SECTION 16. HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

16.1 GENERAL

Hazards involved with routinely used chemicals range from short-term irritation to burns, possible cancer, or death. OSHA defines a hazardous chemical by two categories: physical hazard and health hazard. (see Table 16-1 for the listing of physical or health hazards)

Hazardous chemicals are a part of nearly everything; they are contained in most household and commercial products. It is imperative to understand the hazards involved and the proper precautions to take with each product.

Table I - Physical and Health Hazards

PHYSICAL HAZARD

COMBUSTIBLE LIQUID, ORGANIC PEROXIDE
COMPRESSED GAS, OXIDIZERS
EXPLOSIVES, PYROPHORIC
FLAMMABLE, UNSTABLE (REACTIVE)
WATER REACTIVE

HEALTH HAZARDS

CARCINOGEN, HEPATOXIN (LIVER)
TOXIC AGENT, NEPHROTOXIN (KIDNEY)
HIGHLY TOXIC AGENT, NEUROTOXIN (NERVOUS SYSTEM)
REPRODUCTIVE TOXIN, AGENTS ACTING ON BLOOD SYS.
AGENTS THAT DAMAGE: LUNGS, SKIN, EYES, OR MUCOUS MEMBRANES
IRRITANT, CORROSIVE,SENSITIZER

16.2 EVALUATING HAZARDS

Prior to release of a purchase order, the Site Safety Officer will be notified by the requestor of possible hazardous material. If the item(s) are hazardous, the purchase order will include a request for a Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS). When possible the material will be evaluated to verify the proper handling and storage equipment on site prior to release of the purchase order. If the proper equipment is not on site, arrangements will be made to obtain this equipment and/or obtain temporary storage prior to accepting delivery.

The determination of hazardous material will be verified when the item is received from the supplier. All shipments received are logged in at a central point by the receiving individual. It will be the responsibility of the individual signing for the material to contact the Site Safety Officer immediately upon receipt of a hazardous material. In addition, this log will be checked for items received. Any visitors bring hazardous materials on to the site must present that material to the Site Safety Officer immediately upon arrival.

Upon receipt of hazardous material, the item will be delivered to the Site Safety Officer regardless of the addressee. The engineer will then verify an MSDS is either included or already available in-house. If not available, an MSDS will be ordered immediately. The item will then be placed in proper storage and the addressee notified.

The primary source for determining what is hazardous material will be the attached label and manufacturer's information. For items already in-house or received the product label will be checked for an indication as to health risk, special handling, and storage requirements. During the purchasing phase, engineering judgment, past experience, and manufacturer’s information will be used. It is the responsibility of the purchaser placing the order to check with the manufacturer prior to releasing the purchase order.

Other indications of possible hazardous materials are special shipping containers, special freight carriers, and the use of Department of Transportation (DOT) UN placards on the containers or delivery trucks.

Once an item has been identified as hazardous material, an MSDS will be obtained and used for additional information. The MSDS will be the primary source of hazard information for the product. In the absence of an MSDS, the product label will provide a limited amount of hazard information. This information will be used to determine proper handling, storage, usage, protective equipment, and health hazard information.

16.3 LABELS

All hazardous material containers received from a supplier will contain some basic information. This information will consist of identity of hazardous chemical(s), appropriate hazard warnings, name and address of manufacturer or other responsible party.

Hazardous chemicals may be transferred to a temporary container for transport for use within the facility. The container will have the generic or product name of the chemical on them and must be under the control of the employee who transferred it at all times. At the end of the work shift the material will be returned to its permanent container.

At no time will an employee remove or intentionally destroy a product label. In the event a label comes off or becomes unreadable, the Site Safety Officer will be notified immediately to obtain a replacement. A temporary label will be affixed indicating the product name, manufacturer, date, and general hazard classification using the NFPA rating system. These classifications are flammability, health, and reactivity. This information will be obtained from the MSDS.

In the event a container is found without a label, the material will be considered hazardous. The following steps will be taken to attempt identification:

- notify the Site Safety Officer immediately;
- all employees will be questioned concerning the possible type of chemical;
- if identification is not possible, a complete inventory will be run to determine the unaccountable material;
- if possible identification is accomplished the material will be returned to its original container or a new label will be obtained;
- if identification is questionable, the item will be disposed of using the best information available.

16.4 MATERIAL SAFETY DATA SHEET (MSDS)

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is the cornerstone of the Hazardous Communication Standard. It provides information about chemical substances within a product, safe handling procedures, first aid measures, procedures for cleaning spills, proper disposal, fire fighting procedures, health hazards, and protective equipment required. The responsibility for preparing a MSDS is with the product manufacturer. Employers are responsible for having copies of the MSDS on hand for each hazardous material at the work site. Employers are also responsible to make this information available to their employees.

The MSDS is composed of a header and up to 16 sections. The header contains: manufacturer name, address, telephone number, date prepared, MSDS number, and product name/number. The remainder of the MSDS is: Section 1-Material Identification and Hazardous Components; Section 2-Physical //Chemical Characteristics; Section 3-Fire and Explosion Hazard Data; Section 4-Reactivity Hazard Data; Section 5-Health Hazard Data; Section 6-Control and Protective Measures; and, Section 7-Precautions for Safe Handling/Use and Leak Procedures.

