Laboratory Relocation Guidelines
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Laboratory Closeout Procedures
Environmental Health
&
Safety
Wichita State
Un
iversity
Contents
These
guidelines have
been developed for research groups involved in physically
relocating
laboratories from one facility to another. The
int
ent is to he
lp you plan and execute movement of
your precision instruments, equipment, and hazardous materials without incident. This is also an
opportunity to evaluate, plan, and organize
your equipment and chemical needs. Planning
and
preparing
for
your move is the
perfect time to update
your chemical and equipment inventories,
clean out unusable and outdated materials, repair or
disca
rd broken equipment...a chance to start
your new laboratory
off
the way
you have
always wanted it to be.
If you have
questions before,
during, or after your move, please
contact Environmental Health &
Safety
at 978-3347 or
via e-mail to:
michael.strickland
@wichita.edu.
Before
You
Start

One Month Before You Move

Three Weeks Before You Move

As You Pack and Begin Moving

Questions? Call EH&S...

Within the First Week of Moving
One Month Before You Move

Begin planning your move and review what you have on hand.
o
Review these
Laboratory Closeout Procedures.
o
Look in all your cabinets and on all your shelves.
o
Look in your storage areas.
Are there chemicals that are outdated or that are no longer needed?
Are there unknowns or unlabeled chemicals?
Are chemical containers intact and caps in good condition?
Are any “surprises” under the fume hood or tucked behind equipment?
Are there old lecture bottles or other gas cylinders?
Does your equipment require special handling?
Do you have damaged or old equipment?
Examine the area you are moving into.
Three Weeks Before You Move

Notify
EH&S, 3347 or
e-mail:
michael.strickland
@wichita.edu, to start the
laboratory
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clearance process.

Begin packing. Refer to “As You Pack and Begin Moving.”

Contact EH&S for instructions to pack and move radioactive
materials.
As You Pack and Begin Moving

Pack and move items during normal business hours so staff will be available in the event
of a spill or accident.

Do not transport hazardous materials alone
...
use the “buddy system.”

Use appropriate Personal Protect
ive Equipment (go
ggles, lab coat, gloves, closed
-
toe
shoes).

Have boxes, plastic bags, and containers
checked
for broken glass available
before
you
begin.

Read the New Area Checklist and Safe Storage sections before moving items.
Within the First Week of Moving

Post required warning signs (radiation, biohazard, etc).

Review the location of safety showers, eye washes,
fire extinguishers, and exits.

Document your review and include it in your Injury & Illness Prevention Program
training records.

Revisit your old
lab space. Has anything been left behi
nd?
EH&S will survey the space
to determine if it is free of hazards.
Packing Chemicals to B
e Moved

Wear personal protection appropriate for the materials
being handled (safety glasses,
goggles,
lab coat, gloves, closed toe shoes, etc.).

Be certain containers are properly labeled and not likely to leak during transport.
Do not
move unknow
ns or containers that are not in good condition.

Separate chemicals into compatible and related groups and provide separate boxes for each
group. This is a good time to lay the groundwork for segr
egated storage in your new lab.

Refer to the
Chemical Storage Guidelines for more details
a
bout inventory and segregation.

Separate chemicals into these categories:
o
Caustics (Bases)
o
Acids (mineral)
o
Flammables (including organic acids)
o
Poisons (Toxics)
o
Oxidizers
o
Water Reactives

Use st
urdy partitioned boxes or chemical containers

Do not allow bottle necks or stems to protrude from boxes.
Leave room to completely
close
a
box. Boxes that cannot be stacked are not acceptable for transport.

Limit the size of boxes to 18" per side; take c
are not to make a box too heavy.

