RE: Recycled Solvents

From:"Morken, Tim" <tim9@cdc.gov>

The amount of solvents you are allowed to store outside of flammable
cabinets is alarmingly low -  one gallon of open solvents per 100 square
feet of lab space. Additionally, only two gallons of solvents in safety cans
or fire safety cabinets per 100 square feet are allowed. 

Despite that requrement I have never worked in, or even seen a lab, in
compliance with this requirement! I might also add that In the eight CAP
inspections I have gone through I have never been cited for violating that
requirement.

Tim Morken
CDC, Atlanta

See the details here (see CAP proposed general labortory checklist, safety
section)

http://www.cap.org/html/ftpdirectory/checklistftp.html


Details of relavent sections are reprinted below:

From CAP General Laboratory Checklist


QUESTION: 01:72000 PHASE: I
Are safety cans used instead of glass bottles for volumes of flammable
solvents larger than
one quart (or larger than one pint for solvents that are highly volatile
such as ether or
pentane) if the purity required does not mandate glass storage?

COMMENTARY: 01:72000 PHASE: I

Safety cans should be used for bulk storage of flammable and combustible
liquid (national fire protection association classes I and II). Metal or
DOT-approved plastic containers provide an intermediate level of hazard
containment between glass and safety cans. One pint of a highly volatile
solvent, such as diethyl ether or pentane, stored in glass has about the
same ignitability risk as 2 gallons stored in safety cans. Safety cans
should be used instead of glass bottles if the purity required does not
mandate glass storage.

 REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and combustible
liquids code.
 Standard 30, chapter 10-2.2.4.3. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1991.

QUESTION: 01:72050 PHASE: II

Are supplies of flammable and combustible liquids reasonable for the
laboratory's needs,
 and are they properly stored?

NOTE: In each laboratory area, up to 1 gallon of Class I, II, and IIIA
liquids may be stored on open shelving for each 100 ft2. Up to 2 gallons of
Class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be stored in safety cans and safety
cabinets for each 100 ft2.

COMMENTARY: 01:72050 PHASE: II

The supplies of flammable liquids were excessive or they were improperly
stored. No more than 1 gallon of class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be stored
on open shelving per 100 ft2 in any laboratory work area. No more than 2
gallons of class I, II, and IIIA liquids may be stored in safety cans and
safety cabinets per 100 ft2 in any laboratory work area.

REFERENCES: 1) National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and
combustible liquids code.
Standard 30. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1991; 2) National Fire Protection
Association. Standard 99,
 chapter 10-7.2.2. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1991.

QUESTION: 01:72100 PHASE: II

Are storage areas and/or rooms where volatile solvents are used adequately
ventilated?

COMMENTARY: 01:72100 PHASE: II

Areas where flammable liquids are used must be ventilated for protection of
employee health, as well as fire prevention. Areas where flammable liquids
are stored should be ventilated primarily for fire protection. Storage
cabinets do not need to be vented, but if they are vented the duct system
must be explosion proof.

REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and combustible
liquids code.
Standard 30. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1991.

QUESTION: 01:72150 PHASE: II

Are flammable or combustible liquids or gas cylinders positioned well away
from open
 flame or other heat sources, not in corridors and not within exhaust
canopies?

COMMENTARY: 01:72150 PHASE: II

Flammable or combustible liquids or gas cylinders must not be positioned
near open flame, heat sources, in corridors, or within exhaust canopies.

REFERENCE: National Fire Protection Association. Standard 99, chapter
10-7.2.4. Quincy, MA:
NFPA, 1993.

QUESTION: 01:72200 PHASE: I
 Is there evidence of the provision to ground a secondary container when
flammables are
 decanted from large drum (bulk) containers?

COMMENTARY: 01:72200 PHASE: I

Transfer of flammable liquid from bulk storage containers should be made in
storage rooms as
described in NFPA 30, and the secondary container(s) should be grounded to
prevent static
electrical discharge if it is constructed of metal or other conductive
material.

REFERENCES: 1) National Fire Protection Association. Flammable and
combustible liquids code.
Standard 30. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1991; 2) National Fire Protection
Association. Recommended
practice on static electricity. Standard 77. Quincy, MA: NFPA, 1993.



-----Original Message-----
From: Fuller, Michelle [mailto:mfuller@acmlab.com]
Sent: Monday, May 07, 2001 2:22 PM
To: histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
Subject: Recycled Solvents


Hi-
We are in the process of  purchasing a 10 gal. Solvent Recycler.  We are
recycling reagent alcohol and Pro-Par (Xylene substitute).  We are using
10 gal. containers for the waste solvent and 5 gal. containers for the
recycled solvent.  We are a little concerned with the amount of solvents
we have on site now.  It was easy to store the 1 gal. containers in a
flammable cabinet when we purchased them directly from the supplier, but
now that we are recycling in large batches, we are having difficulty
storing the 5 gal. containers.  It is even harder to store the 10 gal.
waste containers (they are on wheels).  I am interested to see how other
labs handle the high volume of solvents that they are recycling.  

Also, if anyone knows of any regulations on the amount of these reagents
that you can store outside of a flammable cabinet, please let me know. I
am having a hard time getting any info.  I have been told many different
amounts ranging from 1 liter of solvent to 10 gals.  

Thanks in advance for any information.

Michelle Fuller
Histology Supervisor
ACM Medical Laboratory, Inc.
Rochester, N.Y.

mfuller@acmlab.com



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