Brian Meschewski Research Safety Professional Division of Research Safety Would you cross a busy road without looking Why not What would you do to cross a road safely What about this road Hazard vs Risk ID: 792270
Download The PPT/PDF document "Experimental Risk Assessment" is the property of its rightful owner. Permission is granted to download and print the materials on this web site for personal, non-commercial use only, and to display it on your personal computer provided you do not modify the materials and that you retain all copyright notices contained in the materials. By downloading content from our website, you accept the terms of this agreement.
Slide1
Experimental Risk Assessment
Brian MeschewskiResearch Safety ProfessionalDivision of Research Safety
Slide2Would you cross a busy road without looking?
Why not?What would you do to cross a road safely?
Slide3What about this road?
Slide4Hazard vs Risk
While related, Hazard and Risk are not
the same!
Are routinely used incorrectly
Slide5Hazard
Hazard: An inherent property of a material or situation that cannot be altered
A hazard can be chemical, biological, radiological, physical
Example: Hydrochloric acid (corrosive)
Example: Electrical source
Slide6Risk
Risk: The probability that a hazard will result in an adverse consequence, and the severity of that consequenceExample:
10 mL hydrochloric acid from an extraction kit, protocol included compared to 100 mL hydrochloric acid from a 2.5 L bottle, SOP adapted from a paper. The
HCl
has the same corrosive hazard, but one will result in a more severe consequence if a spill were to occur. Working with a larger volume is also more likely to result in a spill.
Risk can be applied to property and materials as well as people
Risk can be controlled
Slide7How do I perform a risk assessment?
RAMP
R
ecognize the hazards (Hazard Identification)
A
ssess the risks of the hazards
M
inimize the risks of the hazards
P
repare for emergencies
Slide8Recognize the Hazards
Hazard Identification
First step to a good risk assessment
Hazards can come from multiple sources in the lab and experiment
Identify your materials, instruments, experimental conditions, and anything that can create a hazard
*Brief overview of some common laboratory hazards. These will be more detailed in their individual presentations.
Slide9Slide10Radiological hazard
Laser hazard
Slide11Experimental Techniques
What experimental techniques will you be using, and are you familiar with the associated hazards?
Syringe
Transferring flammable liquids
Transferring solids
Gases
Inerting
Quenching
Slide12Hazardous Conditions
What experimental conditions will be used?Elevated or reduced pressure? Is the equipment rated for this?
Electrical sources?
Agitating a reaction?
Compressed gases?
Radiation sources?
Slide13Assess the risks
Determine the risks posed by hazards during an experiment
Think about the risks you are exposed to in the laboratory outside of your experiment
Who performs a risk assessment?
Everyone entering the laboratory should perform a risk assessment, even if you are not performing an experiment
Slide14A risk assessment can be viewed as an equation
It is the combination of the probability of a consequence occurring and the
severity of that consequence
Risk (R) = Probability of Occurrence (P) x Severity of Consequence (S)
A
ssess the risks
Slide15Simple risk assessment approach
Risk (R) = Probability of Occurrence (P) x Severity of Consequence (S)
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide16Simple Risk Assessment Approach
We want to stay in the “green”Yellow can normally be reworked to get into the green by controlling the risk in a new or different way
Avoid red
Might require that you rethink how the work is going to be performed
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide17Simple Risk Assessment Approach
Walk through your procedure, and determine where that step, material, process, etc. falls on the graphIf necessary, implement a control to get the procedure in the green
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide18Risk Assessment Tools
More hazards that can pose a risk exist than might be obviousAssist in walking you through questions that might identify hazards and assign riskMany different tools exist
Some are more effective for certain types of experiments or lab tasks, some may not make sense for the lab at all
Common examples include:
What-If? Analysis
Job Hazard Analysis
Risk Assessment Matrix
Common tool in use with labs
ACS has a template, good for a variety of lab hazards
Slide19Do I always have to fill out a risk assessment form?
With more experience and practice, risk assessments can become second nature. A risk assessment performed mentally can alert you to the same hazards. Most young scientists are unable to evaluate all aspects of experiments or processes without following a form.
