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WORK PRACTICE CONTROLS An important way to
protect yourself from the harmful effects of chemicals is to employ good work practice controls. These include preplanning work, practicing good
housekeeping and personal hygiene to minimize exposure to hazardous materials and using common sense.Work Planning
- Pre-plan work - stage tools, equipment and materials for the operation.
- Limit the amount of hazardous materials to the minimum needed for an operation.
- Be familiar with the use, limitations and location of emergency equipment such as emergency eyewashes, safety showers, fire alarms, exits and fire extinguishers.
- Keep containers covered when not being used.
- Remove jewelry to prevent contact with electrical sources, chemicals and from catching on laboratory or shop equipment.
- Confine long hair and loose clothing when working in the laboratory/shop.
Never empty carboys or drums of chemicals by means of air pressure. Use a tilting rack, a safety siphon, or a liquid pump.
Open bottles or carboys slowly and carefully and wear protective equipment to guard hands, face, and body from splashes, vapors, gases and fumes.
Wipe drips from containers and bench tops. Be sure to wipe up visible residues of sodium and potassium hydroxide from all surfaces. Skin contact with dry residue will result in burns.
Housekeeping
- Keep work areas clean and free of obstructions. Clean the work area at the completion of an operation or at the end of the day.
- Clean surfaces (counter tops, bench tops, fume hoods and floors) of all drips and residues.
- Clean spilled chemicals immediately and disposed of all wastes properly. Spill response is discussed later in the plan. Chemical wastes shall be disposed of in accordance with
PUB 3000 Chapter 20 Hazardous Waste Disposal. Maintain
access to exits, emergency equipment, and other control equipment. Do not use stairways and hallways as storage areas. Store equipment and chemicals properly and avoid clutter.
Personal Hygiene
- Wash hands with soap and water before leaving the laboratory/shop area.
- Do not smoke, chew gum, apply cosmetics or consume food and beverages in areas where hazardous materials are being handled.
- Store food in refrigerators designated and labeled for that purpose. (Note: flammable liquids can be stored in refrigerators provided that the refrigerator is designed for that purpose, it is properly
labeled and that no food/beverages are stored in the refrigerator).
- Do not use laboratory glassware or utensils to prepare or consume food or beverages.
- Never use mouth suction to pipette chemicals or to start a siphon; use a pipette bulb or an aspirator.
Use of Glassware
- Use adequate hand protection (e.g., proper gloves) when inserting glass tubing into rubber stoppers or corks or when placing rubber tubing on glass hose connections. Tubing should be fire polished or
rounded and lubricated, and hands should be held close together to limit movement of glass should fracture occur. Plastic or metal connectors should be used whenever possible.
- Do not attempt glass-blowing operations unless proper annealing facilities are available.
- Handle vacuum-jacketed glass apparatus with extreme care to prevent implosions. Equipment such as Dewar flasks should be taped or shielded. Only glassware
designed for vacuum work should be used for that purpose.
- Use hand protection (i.e., tear/puncture-resistant gloves) when picking up broken glass.
- Dispose of glass in marked cardboard boxes designated for that purpose. If contaminated with chemicals, radiological isotopes or with biological waste, follow the guidelines in
PUB 3000, Chapter 20 Hazardous Waste Disposal
or contact your supervisor for guidance.
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