Chemical Storage Resources

A major cause of laboratory accidents can be attributed to improper storage of chemicals. The Committee on Chemical Safety offers the following list of helpful sources to provide guidance and information in establishing a storage program.

GENERAL STORAGE

• Pipitone, D. A., “Safe Storage of Laboratory Chemicals”, 2nd ed., Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1991, ISBN 0-471-51581-7
• Young, J., Ed., “Improving Safety in the Chemical Laboratory: A Practical Guide,”, John Wiley, New York, 1991, pp 203-217.
• National Research Council, “Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals”, National Academy Press, Washington, DC, 1995, pp 72-77
• Cornell Laboratory Safety: Laboratory Inspection Manual

COMPATIBILITY OF CHEMICALS

A major consideration in storage is to store by compatibility to avoid dangerous conditions (e.g., fire, heat, toxic gases, corrosion) when incompatible chemicals mix. See:

• “Bretherick’s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards,” 5th ed. (2 vol.), Urben, P.G., Ed., Butterworth-Heinemann, Newton, MA, 2000 (available on CD-ROM).
• NOAA's Chemical Reactivity Program (based on EPA's Hazardous Waste Compatibility Chart). Chemical Reactivity Worksheet - This is a free program to find out about the reactivity of substances or mixtures of substances. It includes reactivity information for>4,000 common hazardous substances. This worksheet is a free program you can use to find out about the reactivity of substances or mixtures of substances.
  
  

PEROXIDES

Peroxide formers are a special concern. Richard Kelly’s work on peroxides is classic. See:

• Kelly, R. J. “Review of Safety Guidelines for Peroxidizable Organic Chemicals,” Chemical Health & Safety. Sept./Oct. 1996, pp 28-36.
• Kelly, R. J., Miller, G. “Standard for Storing and Using Peroxidizable Organic Chemicals”, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory Publication UCRL-AR-133218, rev May 1, 1999.
• Peroxide information, Cornell University, Environmental Health and Safety
• SafetyNet #23 Peroxide Formation in Chemicals, University of California at Davis

MSDSs

A great deal of information can be obtained from material safety data sheets. MSDSs can be found at the following sites:

• Vermont Safety Information Resources, Inc. (SIRI)
• MSDS Online
• Interactive Learning Paradigms, Inc.