ACS Chemical Health & Safety最新文献

Cannulas and needles (sharps) are frequently used for chemical manipulations involving air- and moisture-sensitive chemicals. When using these devices, the presence of sharp tips poses a risk of puncture wounds and increases the likelihood of chemical exposure. While these devices are regularly used in chemistry, facts on their proper usage, as well as the prevention of injuries, are scarce in the literature. Needle injuries often reflect inadequate hands-on training in their use during chemical transfer procedures, incorrect recapping, and improper storage and disposal procedures. Preventing needle injuries in the lab requires having situational awareness which is achieved by using proper techniques and a proper reaction set up, performing a risk assessment, and having group discussions about the procedure. As in all chemical manipulations, it is critical to be familiar with the reaction setup, to receive the necessary training for the chemicals being used, and to have reviewed all associated standard operating procedures (SOPs). Thorough planning can reduce injuries and exposures incurred by students and other researchers. This paper will discuss safe techniques for the use of needles and cannulas in chemistry laboratories.

Skin is a potential route for occupational exposure to chemical agents, which can result in serious injury or illness. The selection of gloves and other chemical protective clothing (CPC) to protect against exposure to hazardous chemicals begins with an informed risk assessment and management approach, which relies on the science and art of glove selection. The science of glove selection includes a fundamental understanding of the limitations of gloves and other CPC, job hazard analyses to identify the hazards posed by specific tasks, choosing from a hierarchy of controls, familiarity with the relevant resources to guide selection, and, in some cases, additional glove performance testing and/or consultation with a qualified occupational and environmental safety and health professional. The art of glove selection includes important considerations, such as ease of use, comfort, cost, and acceptance by workers. Finally, a well-managed personal protective equipment (PPE) program incorporating periodic review, training, supervision, and documentation is critical to protecting workers from occupational injury or illness.

Piranha solution is a dangerous and useful substance used throughout academia and industry. However, there is little peer-reviewed work on its safe use, and institutional protocols are limited in their applicability beyond their institute of origin. Here, we review institutional safety protocols for Piranha use to develop a consensus on the best safe practices and try to fill any gaps and resolve any ambiguities with reference to the related safety literature.

Here, we wish to report an explosion which occurred in an organic synthesis laboratory during an attempted evaporation of solvent via rotary evaporation. The explosion, which occurred inside of a vacuum pump cabinet, resulted in a fire and damages to the laboratory but no injuries. This “Lessons-Learned” article describes the direct cause of the event as determined by the Office of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety and proposes casual factors that should be considered to prevent this incident from occurring in other laboratories.

Methods involving C–C bond formation are continuously being innovated due to their importance in the creation and modification of important organic molecules. The classic Grignard reaction demonstrates C–C bond formation with reagents that are usually accessible in undergraduate laboratory classes. Oftentimes, to make the Grignard reaction viable, the reactions are assisted by heating at elevated temperatures or with the use of a catalyst accompanied by solvents that have been dried using highly reactive sodium metal (Na⁰)─conditions which increase the risk of a laboratory fire or explosion. For this work, a method to conduct Grignard reactions under mild conditions utilizing sand-paper-polished Mg ribbons and solvent dried using molecular sieves was developed. The conscientious, accessible, and easy-to-follow preparation of both the solvent and the Mg ribbons is found to contribute more to the percent conversion of reagents to products. The average percent conversion with the proposed method ranged from 76.8% to 99.5% based on ¹H NMR results. This makes the Grignard demonstration possible even for the most humid, tropical locations.

Dust explosions in compressed food factories can cause severe injury and death as well as damage to assets. This research aimed to assess the risk of dust explosions using the Fault Tree Analysis (FTA) technique from grain extruded food production. The results showed that there were possible situations in which 14 dust explosions were generated at the belt-drying area of puffed food. Considering some fundamental factors, the primary reason for the most significant dust explosion risk is seen to be welding/cutting operations. These processes create a source of ignition or heat in the environment. Therefore, an extruded food production factory should train welding and metal cutting to prevent dust explosions. Moreover, a flameless venting device and an explosion suppression detector should be installed in dust collectors. The FTA method demonstrated the risk of a dust explosion caused by machinery and equipment that must be reduced and controlled to an acceptable level to prevent the occurrence of dust explosions, which has a serious impact on occupational health assets and the environment.