Chemical Safety Summaries

Ethidium Bromide Ethyl Acetate Ethylene Dihromide Ethylene Oxide Eluorides (Inorganic) 

Fluorine Formaldehyde Hexamethylphosphoramide Hexane (and Related Hydrocarhons) 

Hydrobromic Acid and Hydrogen Bromide Hydrochloric Acid and Hydrogen Chloride Hydrogen Hydrogen Cyanide 

Hydrogen Fluoride and Hydrofluoric Acid Hydrogen Peroxide Hydrogen Sulfide Iodine 

Lead and Its Inorganic Compounds Lithium Aluminum Hydride Mercury Methanol 

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Chemical Safety Summary, Chemical Industries Association, London, July-Sept. 1980, p. 15. 

Chemical Safety Summaries, London, Chemical Industry Safety and Health Council of the Chemical Industries Association, 1974 to 1986 (terminated)... 

The Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) for each hazardous chemical is one of the resources that should be incorporated into experiment planning. However, because of the inconsistent quality of information found in MSDSs, Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (LCSSs), which are compiled in Appendix B, should be consulted or developed for the materials involved. In any case, the experiment planner needs to be aware that the existing regulations do not necessarily represent the full complement of prudent practices for handling hazardous materials and that other input is therefore essential. 

As discussed above, although MSDSs are invaluable resources, they suffo- some limitations as applied to risk assessment in the specific context of the laboratory. Appendix B introduces the concept of the Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary (LCSS), which is specifically tailored to the needs of the laboratory worker. As indicated in their name, LCSSs provide information on chemicals in the context of laboratory use. These documents are summaries and are not intended to be comprehensive or to fulfill the needs of all conceivable users of a chemical. In conjunction with the guidelines described in this chapte, the LCSS provides essential information required to assess the risks associated with the use of a particular chemical in the laboratory. 

Section 4.C.1 above notes the prudence of establishing a central network of MSDSs. Including MSDSs and Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (LCSSs) (see Chapter 3 and Appendix B) in the inventory s database is highly desirable. The quality of MSDSs varies significantly from one manufacturer to another. LCSSs, which are targeted to the needs of the typical laboratory worker, are a useful supplement to the information provided by MSDSs. 

The physical and health hazards associated with chemicals should be determined before working with them This determination may involve consulting literature references. Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (LCSSs), Matmal Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs), or other reference materials (see also Chapter 3, section 3.B) and may require discussions with the laboratory supervisor and consultants such as safety and industrial hygiene officers. Every step of the waste minimization and removal processes should be checked against federal, state, and local regulations. Production of mixed chemical-radioactive-biological waste (see Chapter 7, section 7.C.1.3) should not be considered without discussions with environmental health and safety experts. 

All laboratory personnel should know the properties of chemicals they are handling as well as have a basic understanding of how these properties might be affected by the variety of conditions found in the laboratory. As stated in section 5.B, Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries (LCSSs) or other sources of information should be consulted for further information such as vapor pressure, flash point, and explosive limit in air. The use of flammable substances is common, and their properties are also discussed in Chapter 3, section 3.D. 

Workers are advised to consult the Laboratory Chemical Safety Summary (LCSS) and the Material Safety Data... 

The preparation and use of Laboratory Chemical Safety Summaries as described here are consistent with the Chemical Hygiene Plans required for every laboratory under the OSHA Laboratory Standard. Thus, the identification of substances that meet the OSHA criteria for "particularly hazardous substances" or "select carcinogens" should be facilitated by the use of these summaries. 

LABORATORY CHEMICAL SAFETY SUMMARY ACETIC ACID ... 

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