Chapter Five - General Safety

Signs and Labels

Signs and labels are part of the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard, and are part of CHESS's regular safety practices.  Signs and labels at CHESS fall into two major categories:

• Chemical labeling

• Hazard labeling

Chemical Labels
All chemicals at CHESS are kept in the Chemical room, with the exception of small containers for personal use in work areas, industrial-commercial products used in the shop areas, and compressed gases used throughout the CHESS experimental floor and work areas.

Regardless of where chemicals are located, it is everyone's responsibility to be sure that any chemical you purchase and bring into CHESS, or decant into a smaller container for personal use, is labeled properly.

A proper label includes three things:

1. the types and amounts of chemicals it contains

2. the date

3. the name of the user

It is also your responsibility to know the characteristics and inherent dangers of the chemicals you are working with, and what to do in case of a spill.  If you bring new chemicals into CHESS, you are required to sign them in to the chemicals logbook in the CHESS Chemical room (contact Dave Jones for help), and to provide an MSDS to be kept on file in the folder on the Chemical room door.  If SOP's are available for your chemical, you should be familiar with them.

For specifics on Chemical Safety, MSDS's and Chemical SOP's, see Chapter 9:  Chemical Safety.

Hazard Labels
Hazard labels are placed throughout CHESS to call attention to the following:

• Radiation-restricted areas.

• Hazards in use at the CHESS facility (Haz-mat board in Operator area).

• High Voltage Equipment.

• Mechanical Hazards on Shop Equipment.

• Combustible or Flammable Chemicals or Gases stored outside the CHESS Chemical room.

• Areas where Biohazards are handled (Biological clean rooms).

• Radioactive Sealed Source Storage Boxes (in hutches).

• Other general warning signs (wet floor, etc.).

It is the responsibility of the cognizant Safety Officer at CHESS to periodically inspect the facility to ensure that proper hazard labeling is being used.  It is the employee's responsibility to be aware of the warnings and practice appropriate safety measures.

Last Update: 2006-09-21