Filling in blanks does not mean you are safe, you have to critically think about everything you write down.
A
ssess the risks
Slide20What-If? Analysis
A What-If? Analysis is a simple tool that can be used to help perform a risk assessment
Slide21What-If? Analysis
A What-If? Analysis can help you decide where your step falls on the scaleIt is most effective in a team settingIt is easy to use
Beginners can easily grasp it
Limitations
Only useful if the right questions are asked
Relies on the team members to ask those questions
Subjective
Bias
Slide22Slide23Job Hazard Analysis
OK for routine lab functionsFocuses on one “job” and can function as the SOP for that job Allows you to be consistent when the same task is performed by various people
Limitations
Steps can be missed
Assigning risk can be difficult
Slide24Slide25Slide26Risk Assessment Matrix
Good for all sorts of lab experimentsAre more detailed than some other toolsRequire you to think critically and
plan ahead
Slide27ACS Risk Assessment Matrix
Easy to useIs a comprehensive look at a wide variety of hazards and their associated riskResults in a numerical value
Slide28Slide29Slide30Slide31Source: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/topics/hierarchy
Slide32Minimize the risk of the hazards
How do we control risk?
Various techniques exist for reducing risk
Start at the top and work your way down using the Hierarchy of Controls
Not all will be effective for each experiment or situation
Slide33Hierarchy of Controls
EliminationMost effective controlDo not use the hazard!
Not really practical in research much of the time…
Substitution
Sometimes possible (Ethidium Bromide vs SYBR Safe; PIRANHA solution vs KOH/ethanol,
NoChromix
, Nano-strip)
Many times specific materials will be needed, and a substitute will be inadequate
Slide34Hierarchy of Controls
Engineering ControlsIsolate workers from the hazardWhile designing an experiment, engineering controls will often be the most effective way to control risk
Have limitations based on the material used
Are not always practical (field work?)
Examples: Fume hood, biosafety cabinet, glovebox, interlocks, machine guards, etc.
Slide35Hierarchy of Controls
Administrative ControlsFocus on changing the behavior of people rather than isolating the hazard
Requires you to plan ahead
Examples:
Training
Policies - working alone, recapping needles, number of hours worked, food and drink consumption and storage, etc.
Warning signs
Housekeeping
Equipment maintenance
Restrict access/task
Hygiene practices (proper glove removal, wash hands, do both before leaving the lab)
Emergency preparedness (spill kits, emergency eyewash/shower, fire extinguisher)
Waste disposal – don’t let waste accumulate if it is no longer needed
Laboratory Safety Plan and Standard Operating Procedures
(more on this later)
Slide36Slide37Slide38Hierarchy of Controls
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)Garments or equipment designed to protect the person’s body
Usually the least effective method and should be the last considered
Consider the additional stress caused by PPE, and limitations it can cause (e.g. dexterity, heat stress)
Should still absolutely be used in case something else fails
Slide39Hierarchy of Controls
Examples:Eye/face protection - safety glasses, goggles, face shield
Lab coats – Select based on the materials used (e.g. flame resistant for significant fire hazard labs)
Respirators – Requires
annual
fit testing, training, and physical (
including N95
) – OSHA requirement
Slide40Hierarchy of Controls
Gloves Should be chosen based on the materials in use
No “universal” glove
Consider breakthrough time (spraying gloves?)
Effective for incidental splashes (change when this occurs)
DRS has a chart to help select gloves, and a variety of resources (e.g. the manufacturer) exist
Slide41Slide42Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Term used by OSHA (these are required
by OSHA and other regulatory agencies) – I prefer “Method” and “Method development”
Set of instructions written to help individuals carry out a complex task
SOPs should be written for all materials and procedures that pose a potential risk to the health and safety of lab personnel
SOP should focus on the
risk
of hazards, and not the hazards alone
There is no specific format, but templates are available to help in the development of SOPs
Lab Safety Plan (which includes the SOPs) is the primary administrative control
in the lab
Slide43Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
Are SOPs needed for everything? Even simple tasks an undergrad can do? –YES
However, make use of existing resources
Countless SOPs exist, and are known to be safe
Remember an SOP does not have a specific template, and can come in many forms
Use whatever works for your experiment! Some have built in elements that might be helpful to you.
