The proper storage of hazardous materials is a key component in accident prevention.<\/p>\n
Non-hazardous chemicals can be sorted alphabetically on shelves or in cabinets with secondary containment (a chemically compatible tray, usually plastic) provided for liquids and oxidizers (dry and liquid).\u00a0 Hazardous chemicals must be separated by compatibility groups before being sorted alphabetically.<\/p>\n
Hazardous chemicals should always be stored below eye level to reduce the likelihood of accidental splashed to the eyes and face.<\/p>\n
It is always advisable to store liquids and oxidizers (dry and liquid) in secondary containment.\u00a0 This is especially important when incompatible chemicals are stored in the same acid cabinet or flammable materials cabinet.<\/p>\n
If chemicals are stored on a shelf, rather than in a cabinet, the shelf must have a 1″ high lip to prevent the containers from falling off.\u00a0 Contact Physical Plant if your shelves do not have the required lip, and ensure that any equipment purchases meet this requirement.<\/p>\n
Fume hoods and laboratory benches are not acceptable storage areas for chemicals, and these areas should be maintained in an organized fashion, free of clutter. Only working quantities of chemicals should be kept in chemical fume hoods.<\/p>\n
When moving chemicals it is highly recommended to use a cart that has sides, and to use a secondary containment tray in addition in case a spill were to occur.\u00a0 Under no circumstances should chemicals be moved off of Marshall University property.\u00a0 Transport of chemicals in private or University vehicles is not acceptable.\u00a0 Contact Environmental Health and Safety with any questions.<\/p>\n
Sources for more information include the chemical label, product MSDS, manufacturer’s web site, and Environmental Health and Safety.<\/p>\n
<\/p>\n
Labeling<\/strong><\/p>\n During storage all chemical containers must be labeled with the Identity of the Chemical(s) therein and Appropriate Hazards Warnings, in words, pictures, symbols, or a combination thereof which provide all of the hazard information.\u00a0 Labels on containers with mixtures of difference chemicals must indicate the constituents and approximate percentages of each.<\/p>\n Containers of Waste Chemicals must have a completed label.\u00a0 An\u00a0Unwanted Chemical Label template is available in MS Word<\/a>. A group of common hazard pictures is available for use in creating appropriate container signage.\u00a0 The\u00a0common hazard pictures are in a PowerPoint file<\/a>.<\/p>\n To assist Emergency Responders, the entry door(s) to all rooms and laboratories at Marshall University were hazardous materials are stored must be labeled with the NFPA Hazardous Materials Diamond.\u00a0 A\u00a0template for the Hazardous Materials Diamond\u00a0<\/a>is available in Word and instructions are provided.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Self-Inspection<\/strong><\/p>\n In addition to proper labeling, storage areas should be inspected monthly.\u00a0 Departments generating and\/or storing hazardous materials or hazardous wastes should utilize the\u00a0Hazardous Materials and Hazardous Waste Self-Inspection Form<\/a>, and submit completed forms to Environmental Health and Safety, or maintain in Department for three (3) years.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Compressed Gas<\/strong><\/p>\n Gas cylinders need to be secured to a stationary object by a chain or strap two thirds of the way up the cylinder to prevent them from falling.\u00a0 Best practice is to secure them individually.\u00a0 In some cases it may be acceptable to secure small groups of cylinders together.\u00a0 Contact Environmental Health and Safety for guidance if needed.<\/p>\n Cylinders of liquid nitrogen should not be stored in areas that do not have ventilation, such as cold rooms.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Flammable and Combustible Materials<\/strong><\/p>\n The\u00a0Management of Flammable and Combustible Materials<\/a>\u00a0is critically important to ensure that these materials are properly used, stored, and disposed of.<\/p>\n Flammable and combustible materials are widely used across campus from the art department (paint remover\/thinner and photography developing chemicals), the science department (preservative alcohols and chemistry solvents) to the physical plant (gasoline, paint, and parts cleaner).\u00a0 Click on the link above (first line) for more information.<\/p>\n Flammable and combustible materials should never be stored in a household refrigerator or freezer.\u00a0 Use only a unit approved for storage of flammable material, commonly called \u201cintrinsically safe\u201d or \u201cflammables storage” refrigerator\/freezer.\u00a0 An \u201cexplosion proof\u201d unit is not necessary only for flammable materials.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Chemical Compatibility<\/strong><\/p>\n Proper segregation of incompatible chemicals is critically important to preventing chemical interactions.\u00a0 If you need an easy tool to separate your chemicals, try the\u00a0Quick Guide to Chemical Compatibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n The\u00a0Hazardous Chemicals of Concern List and Storage Guide<\/a>\u00a0provides information about chemicals commonly found in university laboratories and divides them into compatibility groups.