Related pages:
Chemical Safety Levels Table	Requirements for all Chemical Work	CSL 2 Requirements	CSL 3 Requirements	CSL 4 Requirements

Special Safety Practices for CSL4

1. Access to CSL4 is restricted only to specially trained personnel. Visitors are not permitted in this laboratory. Access to the laboratory is under the direct control of the supervisor. All personnel entering and leaving the laboratory are required to sign the laboratory entry and exit log, which records purpose, date, and time of entry and exit.

2. Warning signs are posted at the entrance to the laboratory and a weekly updated description of chemical procedures in process inside the laboratory is posted.

3. A daily safety checklist is used prior to any work to ensure that all systems are in proper working order.

4. Work with materials with hazard ratings of 3 or greater (NFPA rating or equivalent) in any category shall be performed in a properly functioning fume hood or a ventilated glove box.

5. Appropriate personal protective equipment shall be specific for the hazard of the chemicals. Safety glasses with side shields are required in laboratories where chemicals are used or stored. Wearing contact lenses in the laboratory is not recommended, but if an individual must wear them, they must also wear safety glasses with side shields or chemical splash goggles at all times in the laboratory. Protective gloves shall be selected on the basis of the chemicals being used. NOTE THERE IS NO UNIVERSAL PROTECTIVE GLOVE FOR ALL PURPOSES. FOR THE SAFETY OF PERSONNEL GLOVES MUST BE CHEMICAL/PURPOSE SPECIFIC.

6. Special protective clothing is required for working in this level. Personal clothing is removed and stored in a locker and the protective disposal clothing is donned. This includes a full suit, head covering, gloves, boots, and foot coverings.

7. All chemicals must be stored properly, according to compatibility. Any chemicals which pose hazard or risk shall be limited to the minimum quantities required to meet short-term needs of the research program. Chemicals not in use shall be stored in proper storage cabinets and not in chemical fume hoods. Regulated chemicals, such as drugs or radioactive materials, require special secured storage areas. Do not store chemicals on floors.

8. All chemical wastes shall be identified on a chemical waste label as to content and shall be placed in appropriate containers for disposal through the chemical waste disposal program. Any wastes which pose a special hazard shall be isolated for special handling.

9. Planning shall be guided by these principles:
i) be sure that the chemical with its inherent hazards can be used safely in your laboratory, that is, you have the proper facility and available resources to safely carry out this work;
ii) whenever possible substitute less toxic alternatives for more highly hazardous chemicals;
iii) use the smallest quantity of chemical that is practical for the conduct of the experiment; and
iv) purchase the minimum quantity needed to conduct all experiments.
Disposal is not trivial and generally costs 3 to 10 times the original cost of a chemical. This is a hidden cost when you purchase a chemical.

Special Safety Equipment for CSL4

1. Any refrigerators or freezers used for storage of chemicals or samples containing chemicals shall be rated as laboratory-safe or explosion-proof.

2. A vented flammable material storage cabinet, either built in or free- standing, shall be used for the storage of flammable materials and must meet the minimum OSHA standards described in 29 CFR 1910.106.

3. The laboratory will be equipped with a stainless steel fume hood which shall be certified to meet the standards given in ANSI Z9.5 and ASHRAE 110-1995. The hood will be provided with removable glove ports and is equipped with a pressure differential safety sensor, which sounds an alarm if the hood exhaust malfunctions. Ductless fume hoods are not acceptable.

4. The laboratory will be equipped with stainless steel glove boxes which are gas-tight and operate under negative pressure. Glove boxes shall be certified to meet standards given in ANSI Z9.5. The boxes are tested and certified leak-free at 2-in. water-gauge pressure. The input air to each box is HEPA-filtered. The exhaust side contains dual HEPA filters to filter the air before it enters the main ventilation exhaust. The glove boxes are grounded electrically, and each glove box has a built-in fire extinguisher so that it can be discharged directly into the glove box in the event of a fire. A safety switch for the glove boxes shuts off all electrical power in the event of loss of exhaust in the main system. Glove boxes may be equipped with a hazardous gas monitor alarms that continuously monitors for combustible or toxic gas.

5. Emergency eye washes shall be provided in each laboratory that uses chemicals and shall be tested weekly by laboratory personnel. Emergency showers shall be within 10 seconds walking distance or 100 feet of the laboratory. Emergency showers shall be tested annually by the maintenance department. Eye washes and showers must follow ANSI Z358.1 performance standards. The plumbing shall be sized to accommodate the deluge shower and the eyewash station.

6. Bench surfaces are stainless steel.

7. The laboratory shall have a balance that is ventilated to provide protection from vapors, fumes, dusts, particulates or other aerosols.

8. Hot plates must be spark-proof.

9. Carts or safety carriers of rubber or polyethylene for the transport of bottles of acids, bases, solvents, or other hazardous chemicals shall be provided by each program and used by all personnel in transporting these chemicals between storage areas and laboratories.

10. Centrifuges shall be equipped with rotors which have sealed buckets or capped/shielded tubes to prevent aerosol formation in the event of a broken or cracked tube.

11. Spill control kits shall be available and personnel shall be trained in their use. Any spills or accidents will be promptly cleaned up.

12. Each laboratory shall be equipped with one or more fire extinguisher that meets that laboratory’s specific requirements.

Special Laboratory Facility Requirements for CSL4

1. Two well-separated exit doors shall be available to the laboratory as described in the NFPA 45 Standard.

2. The ventilation system for this laboratory will be an independent system, separate from the rest of the building ventilation.

3. Local exhaust ventilation will be available if needed to remove toxic vapors, fumes, dusts, particulates, or other aerosols.

4. The airflow in this containment laboratory is adjusted to provide a negative pressure with respect to the surrounding corridor and outside laboratory. Exhaust air from the laboratory is first passed through a high efficiency particulate air (HEPA) filter and then a carbon adsorption (CA) filter. The HEPA-CA filtering units are of the bag-in/bag-out type and can be maintained and replaced without personnel being exposed or the surrounding environment being contaminated.

5. This facility consists of three main areas: dressing room, anteroom and main laboratory. It requires a separate entry into a changing rooms equipped with showers. Passage through the shower area is from the "clean" side to an ante room on the "dirty" side and then into the laboratory. The dressing room provides access to the laboratory, storage for disposable laboratory clothes, and facilities for removing and storing street clothes. Fiber barrels for containment of used disposable laboratory clothing are located in the anteroom. There is a shower facility between the dressing room and anteroom. A toilet is located off the anteroom.

6. Large observation windows are an integral part of the laboratory, allowing observation of all work. Administrative controls requires that no one may work in this laboratory without a coworker present either inside or outside in the adjoining laboratory quadrant.

7. A lab-to-lab intercom system provides interlab communication. This intercom is always operational when work is being conducted in the laboratory.

8. All materials must enter and exit the laboratory through a pass-through compartment. Large pieces of equipment are transported through the anteroom emergency exit.

9. A manifold outside of this containment laboratory provides supply lines that carry reagent gases from cylinders into the main laboratory.

10. All sinks are foot-actuated or automatic faucets to minimize cross- contamination.