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Recent Acid Waste Accidents

Recent Acid Waste Accidents. Stand-Down. Cease all operations that generate strong acid waste Review operations to ensure Incompatible waste materials are kept separate Procedures and practices are in place to prevent mixing of such materials

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Recent Acid Waste Accidents

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  1. Recent Acid Waste Accidents

  2. Stand-Down • Cease all operations that generate strong acid waste • Review operations to ensure • Incompatible waste materials are kept separate • Procedures and practices are in place to prevent mixing of such materials • Personnel performing these operations are aware of and familiar with the approved procedures and practices

  3. Accident at B/66 • 2 waste containers next to each other in fume hood waste area (SAA) • Glass Bottle for acids (nitric acid & hydrochloric acid) • Flam Can for flammable solvents • Guest researcher, 2nd day at LBNL, put waste isopropyl alcohol into acid bottle, tightened cap and left room • Oxidizing acid mixture reacted with solvent, releasing gases and building up pressure in bottle • Acid bottle exploded in fume hood in empty room 30 minutes after IPA addition • Lessons Learned? • Separate incompatables in chemical storage and in waste areas • Staff & guests need to be trained before they work unsupervised

  4. Accident at ALS • Bottle at back of fume hood exploded while researcher was working on something else – not her container • Labeled HNA (Hydrofluoric Acid, Nitric Acid, Acetic Acid) • She was wearing Personal Protective Equipment (gloves, labcoat, goggles) which she removed after the accident and she used eyewash to wash face. • She applied calcium gluconate cream as a precaution and was transported to the hospital • Lessons learned? • PPE usage important • Fume hood may not be best place for an SAA • Know location of emergency equipment (shower, eyewash, fire extinguisher, calcium gluconate)

  5. Accident & Injury Prevention • Think about research hazards and control them (ISM) • Be trained for the hazards • Use appropriate PPE • Know location of emergency equipment • Store incompatible wastes in separate areas • Except for flammable solvents, do not combine waste streams • Quickly dispose of waste • Fume hood might not be best place for an SAA

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