Slide44Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
What are some existing resources I can use?Documents from the DRS library
Protocols provided by the manufacturer (e.g. extraction kit protocols)
Instrument or equipment manuals
Textbooks/published works/known to be safe procedures (e.g.
Vogel’s Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry
)
Often, incorporating existing resources will prevent the need to write one from scratch
No need to reinvent the wheel. If it exists in a way that covers safety information, there is no need to transcribe it into a specific form.
Slide45Prepare for Emergencies
Part of your SOP and risk assessment should cover what to do in case of an emergency (What is the worst thing that can happen?)
Identify potential spill clean up materials
Absorbent materials
Mercury spill kit
Bleach for biological material spills
Acid/Base neutralizers
Other specialized materials – know what you are working with
Correct fire extinguishers. Class D needed?
Quench method?
Slide46Prepare for Emergencies
Other issues to consider in the lab
Flood
Are you prepared to handle a flood? Consider flooding that is the result of severe weather or other factors. Burst pipes, sprinkler system activating in the lab above you, backed up sinks, etc.
Fire
Are you prepared to handle a fire? Do you know evacuation and assembly points? BEAP plan/Emergency Response Guide
Seismic activity
Not likely in Illinois, but they have occurred
Storage of materials and equipment
Slide47Prepare for Emergencies
Other issues to consider in the lab
Loss of Power
What sort of impact will this have on your operations? Are you prepared to handle it?
Work being done in a fume hood?
Unable to control heat?
Will this damage equipment?
Will this impact samples in long term storage (e.g. -80 ⁰C freezers)?
Preplanning for loss of power
Generator power - Does your building have a generator? Does it allow all operations to continue? What are the limits?
Alternative storage methods for samples? Dry ice?
Slide48Prepare for Emergencies
Other issues to consider in the lab
Loss of Power (continued)
Loss of data
Is your data backed up? External storage, network drive, etc.
Can the data be backed up automatically?
Power surges
Implement a surge protector to protect your equipment
Other scenarios
Snow storm, building emergencies, etc.
Many other scenarios might exist depending on the lab. Make sure to consider everything that could be impacted by an out of the ordinary event.
Slide49Waste Disposal/Cleanup
Label all waste containersPotential waste incompatibilities? Please don’t mix nitric acid waste with ethanol…
Is the waste container in good condition?
Is the waste compatible with the container?
Just because it is now waste does not mean the hazards have gone away
Slide50Creating an SOP and performing a risk assessment
Let’s walk through a simple undergrad experiment and perform a risk assessment
Esterification of salicylic acid to acetylsalicylic acid
Slide51Typical procedure
Mass out 3 g of salicylic acid into flaskMeasure out 6.0 mL of acetic anhydride into flask
Add 5-10 drops of 85% H
3
PO
4
Heat ~10 min in water bath (70-80 ⁰C)
Add 20 drops DI water
Add 20 mL DI water and chill in ice bath
Filter in Buchner/wash with cold DI water
Transfer crystals to beaker
Add 10 mL 95%
EtOH
and heat in a water bath (do not boil)
After dissolution, add 20 mL warm DI water and cool to recrystallize
Filter
Slide52What are the Hazards
?Chemicals
Salicylic acid (per Safety Data Sheet from Sigma-Aldrich)
Acute toxicity, oral
Serious eye damage
Acetic anhydride
Flammable liquid
Acute toxicity, Oral
Acute toxicity, Inhalation
Skin corrosion
Serious eye damage
Phosphoric acid
Corrosive to metals
Skin corrosion
Serious eye damage
Ethanol
Flammable liquid
Eye irritation
Water
Slide53What are the Hazards
?
Acetylsalicylic acid (product)
Acute toxicity, oral
Acute aquatic toxicity
Acetic acid (product)*
Closer look at acetic anhydride
Slide54Hazards
Reactivity hazardsTypical acid hazards (bases, water)
Flammable liquids
Physical hazards
Hot plates/Hot water bath
Glassware
Vacuum
Slide55What are the Risks
?