Separate refrigerated materials into hazard classes and handle them according to their special
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requirements; do not box them together.
Packing and Moving Biological Materials
Biological materials include all etio
logic agents, human and other animal tissues, blood, blood
products, and other body fluids. Achieve maximum protection from accidental exposures when
transporting these materials by packing in primary and secondary containers.
Primary containers
. Seal p
rimary containers to prevent leakage. Avoid contamination of the
exterior of primary containers. Examples of primary containers include test tubes, vacutainers,
IV bags, culture flasks, vials, Petri dishes, etc. A primary container must be surrounded by
absorbent packing material when placed inside a secondary container.
Secondary containers
. Rigid, break resistant containers that can be sealed such as cardboard,
metal, or plastic mailing tubes, closed metal ice chests, and sealable pans are suitable s
econdary
containers.
Labeling
. Identify the containers with an international Biohazard symbol. Label both the
primary and secondary containers. Include the type of biological material and the name and
phone number of the Principal Investigator. These
labels must be legible and indelible.
Chemical Storage Guidelines

Inventory
-
As You Pack

Labeling

Segregate Incompatibles and Store by Hazard Class

General Guidelines

Storage Areas

Storage Guidelines by Hazard Class
Inventory
-
As You Pack

Minimum inventory information: chemical name, date received, date opened, quantity.

Check each container for condition, corrosion, expiration date, etc.
Peroxide forming materials that are more than one year old or have been opened for more than
six
months should not be moved to the new laboratory. Such items should be disposed of by the
expiration date listed by the manufacturer.
Organic peroxides have unusual stability characteristics that make them the most hazardous
substances in the laboratory
. As a class, organic peroxides are considered to be powerful
explosives and are sensitive to heat, friction, impact, and light. They are also reactive with
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strong oxidizing and reducing agents. Compounds that form peroxides during storage include:
Eth
yl ether
Dioxane
Tetrahydrofuran
Isopropyl ether
Acetal
Divinyl acetylene
Potassium metal
Butadiene
Vinylidene chloride
Vinyl chloride
Vinyl ethers
Cumene
Cyclohexene
Styrene
Sodium amide
Dicyclopentadiene
Diacetylene
Methyl acetylen
e
Vinyl acetylene
Vinyl acetate
Methylcyclopentane
Source: H.L. Jackson, W.B. McCormack, C.S. Rondesvedt, K.C. Smeltz. I.E. Viele, Organic Chemical Department,
E.I. duPont de Nemours and Company, Wilmington, DE. 1989

Retain and extra copy of the inventory outside the laboratory (for example, in the
departmental office) for reference in an emergency.

The location of all Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) should be noted on the
inventory.
Labeling
Chemic
al containers must be labeled as follows:
Primary containers
-
Chemical name, major hazard(s), precautions, date
opened.
Secondary containers
-
Label chemicals transferred from their original containers into
secondary containers with the chemical name, ha
zard(s),
precautions, and date.
Segregate Incompatible Chemicals and Store by Hazard Class
Recommended general hazard classes for storage are:
Caustics (bases)
Poisons (Toxics)
Acids (mineral)
Oxidizers
Flammables
-
Water Reactives
(including organic
acids)
Do not store chemicals alphabetically, except within a hazard classification.
General Guidelines
Keep flammable chemicals by themselves in approved storage cans or cabinets
Keep acids away from bases.
Separate organic chemicals from inorganic chem
icals.
Store oxidizers away from flammable chemicals.
Biohazards may be labeled and stored as one hazard class (group).
Class A and B carcinogens (cytotoxics) should be labeled and stored with their chemical
family.
Store Class C carcinogens (cytotoxic) i
n a glove box or other similar regulated area.
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Storage Areas
Store large bottles and containers close to the floor.
Shelves should be bolted to the wall.
Shelves should have lips or retaining cords to prevent containers from falling.
Storage areas should
be well lighted, ventilated and maintain uniform temperature.
Secondary containment is recommended by using polyethylene trays/tubs.
Storage Guidelines by Hazard Class
Oxidizers
. These materials yield oxygen and react with water, fire, flammables and
c
ombustibles. Examples include inorganic nitrates, permanganates, inorganic peroxides,
persulfates, and perchlorates.
Keep separate from flammables and organic materials.
Keep separate from reducing agents (i.e., zinc, alkaline metals, formic acid, etc)
La
bel with the
Date Received, Date Opened
, and discard within three to six months of
opening. Unopened peroxide forming chemicals should be discarded within 12 months
of receipt depending on the specific chemical.
Acids
. Materials with a pH of 5 or less
. Examples include acetic, chromic, nitric and
hydrofluoric acids.
Keep separate from bases and chemicals which could evolve poison vapors if in contact
with acids such as sodium cyanide.
Store large containers at floor level or at least below eye level.
Separate inorganic from organic acids.
Separate acids from active metals such as sodium and potassium.
Store perchloric acid and nitric acid as oxidizers.
Hydrofluoric acid spills can be neutralized with calcium hydroxide only.
Poisons
(Toxics)
. These m
aterials are dangerous if inhaled, swallowed or absorbed through the
skin. Examples include phenol and hydrazine.
Store according to label directions
Keep separate from other hazard classes.
Keep tightly sealed in containers in good condition.
Caustics (
bases)
. This includes all materials that are pH 9 or greater; examples are ammonium
hydroxide, calcium hydroxide, and sodium hydroxide.
Keep separate from acids.
Store solutions of inorganic hydroxides in polyethylene containers.
Store large containers be
low eye level, near or on the floor.
Flammable/Combustible
. Vapors of these materials ignite easily at room temperature.
Examples include alcohols, esters, ketones, ethers, and pyrophoric chemicals.
Store flammable liquids in approved safety cans or cab
inets.
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Keep these materials away from open flame, heat, sun, and spark sources.
Use only UL or Factory Mutual approved explosion safequot, quot, or spark proofquat
refrigerators for cold storage of flammable materials.
Water Reactive
. These materials re
act with water to yield flammable or toxic gases or other
hazardous conditions. Examples include hypochlorite compounds and metal hydrides.
Keep away from water and water sources.
Do not store above or below sinks.
Use a dry chemical extinguisher to suppr
ess fire.
New Area Checklist

