[Histonet] Safety

Thu Feb 5 17:44:00 CST 2004

Laurie wrote:
<<We have a 55 gallon drum that is enclosed in a flammable cabinet.  The
flammable cabinet is also vented to the outside.  Although we are now
recycling most of our reagents, we are able to dump formalin, alcohol, and
xylene all together into this one big drum and have it hauled off.  It makes
it very easy on us, and we have never had any problems with CAP or safety
inspections.>>

Here is the pertinent section of the July 2003 CAP checklist (Applies to
CAP-accredited labs only, a USA agency) having to do with flammable storage.
Further below are all the flammable checklist items.

Flammable storage
***************************************************************
GEN.72050             Phase II	N/A   YES   NO

Are supplies of flammable and combustible liquids reasonable for the
laboratory's needs, and are they properly stored?

NOTE:  In each laboratory area, up to 1 gallon of Class I, II, and IIIA
liquids may be stored on open shelving for each 100 ft2 of space defined by
fire-resistant walls/doors.  Up to 2 gallons of Class I, II, and IIIA
liquids may be stored in safety cans and safety cabinets for each 100 ft2.
These amounts may be doubled if there is an automatic fire suppression
system (e.g., sprinklers).

COMMENTARY:

The supplies of flammable liquids were excessive or they were improperly
stored.  No more than 1 gallon of class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be
stored on open shelving per 100 ft2 of space defined by fire-resistant
walls/doors.  No more than 2 gallons of class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be
stored in safety cans and safety cabinets per 100 ft2 in any laboratory work
area.  These amounts may be doubled if there is an automatic fire
suppression system (e.g., sprinklers).

REFERENCES: 1) National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and
combustible liquids code. Standard 30. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1996;  2) National
Fire Protection Association. Standard 99, chapter 10-7.2.2. Quincy, MA:
NFPA, 2000. 

*****************************************************************

Can anyone say their lab meets this standard? It allows only a very small
amount of flammables to be in the working lab area. 

Lets say you had a 55 gallon drum of flammables in your lab (where people
are working) waiting to be carted off, or even recycled. If it is in a
flammable cabinet and you have sprinklers you need a minimum of over 1300
square feet of lab space just for that (55/4 * 100). If you have more
flammables you need even more space. 

This holds for any flammables in an area where people are working - for
instance, those stored for use in processors, stainers etc. Not to mention
those already in the processors and stainers.

The only real solution to this is to have a dedicated storage area for bulk
flammables that is isolated from the lab. Preferably one that is designed to
contain/suppress a big fire. We had the "bunker" at one hosptial I worked at
- an underground storage area with spark-proof electrical system and a
bomb-proof door that was used for all bulk flamables storage.

BUT, having said that, I have to say that in 8 CAP inspections I never had a
CAP inspector even comment on this, despite being over the standard in
almost every case. So maybe in the real world nobody really cares about it.

Tim Morken

All the flammable standards

****************************************************************************
*********
GEN.72000             Phase I	N/A   YES   NO

Are safety cans used instead of glass bottles for volumes of flammable
solvents larger than one quart (or larger than one pint for solvents that
are highly volatile such as isopentane) if the purity required does not
mandate glass storage?

COMMENTARY:

Safety cans should be used for bulk storage of flammable and combustible
liquid (National Fire Protection Association classes I and II).  Metal or
DOT approved plastic containers provide an intermediate level of hazard
containment between glass and safety cans.  One pint of a highly volatile
solvent, such as isopentane, stored in glass has about the same ignitability
risk as 2 gallons stored in safety cans.  Safety cans should be used instead
of glass bottles if the purity required does not mandate glass storage.

REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and combustible
liquids code. Standard 30, chapter 10-2.2.4.3. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1996. 

****************************************************************************
**************
GEN.72050             Phase II	N/A   YES   NO

Are supplies of flammable and combustible liquids reasonable for the
laboratory's needs, and are they properly stored?

NOTE:  In each laboratory area, up to 1 gallon of Class I, II, and IIIA
liquids may be stored on open shelving for each 100 ft2 of space defined by
fire-resistant walls/doors.  Up to 2 gallons of Class I, II, and IIIA
liquids may be stored in safety cans and safety cabinets for each 100 ft2.
These amounts may be doubled if there is an automatic fire suppression
system (e.g., sprinklers).

COMMENTARY:

The supplies of flammable liquids were excessive or they were improperly
stored.  No more than 1 gallon of class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be
stored on open shelving per 100 ft2 of space defined by fire-resistant
walls/doors.  No more than 2 gallons of class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be
stored in safety cans and safety cabinets per 100 ft2 in any laboratory work
area.  These amounts may be doubled if there is an automatic fire
suppression system (e.g., sprinklers).

