American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH) is a member based organization that advances occupational and environmental health. The ACGIH publishes the Threshold Limit Values (see below).
Biological Materials includes infectious agents, environmental samples, materials derived from biologicals, human and animal cell lines, human samples, recombinant materials, and plants.
Chemical and Environmental Safety Committee (Georgia Tech) (GT CESC) provides policy recommendations and oversees the development of procedures by EHS to monitor and enforce lab safety and chemical hygiene plans. Receives periodic risk assessment reports and reviews compliance with policies and procedures.
Cylinders in Use are cylinders which have a regulator attached and are connected to a gas delivery system such as to deliver gas to an instrument which is used no less than monthly. Cylinders are also in use if they are maintained with a regulator in place to accommodate frequent use (no less than weekly). Cylinders used less frequently than described above should be disconnected from the gas delivery system
Dangerous Gas Monitoring System (Georgia Tech ) (GT DGMS) An integrated gas monitoring system that is to include all Georgia Tech buildings where dangerous gases are used. This system monitors laboratories for gas leaks, gas releases, ventilation failures, and power failures and alarms locally to warn users as well as sending messages alerting GT Environmental Health and Safety and GT Police. This system is expected to be fully implemented campus wide by December 15, 2015.
Don/Doff- to put on/to remove an article of clothing or personal protective equipment
Engineering Controls are built-in systems or equipment that protect people from lab hazards. They include fume hoods, biosafety cabinets, and building ventilation systems.
Explosion Proof Refrigerator- see Flammable Safe Refrigerators
Flammable gases include gases that, at ambient temperature and pressure, form a flammable mixture with air at a concentration of 13% by volume or less or in a concentration range wider than 13% by volume regardless of the lower limit (29CFR1910.1200). Examples: hydrogen, acetylene, propane. Refer to Appendix A for more examples. Refer to the MSDS for specific flammable gases. Pyrophoric gases include gases that will ignite spontaneously on contact with air at temperatures of 130oF (54.4oC) or below (29CFR1910.1200) Examples: Silane, disilane, diborane, and phosphine. Refer to Appendix A for more examples. Refer to the MSDS for specific pyrophoric gases.
Flammable Safe/Explosion Proof Refrigerators- Flammable safe refrigerators have protected internal electrical components that cannot provide a source of ignition to the contents of the refrigerator or freezer, making them safe to store flammable materials. Explosion proof refrigerators have protected internal and external components and are safe for storage of flammable materials in areas where large amounts of flammable materials are used or there is a high potential for spills of flammable materials.
Gas Cabinet- a continuously ventilated enclosure for gas cylinders which also provides automatic gas shut off when leaks are detected or when gas flow exceeds pre-set levels
Georgia Public Employees Hazardous Chemical Protection and Right to Know Law (RTK) Code of Georgia Title 45, Chapter 22, establishes the right of state employees to have access to information and training on the hazards of chemicals which they use or may encounter in the workplace. It also requires all state agencies to conduct semiannual chemical inventories and to make this information available to emergency responders.
Georgia Tech Environmental Health and Safety (GT EHS) provides occupational and environmental protection services to comply with applicable regulations and to prevent occupationally induced disease, injury, property loss, and degradation to the environment.
Laboratory- any room or location where chemicals or biologicals are used on a small “non-production” scale.
Wet bench laboratory- any lab where chemicals, biologicals, or radiologicals are used, stored, or manipulated. Any place where materials of a biological, radiological, or chemical nature are poured, transferred, pipetted, reacted, incubated, heated, or in any way manipulated or stored.
Dry bench laboratory- (AKA dry lab or instrument lab) any lab which is devoted to instrumentation and does not include those elements which define a wet bench lab. Examples may include computer modeling labs, microscope labs, and NMR rooms.
Lecture Bottle- a small compressed gas cylinder up to a size of approximately 2 inches x 13 inches (5 cm x 33 cm).
Lethal Concentration 50 percent (LC50) - refers to toxicological testing on animals in which the route of exposure to the chemical in question is by inhalation. The LC50 is the concentration in air of the chemical at which 50% of the test animals died within a specified time.