Emergency Equipment

Chemical and Waste Storage

Flammable Liquids
Maximum Container Size
Maximum Quantities

General Conditions

Radiation Safety
Emergency Equipment
.
Emergency eye wash station and shower accessible within 100 feet of your laborato
ry?
Fire extinguishers accessible within 50 feet?
Chemical and Waste Storage
.
Acid
-
Caustic
-
Flammable
-
Water Reactive
-
Oxidizer
-
Poison
-
segregated?
Are chemicals segregated into related and compatible groups by hazard class?
Corrosive materials st
ored low on shelves below waist height?
Are flammable materials stored correctly?
No more than 10 gallons of flammable liquids stored in an open laboratory.
Quantities greater than 10 gallons must be inside flammable storage cabinets.
Correct flammable s
torage containers are in use.
Storage of flammable materials in the laboratory should be minimal.
Flammable Liquids
-
Maximum Container Size
.
Container Type
Class 1A
Class 1B
Class 1C
Glass*
1 pint
1 quart
1 gallon
Metal or approved
Plastic
1 gallo
n
5 gallons
5 gallons
Safety Cans
2 gallons
2 gallons
2 gallons
Metal Drums
Contact EH&S at ext. 3347 for storage requirements.
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* Class Key
Class 1A
-
flash point _73

F (22.8

C); boiling point _100

F (37.8

C).
Class 1B
-
flash point _73

F (22.8

C); boiling point 100

F (37.8

C).
Class 1C
-
flash point 73

F (22.8

C
)
; boiling
point _100

F (37.8

C).
*Exception for storage of quantities in excess of 1 gallon may be requeste
d from EH&S, ext. 3347.
Flammable Liquids
-
Maximum Quantities
.
Location
Maximum Quantity
Conditions
In open lab in safety cans
10 gallons
Must comply with container
size requirements above
In fire rated storage cabinet
60 gallons
General Conditi
ons
.
Waste containers in good condition, closed, and labeled with the words
Hazardous
Waste
?
Chemical storage shelves have lips or guards on outer edges?
Fume hoods are functioning properly?
Fume hoods certified by EH&S?
Hazardous work areas posted
-
bioh
azard, cytotoxic, radiation, laser, sonicator, UV?
Compressed gas cylinders secured?
Sharps container for broken glass, needles and other sharp objects available and labeled?
Is there a minimum of 28" in the aisles?
Radiation Safety
.
Are radiation signs p
osted properly?
Are waste storage areas shielded?
Are waste and sewer disposal guidelines and logs posted?
Are use logs posted?