REFERENCES: 1) National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and
combustible liquids code. Standard 30. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1996;  2) National
Fire Protection Association. Standard 99, chapter 10-7.2.2. Quincy, MA:
NFPA, 2000. 

****************************************************************************
***************
GEN.72100             Phase II	N/A   YES   NO

Are storage areas and/or rooms where volatile solvents are used adequately
ventilated?

COMMENTARY:

Areas where flammable liquids are used must be ventilated for protection of
employee health, as well as fire prevention.  Areas where flammable liquids
are stored should be ventilated primarily for fire protection.  Storage
cabinets do not need to be vented, but if they are vented the duct system
must be explosion proof.

REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and combustible
liquids code. Standard 30. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1996. 

****************************************************************************
***************
GEN.72150             Phase II	N/A   YES   NO

Are flammable or combustible liquids or gas cylinders positioned well away
from open flame or other heat sources, not in corridors and not within
exhaust canopies?

COMMENTARY:

Flammable or combustible liquids or gas cylinders must not be positioned
near open flame, heat sources, in corridors, or within exhaust canopies.

REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association. Standard 99, chapter
10-7.2.4. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 2000. 

**REVISED**	07/31/2003
****************************************************************************
****************
GEN.72200             Phase I	N/A   YES   NO

If flammables are decanted from large drum (bulk) containers, is the
secondary (receiving) container grounded?

COMMENTARY:

Transfer of flammable liquid from bulk storage containers should be made in
storage rooms as described in NFPA 30, and the secondary container(s) should
be grounded to prevent static electrical discharge if constructed of metal
or other conductive material.

REFERENCES: 1) National Fire Protection Association. Recommended practice on
static electricity. Standard 77. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1993;  2) National Fire
Protection Association. Flammable and combustible liquids code. Standard 30.
Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1996. 

-----Original Message-----
From: Laurie Colbert [mailto:laurie.colbert <@t> huntingtonhospital.com] 
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 2:13 PM
To: Rebecca Barnhart; Histonet (E-mail)
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Safety

We have a 55 gallon drum that is enclosed in a flammable cabinet.  The
flammable cabinet is also vented to the outside.  Although we are now
recycling most of our reagents, we are able to dump formalin, alcohol, and
xylene all together into this one big drum and have it hauled off.  It makes
it very easy on us, and we have never had any problems with CAP or safety
inspections.

As far as fumes and smells go, we have an air filter that we got from
Creative Waste Solutions, Inc.  It is supposed to be good at reducing not
only the smells but also the exposure to the chemicals.  I use the air
filter in the grossing area and several of us noticed a reduction in the
formalin fumes.  It is also supposed to work with xylene.  I am not
affilitate with Creative Waste and if you're interested, their number is
(888) 795-8300.  The people there are great to work with.

Laurie Colbert
Huntington Hospital
Pasadena, CA 

-----Original Message-----
From: Rebecca Barnhart [mailto:RBARNHART <@t> summithealth.org]
Sent: Thursday, February 05, 2004 7:28 AM
To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: [Histonet] Safety

After all the discussion with the pregnancy in the lab that I have read it
started making me think. I have worked in the lab almost 9 years and when I
started I noticed some safety concerns and finally some have began to
change. Don't get me wrong, we use safety precautions but there are things
we overlook because they have became the norm for us.  For example we use to
store our used americlear and acetone in gallon jugs (the empty alcohol,
americlear, acetone, etc ones) under our stainer that sits on a wood table.
There would be anywhere from 12 to 16 gallons until it was dumped, for
several weeks up to a month.  Finally we are getting it dumped at least once
a week and in the very near future we are renovating our histo lab.  This
will enable us to have a 55 gallon drum in a flam cabinet so we can dump our
waste in as we change the processor and stainer.  Some of my concerns are
dumping all waste (except americal and acetone) down the drain, cover
slipping and changing the solutions.  Currently we coverslip on the counter,
no hood.  Same with changing the solutions.  I use the hood to dump old
solutions out and new in but not everyone does.  How does everyone else
handle the issue of fumes, dumping waste down the drain and any safety
issues? We are a small lab, only 2 histo tech and 1 pathologist.  We are in
a small room (at least with our renovation it will be opened up more, which
I think will help with ventilation) All new employees seem to notice a
smell, even ones that are use to the histo environment.  Scary as it sounds
I am use to the smell.  Thanks in advance for all the input.

Becky Barnhart
rbarnhart <@t> summithealth.org 

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