NOTE: there is a guide in the front of the MSDS books defining these sections in greater and easily read detail. While there is an attempt to standardize MSDS forms, the exact format currently varies from one supplier to the next. Each MSDS will contain all of the above-mentioned details, however, their titling and order will vary

Currently, there are two MSDS binders at APO. Two yellow binders are for general employee use. One is located in the mechanical shop in the Utility building; the other is in the 3.5-m Work Area in the Operations building. These books will contain those hazards found in the respective buildings. Since certain products are transported between buildings for temporary use some duplication will exist.

These binders are maintained by the Site Safety Officer. New MSDS will be added when new chemicals are brought on site. Whenever hazardous material is permanently removed from an area, the MSDS will be removed from the local binder, however a copy will remain in the master book. The MSDS is filed by common company name; this is the name easily located on the container--it may not be the official company name or manufacturer. Each binder will contain an index cross-referencing the company name and the product name. The index will be updated each time an MSDS is added or deleted.

Prior to beginning work with hazardous material, the employee should review the MSDS for the product. Special attention should be paid to the sections containing: health hazard data, reactivity data, fire hazard, safe handling, and protective equipment. If the employee is unfamiliar with the product, the MSDS should be read in its entirety. The employee is encouraged to make a copy of the particular MSDS in use and take it with them to the work area. DO NOT REMOVE the copy in the binder except to make additional copies.

In the event an MSDS is discovered missing from a binder, the sheet will be immediately copied from one of the remaining books.

If an MSDS is not delivered with the product, one will be obtained as soon as possible. The MSDS will be obtained by contacting the manufacturer listed on the label. The request should be made via the telephone, whenever possible. The phone number of the manufacturer can normally be obtained from: the National Directory located in the APO Library; the Thomas Register via their web site; or Directory Assistance (dialing 1-area code-555-1212). If possible, request the MSDS be Faxed (575-434-5555) to APO immediately. The product should not be used prior to an available MSDS.

16.5 EMPLOYEE EDUCATION/TRAINING

The Safety Education Program for Hazardous Materials will be in conjunction with the overall site safety training. It will consist of: identifying hazardous operations, proper handling procedures, protective equipment, operation procedures, labeling, and emergency procedures.

The employee will be instructed in how to identify hazardous operations and when to take emergency action.

Handling, operating, and emergency procedures are identified on each MSDS and will be the guide for all handling and storage of hazardous materials.

Protective equipment is identified on each MSDS and will be the requirement for use with a particular product. Availability, use, and location of equipment on site will be discussed.

Any unusual or specific procedures related to normal work activity is required to enhance safety will be detailed.

Immediate employee action and notification of proper emergency personnel will be discussed. Location and use of supplied emergency equipment will be included.

16.6 NON-ROUTINE TASKS

The nature of the facility includes unforeseen maintenance activity. Prior to performing any of this work ,the Site Safety Officer will be informed. The activity will then be evaluated by the Site Safety Officer, along with the Site Operations Manager, to identify possible hazards and any safety precautions/equipment that may be required. If necessary, proper safety equipment will be obtained and procedures written to include this activity.

16.6A ROUTINE TASKS

The most common routine task involving hazardous materials is the handling of LN2. This involves everything from transport of 180 liter dewars to pouring Ln2 into 1/2 liter open dewars. For the former, the transport truck and personnel will be licensed by the state for this activity. Only personnel with appropriate hazmat endorsement shall be allowed to transport LN2 in bulk quantities.

When handling LN2 at atmospheric pressure special cryogenic loves will be used. If a splash hazard is present, a face shield shall be used, plus an apron if the quantity exceeds 1/2 liter. Atmospheric handling is done routinely with the all sky camera and Grim. Precautions shall be taken to stand above the transfer point so to reduce the possibility of splash onto ones face. Use of portable stools should be use to facilitate this.

When handling LN2 under pressure cryogenic gloves shall be used when handling valves. Safety glasses shall be worn during transfer when vent valves are open and when standing within 10 feet of the exhaust. Pressure fills are used for the SDSS Spectrographs and transferring partially filled dewars.

When replacing transfer dewars for DIS, Echelle, and the SDSS Camera, no unique safety equipment is required above that required for handling heavy loads.

16.7 HAZARDOUS MATERIAL LIST

A chemical inventory is on file with NMSU EH & S office. This inventory is updated annu8ally by the Site Safety Officer.

16.8 LOCATION OF HAZARDOUS MATERIALS

The following Figures show on site locations of hazardous materials.

Figure 10 - Operations Building

There are small quantities of electronic repair items, such as solvents, solder, and flux in the lab areas and the clean room.

Figure 11 - Utility Building

This area contains the largest quantity of hazardous materials on site and also the most hazardous. Special containers are provided for storage of flammable and corrosive chemicals in the Garage area.

Figure 12 – Ground Floor, 3.5-m Telescope Enclosure

Figure 13 – Observing Level, 3.5-m Telescope Enclosure

Figure 14 - Observing Level, 2.5-m Telescope Enclosure