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Emergency Response |
Fire Safety in the Laboratory When a hazardous chemical is accidentally released, immediately call EH&S at x4-8749. If anyone has been injured and medical attention is necessary, call Security at x99 for the Columbia Area Volunteer Ambulance (CAVA) before calling EH&S to report the spill. After normal work hours and on weekends and University holidays, report the incident to Security. Security will then notify a member of EH&S. When reporting a spill or leak, please give as much detailed information as possible (location, chemical name, how much was spilled, etc.). It is particularly important to report the exact name of the chemical involved - spelling it out, if necessary. Do not attempt to clean up a hazardous chemical spill yourself! You could be risking serious injury. Laboratory personnel often do not have the proper personal protective equipment (i.e., respirator) to clean up a spill. In addition, it is a violation of Federal law to combat a chemical spill without the proper emergency response training mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). When a hazardous chemical is spilled, leave the area, close all doors to the spill area, and report the incident to EH&S or Security. If laboratory personnel are accidentally splashed with hazardous chemicals, it must be immediately removed from contact in order to minimize injury. The only way to minimize or prevent personal injury from chemical contact is to immediately remove the chemical by drenching with massive amounts of water using the emergency shower, located near the entrance of the lab. Drenching must continue for at least 15 minutes. If you have been splashed with chemicals, remove the chemical from contact first. Then notify EH&S or Security, or have someone else in the lab notify them. After chemical contact, medical attention may also be necessary. Fire Safety in the LaboratoryLarge quantities of flammable liquids, solids, and gases, unstable/reactive materials, together with energetic chemical reactions - make research laboratories uniquely hazardous in terms of potential for fire. However, historically, occurrence of laboratory fires has been extremely rare, limited to a few small incidents that did not involve negligence on the part of laboratory personnel. In order to reduce/eliminate the potential for fire, observe and enforce all FDNY regulations within your own laboratory. Pay particular attention to the flammable storage limits for the different laboratory types. Flammable storage limits are based on laboratory type, which is based on fire rating/fire suppression of the lab. Flammable storage limits are listed in the table below.
At the entrance to each laboratory, the annual FDNY permit is posted and the flammable limits for the lab type are listed. Please do not exceed these storage/use limits. Fires can spread outside a lab if the available fuel can sustain a fire longer than the fire rating for the lab. If a fire should ignite in your lab, and only if you feel comfortable fighting a fire, you may attempt to put out a small fire yourself. Know the locations of the fire extinguishers in your lab. They are always highly visible and usually located inside the entrance to the lab, at the ends of the benches, and near the window ledges. If you are regularly working with flammable metals, you may request a class D extinguisher for your lab. When using a fire extinguisher, remember the word PASS: Pull the pin If you attempt to fight the fire yourself, place yourself between the fire and the exit so that you have a clear escape. DISCHARGE ONLY ONE EXTINGUISHER. If the fire cannot be extinguished using one extinguisher, do not search for another. Leave the room, closing the (fire rated) door behind you. Hazardous Chemical Spills/ReleasesLaboratory personnel are not required to clean up spills of hazardous chemicals. Indeed, EH&S strongly discourages lab personnel from attempting to clean up chemical spills. Remediation of chemical spills often requires the use of personal protective equipment (respirators, protective suits) that is never available to lab personnel. Never work alone in a laboratory, especially during times that are outside of “normal working hours” (i.e., Monday – Friday, 9am – 5pm). If you are accidentally splashed with chemicals, or if there is a spill in your lab, you may require the immediate assistance of a laboratory coworker. |
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