporting
Bloodborne Pathogens (annual requirement)
Hazard Communication
Chemical Hygiene Plan
Laser Safety
Biological Safety
Radiation Safety
Many others, please contact me
Served
by an Expert
Arthur Mahoney, Principal
Consultant
MS, CHMM, REA
For 17 years, he has been assisting public and
private companies to comply with safety,
hazardous material management, transportation
and safety concerns. He also provides chemical
inventory database services.
Feel free to contact us at 650-347-0417 or by
email.
Sincerely,
Arthur Mahoney
Hazard Solutions LLC
Disclaimer: The information presented
above should not be construed in any way
as legal advice or an interpretation of
regulations. It is meant to provide
basic information about topics that may
affect clients and colleagues.
