Prepared by: Safety Office
Approved by: Safety, Health & Environment Committee
Issue Date: Oct. 2006
Chemical Safety in Lab. v. 1.1
Page 1 of 13
Review Date: Oct. 2008
Irene(d)/…/Chemical Safety 4Feb09.doc
Chemical Safety in Laboratories
Policy
Many chemicals are poisonous,
irritating,
corrosive, carcinogenic, pyrophoric, or explosive.
Some can have more than two of these
properties. Chemicals that may be relatively safe
when used alone can become dangerous when
mixed with other substances, either in a planned
experiment or by accident. Therefore, personnel
who handle chemicals must consider the hazards
and use appropriate controls and procedures.
In Hong Kong, the storage and use of dangerous
chemicals are regulated by the Fire Services
Department under the Dangerous Goods
Ordinance. Personnel exposure to chemicals is
regulated by the Labour Department while the
disposal of chemical waste is regulated by the
Environmental Protection Department.
This document is intended to provide the user of
chemicals with general guidelines on safe
storage, use and disposal of such chemicals in
compliance with regulatory requirements and
international standards.
For advice on
specialist
chemicals e.g.
carcinogens, refer to departmental codes of
practice or refer to the Safety Office.
____________________________
Responsibilities
Department Head must:
y ensure staff & students use chemicals
responsibly and in line with health and
safety requirements.
y notify Safety Office if any chemicals are
subjects to Control of Chemicals Ordinance.
y ensure all departmental staff & students
know how to react to chemical emergencies.
Supervisors (Academic & Technical) must:
y ensure students under their supervision are
familiar with the hazardous properties of the
chemicals
they
handle
and
provide
appropriate instruction, supervision and
training to enable them to work safely.
Employees and Students should:
y
read and familiarize
themselves with
chemical MSDS