Risk can be mitigated by small volumes
Minimize the volumes the lab is required to manipulate
Common lab incidents
Fire
Exposure
Spill
Slide56What are the Risks
?
Fire
Fuel – Ethanol, acetic anhydride
Oxygen
Ignition source? – Maybe. What-If? Analysis
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide57What are the Risks
?Exposure – This will be our main concern
Inhalation
Acetic anhydride – GHS Classification = Acute toxicity, Inhalation
In fact, the Hazard Statement mentions “Fatal if inhaled”
Controlling inhalation risk
Low odor detection threshold. If you can smell it, you are being exposed to it.
Inhalation risk can be engineered out – use a fume hood
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide58What are the Risks
?Exposure
Skin exposure
Acetic anhydride and phosphoric acid are both corrosive to the skin and should be handled with caution
An exposure can result in severe skin burns
PPE and appropriate clothing can reduce the risk of a skin exposure
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide59What are the Risks
?Exposure
Eye exposure
Acetic anhydride, phosphoric acid, and salicylic acid can cause serious eye damage, and even ethanol can cause eye irritation
An exposure can result in serious eye damage
PPE and a fume hood can reduce the risk of an eye exposure
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide60What are the Risks
?
Spill without an exposure
Why think about this?
The risk of a spill can be reduced by limiting the quantities available
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
This is a teaching lab…
Slide61Controls
What controls can we implement?
Slide62Controls
Elimination? NoSubstitution? No (procedure is provided)
Engineering controls? We can isolate people from some of the hazards. Perform the work in a fume hood.
Administrative controls? Is our procedure good enough and clear enough for our undergrads? Could use some work…
PPE? Definitely. Eye protection, appropriate gloves for the materials, lab coat. Spell it out.
Slide63Revising the procedure
PPE statementIn addition to proper dress for work in a laboratory, the following are required:
Safety glasses
Gloves (If they become contaminated, change immediately)
Lab coat
Slide64Revising the procedure
Emergency responseReview the location of the nearest emergency eyewash and shower.
Identify the exits to the room in case of fire.
Note the location of the nearest fire extinguisher and spill kit.
In case of skin or eye contact, immediately flush with water. In case of inhalation, move to fresh air. Seek medical attention immediately. Call 911.
In case of fire, call 911 and notify nearby occupants. Utilize the fire alarm to evacuate the area.
Consult lab manual for additional information on experimental techniques.
Slide65Revising the procedure
Mass out 3 g of salicylic acid into flask
Perform the following in a fume hood
Measure out 6.0 mL of acetic anhydride into flask
Using a transfer pipette
, add 5-10 drops of 85% phosphoric acid
Heat ~10 min in water bath (70-80 ⁰C)
Add 20 drops DI water
Add 20 mL DI water and chill in ice bath
Filter in Buchner/wash with cold DI water
Transfer crystals to beaker
Add 10 mL 95% ethanol and heat in a water bath (do not boil)
After dissolution, add 20 mL warm DI water and cool to recrystallize
Filter
Slide66With a few minor additions, did we get our experiment in the green?
P↓
S→
No effect
Minor
Light
Heavy
Catastrophic
Unlikely
Remote
Occasional
Repeated
Frequent
Slide67Additional Resources
Prudent Practices in the LaboratoryBiosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL)American Chemical Society (ACS) –
Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories
, Chemical and Laboratory Safety Page (RAMP), Division of Chemical Health and Safety
National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Chemical Reactivity Worksheet – free software
Textbooks and reference books (
Experimental Organic Chemistry, Vogel’s Textbook of Practical Organic Chemistry,
Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students
, etc.)
OrgSyn
(Organic Synthesis) – Publication of Reliable Methods for organic compound preparation
E-Eros – online information on reagents and catalysts for organic syntheses
Slide68Additional Resources
DRS – Website content, consults, safety audits… We are here to help!Your PI, group members, and anyone else familiar with your work
Slide69Contact DRS 333-2755
labsafety@Illinois.edu
Brian Meschewski
(217) 333-2423
bmesche2@Illinois.edu