Lethal Dose 50 percent (LD50) - refers to toxicological testing on animals. The LD50 is the dose of the chemical at which 50% of the test animals died within a specified time. Means of dosing, (oral, intravenous, intraperitoneal, etc.) is also specified.
Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) - Document which manufacturers or distributors of chemicals are required to produce which describe the hazards of their chemical or chemical product and safety precautions/handling procedures/ Personal Protective Equipment that must be used to work with that chemical safely. The United States Occupational Safety Administration (US OSHA) requires MSDSs under 29 CFR 1910.1200 Hazard Communication.
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) an international nonprofit organization established to reduce the worldwide burden of fire and other hazards. NFPA develops, publishes, and disseminates more than 300 consensus codes and standards intended to minimize the possibility and effects of fire and other risks.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is protective equipment that is worn, such as safety glasses, lab coats, aprons, respirators, etc. PPE is considered a second line of defense against work place hazards and may only be used when other means of protections are not adequate or not feasible.
Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL)- Exposure limit established by the United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration as documented in the US code of Federal Regulations, 29 CFR 1910.1000. Usually based on an eight hour time weighted average (TWA), this is the maximum level to which a worker my be exposed for eight hours each day, 40 hours per week for a working lifetime without expectation of adverse health effects.
Primary container is the container in which a chemical or chemical product is received.
RAM includes all materials that emit ionizing radiation with a specific concentration greater than 10-06µCi/g (GA 391-3-17.02(21) (a) or having an atomic number greater than 83.
Radiation Producing Equipment/radiation producing devices (X-ray) include all equipment that has the potential for emitting ionizing radiation (X-rays) in excess of 0.5 mR/hr at 5 cm. X-ray diffractometers are common on campus. E-beam evaporators, e-beam lithographs and scanning electron microscopes produce x-rays as byproduct radiation and are considered radiation producing equipment.
Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), 42 U.S.C. §6901 et seq. (1976), gives the US EPA the authority to control hazardous waste from the "cradle-to-grave." This includes the generation, transportation, treatment, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste. RCRA also set forth a framework for the management of non-hazardous solid wastes.
Secondary container is a container to which a chemical or chemical product is transferred or the container in which a new chemical product/reagent is made and stored.
Secondary containment- a container or device intended to control accidental releases of chemicals or chemical waste to the surrounding area. Examples of small scale secondary containment may be chemically resistant trays, bins or buckets under the chemical containers. These containers must be large enough to hold the entire contents of the largest bottle or container within them. Some chemical storage cabinets are equipped with a lip on the bottom shelf which creates a secondary container. Examples of large scale secondary containment are drum pallets, berms at room doors, and berms around outdoor storage areas.
Select Agents are a group of federally regulated bacteria, viruses, toxins, and fungi that have the potential to pose a severe threat to public, animal, or plant health. The use and possession of these biologicals is restricted by the USA Patriot Act and the Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002.
Tepid Water- water that is neither hot nor cold. Also referred to as lukewarm. Eye washes and emergency showers are required to provide water which is a mix of hot and cold water (tepid) water so as to prevent further injury to chemical exposure victims from water that is too hot or too cold.
Threshold Limit Value (TLV) - A consensus standard established by the American Conference of Governmental Industrial Hygienists (ACGIH). Usually based on an eight hour time weighted average (TWA) and are occasionally lower (more protective of the worker) than the OSHA PELs.
Toxic gases- gases that have been assigned a 3 or 4 heath hazard rating by the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) or have a health hazard rating of 2 and have poor warning properties (taste, smell). For a more detailed definition of hazardous gases please see the GT Dangerous Gas Safety Program.
United States Occupational Safety and Health Administration (US OSHA) is the main US government agency charged with enforcement of safety and health regulations
United States Environmental Protection Agency (US EPA) provides environmental information, and enforces laws and regulations to protect human health and the environment
Georgia Public Employees Hazardous Chemical Protection and Right to Know Law, Code of Georgia Title 45 Chapter 22, establishes the right of state employees to have access to information and training on the hazards of chemicals which they use or may encounter in the workplace.
Used Oil - Used oil means any oil that has been refined from crude oil, or any synthetic oil, that has been used, and as a result of such use is contaminated by physical or chemical impurities. Examples of used oil include motor oil, hydraulic fluid, lubricants and oil coolants.
Waste Oil - See Used Oil