Chemical Safety
Chemical Transportation
Transport of chemicals to another physical location presents additional hazards and must be handled carefully.
Things to Consider
The following guidelines must be followed when transporting chemicals on campus:
Lab personnel or Departments are responsible for packing all chemicals into containers and moving the containers.
The project or responsible Department may hire an independent contractor to move the chemicals at their expense.
All chemical containers that are to be moved must be in good condition, structurally sound, sealed with a leak-proof lid.
All chemicals must be packaged in containers in such a way as to minimize the possibility for breakage.
Any packing materials used should be such that they will not react with the chemical contents should breakage occur.
Incompatible materials should not be packed in the same moving container.
The moving container should be structurally strong enough to support weight of the packed chemicals and made of a material compatible with what is packed. For example:
- Acids should not be packed into a metal container
- Oxidizers should not be packed in a cardboard or organic fiberboard box
Highly hazardous materials should be packaged and moved separately – Contact EHS for specific information. These materials include (but not limited to) the following:
- Water reactives
- Air reactives and Pyrophorics
- Peroxide formers
- Shock sensitive
- Extremely toxic chemicals
- NFPA class 4 oxidizers
All moving containers must be clearly labeled with the responsible person’s name (usually the PI) and a list of the container’s contents
Materials needed to contain or clean-up a spill, such as sorbent pads, gloves, and eye protection, should be readily available during all phases of the move including packing, transportation, unpacking.
All compressed gas cylinders must be moved by General Stores (801-581-8671) they may not be moved by lab members or movers.
For additional information concerning safe transport of chemicals, contact EHS.
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