Handling of chemicals

Checklist for chemical spill

Handling of Chemicals

Chemicals must be handled in a safe way and according to certain regulations.

All departments have their own chemical advisor (kemikalieombud) who makes sure the chemicals are registered, stored and handled in the right way. Any questions, talk to your chemical advisor.

Purchase

• When you buy a chemical, you need to give the delivery note to the chemical advisor so that it can be registered in the KLARA system and handled safely.

Safety Information

• You must always read the safety data sheet before starting to work with a chemical.
• You are responsible for finding out what protective equipment and routines should be used to handle the chemical in a safe way.
• Always think ahead – what do you do in case of an emergency (emergency routines, absorbents, phone numbers etc)?

Storage

• Generally, all chemicals that are marked with warning symbols should be stored in a ventilated chemical cabinet that it is marked for that purpose. If you store chemicals in a fridge/freezer, make sure it is properly labelled.
• Keep doors to the chemical cupboards closed for safety reasons.
• Not all chemicals can be stored together depending on their properties. Storage information can be found on the safety data sheet and you can get help from the chemical advisor.
• Flammable chemicals must be stored according to regulations.
• Bottles of hazardous chemicals should never be stored on higher shelves. This is to minimize the risk of an accident in case a lid is not properly tightened or if a bottle would fall down.

Labelling

• All containers, including temporary ones, must be labelled according to regulations.

Handling

• Be careful when transporting chemicals. If you need to carry bottles, put them in a bucket to reduce the risk of falling or dropping them. Always use an extra container, for example SafePaks, for the more hazardous chemicals or broken/leaking containers. If you have larger amounts of bottles, there is a trolley with a pallet collar that you can borrow from Campus Management.
• When transporting liquid chemicals, it is good to use absorbents in the bucket or on the trolley, in case of a spill.
• Liquid nitrogen:
  - do not use the elevator when transporting liquid nitrogen. One liter of liquid nitrogen evaporates to a volume of 700 liters. This means that the oxygen is replaced by nitrogen and the consequence of this can be suffocation, if for instance the elevator stops for some reason.
  - read the instructions for how to handle liquid nitrogen.
  - always use a special thermos intended for liquid nitrogen. The use of any other container is strictly forbidden!

Waste

• Chemical waste must be disposed of according to current regulations.

In case of spill

• You must read the information “In case of chemical spill” (available in/outside the labs) before you start working in the lab.
• We do not clean up any chemical spill ourselves, instead we call the clean-up company RELITA to do it for us.
  Relita phone number: 0771-103 500
• However, if you spill something in a fume hood or something less hazardous on the floor, it is good to prevent the liquid from spreading further by throwing some absorbents on it.
• Protect yourself before helping people that might have been injured or exposed to hazardous chemicals. For cleaning up spills, ALWAYS call Relita!

KLARA

The Klara database provide safety information about chemicals on handling, risks and actions to take in case of an accident.

KLARA is not updated regularly, so the safety information is often outdated. Always check for the latest safety data sheet from the supplier!

You can access safety data sheet without a login, just click on the image ("klicka här") to enter.

If you need to access more information, for instance about location of the chemical, please ask your chemical advisor for login information.

Chemical advisors (kemikalieombud) at EBC

More information

• More information about chemicals from Uppsala University
• Information om CMR-ämnen
• Riktlinjer för förvaring av kemiska produkter (UFV 2008/758)
• Riktlinjer för märkning av kemiska produkter (UFV 2008/759)
• Vägledning till föreskrifterna om kemiska arbetsmiljörisker (Arbetsmiljöverket)
• Kemiska arbetsmiljörisker AFS2014:43

• Warning labels - Swedish Chemicals Agency (Kemikalieinspektionen)