\u00a0 The chemicals in each of the 10 groups should be stored away from the other groups.\u00a0 Incompatible chemicals cannot be stored together, but may be stored in the same cabinet if secondary containment is provided.<\/p>\n For example, the following can go together in one acid cabinet: inorganic acids like sulfuric acid that are in one tray, and organic acids like acetic acid that are in another tray.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Unwanted chemicals must also be stored according to chemical compatibility, and placed only in chemically compatible containers.\u00a0 Cole-Parmer maintains a\u00a0searchable database for determining container compatibility<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n Peroxide-forming chemicals present an additional hazard and must be dated when received, should be tested for presence of peroxides and the results of testing recorded on the label, and disposed of promptly if levels exceed 25 ppm.\u00a0 See\u00a0Management of Peroxide-Forming Chemicals<\/a>\u00a0on our Hazardous Materials page for more information.<\/p>\n Another excellent source of information about peroxide formers and other time sensitive materials is this 3-part article from the Journal of Chemical Health & Safety –\u00a0Management of Time-Sensitive Chemicals<\/a>.<\/p>\n <\/p>\n The following resources are external links to additional chemical storage guidance:<\/p>\n <\/p>\n <\/p>\n Hazardous Chemical Compatibility Groups<\/strong><\/p>\n The proper storage of hazardous materials is a key component in accident prevention. Non-hazardous chemicals can be sorted alphabetically on shelves or in cabinets with secondary containment (a chemically compatible tray, usually plastic) provided for liquids and oxidizers (dry and liquid).\u00a0 Hazardous chemicals must be separated by compatibility groups before being sorted alphabetically. Hazardous chemicals<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":50,"featured_media":0,"parent":26,"menu_order":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","template":"","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"class_list":["post-122","page","type-page","status-publish","hentry"],"acf":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/page"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/50"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=122"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":716,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/122\/revisions\/716"}],"up":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/pages\/26"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.marshall.edu\/safety\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=122"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}
\nThis label should also be used for chemicals that are no wanted, but that are not “chemical waste” items.<\/p>\n\n
\n\n
\n Chemical Category<\/strong><\/th>\n Storage Consideration<\/strong><\/th>\n<\/tr>\n<\/thead>\n\n \n Inorganic Acids<\/td>\n Store in an Acids or Corrosive Cabinet. Use secondary containment to separate from other acids and bases (for example: organic acids, inorganic bases, oxidizing acids)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Organic Acids<\/td>\n Store in an Acids or Corrosive Cabinet and in secondary containment to separate from other acids and bases. If oxidizing acids are present move them to the flammables cabinet in secondary containment to separate from flammables.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Oxidizing Acids<\/td>\n Store in an Acids or Corrosive Cabinet. Use secondary containment to separate from other acids and bases (for example: inorganic acids, inorganic bases). Remove ALL organic material from this cabinet.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Inorganic Bases<\/td>\n Store in a Bases or Corrosive Cabinet. Use secondary containment to separate from other acids and bases (for example: inorganic acids, oxidizing acids)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Flammable and Combustible Liquids<\/td>\n Store in a Flammables Cabinet (preferably a metal, commercially manufactured cabinet designed for storage of flammables)<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Gases<\/td>\n Gas cylinders need to be secured by a chain or strap half to three quarters of the way up the cylinder to prevent them from falling.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Organic Peroxides<\/td>\n This material is an organic oxidizer. Store by itself in secondary containment to separate from other organic and inorganic chemicals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Oxidizers<\/td>\n Store in secondary containment to separate from other organic and inorganic chemicals.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Reactives (Water, Pyrophoric & Explosive Materials)<\/td>\n Due to the varying characteristics of these materials contact Environmental Health and Safety for guidance.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n \n Toxic and Environmentally Hazardous Chemicals<\/td>\n Store in separate Toxics storage area OR in separate secondary containment in a Flammables Storage Cabinet.<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"