Chemical & Safety: Do's & Don'ts

For your safety as well as other user's safety it is important to have common practices when storing and handling equipment. Please note that many of the Don'ts relate to policy violations even if the policy violation isn't encompassed in this list.

DOs

Do: Understand the possible reactions when mixing chemicals.

Many processing steps require mixing liquid chemicals together. Users should make themselves aware of the chemical reactions possible when mixing chemicals in order to minimize the risk to themselves and others around.

For example, always add acids to water. Adding water to an acid causes a highly exothermic reaction which can cause a fire and release dangerous gases into the air.

Do: Wear the proper gloves when handling chemicals.

The gloves provided at the entrance of the cleanroom are NOT chemical gloves. They serve only to protect the equipment from the oils and dirt present on human hands. They will NOT protect you from a chemical spill. They will break down when exposed to most chemicals which can leave skin exposed to the chemicals being used. Always wear the appropriate chemical gloves when handling chemicals. For most chemicals either the black Neoprene or the green Nitrile gloves are adequate. A selection chart has been provided to select the most appropriate glove for the chemical. These gloves are available in various sizes and are stored in the storeroom.

If your gloves are exposed to a chemical spill, stop working and quickly rinse them off. Then, carefully remove them starting from the cuff and pulling them inside out making sure not to touch the contaminated area of the glove. Throw them away immediately and obtain new gloves.

ALWAYS examine gloves before using them. Check for tears, punctures, or delamination of the protective material. DO NOT USE ANY GLOVE THAT IS DAMAGED. Do not store gloves in the desiccator cabinets (dry boxes). The dry nitrogen atmosphere will cause them to dry out and break down making them a safety hazard

Do: Put all sharp waste in the designated waste bin

Any sharp objects such as broken wafers, broken glass, razor blades, damaged tweezers, syringe needles, broken beakers, and any other items with dangerously sharp edges or points must be disposed in the designated "Sharps" bin. The bag used in this bin is thicker than a normal bag to resist puncture.

Do: Store solvent based chemicals or polymers in the proper cabinets.

The cabinets marked with a "S" are intended for the storage of solvents and the cabinets marked with a "P" are for polymer based materials such as photoresists. When storing chemicals in these cabinets, ensure that the bottle is clean on the outside and that the lid is tight and secure to prevent leakage of vapors or liquids. Users that store chemicals in these cabinets or elsewhere in the cleanroom, make a note of it in a convenient location, such as a notebook, so that it can be found again later. If you do not need the chemical, dispose of it as necessary. If you are unsure about how to dispose of the chemical, find a member of the technical staff for assistance.

Do: Put all solvent soaked waste in designated waste bins.

The solvent waste bins are exhausted to the cleanroom exhaust system so that vapors from solvents on the waste are removed from the cleanroom before a user can be exposed to the vapors. Throwing away solvent waste in the regular trash bins puts other users at risk. Regular trash bins should be limited to simple trash such as papers and waste gloves.

Do: Evacuate the cleanroom whenever an alarm sounds.

The cleanroom has sirens for both the building fire alarm system and the toxic gas monitor. When either system sounds, users should immediately proceed to the nearest exit and exit the building through the nearest fire exit. Once outside, users should proceed to the courtyard on Atlantic Drive near the front of the building between the MiRC and the College of Computing. Do not wait for processes to finish or take time to remove cleanroom gowns. Contact the staff from a safe location.

Do: Provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all chemicals. They arealso called Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

The IEN is requires that all users submit an SDS for ANY chemical brought into the cleanroom. The MSDS is very important so that all users and staff can learn about the health risks caused by exposure to the chemicals around them. It is also a federal requirement that the IEN have on hand and make available all SDS to anyone working in the building.

THE STAFF WILL DISPOSE ANY CHEMICAL WHICH IS MISSING AN SDS!

The IEN is actively tracking SDS for chemicals used and stored in the cleanroom. However, users of labs on the first and second floors or in any other building should also take part in collecting SDS for use in those labs. Users in those labs are bound by federal regulations to make copies available just as the IEN is obligated to make copies of SDS available for chemicals used in the cleanroom.

Do: Label chemicals with official labels

If your chemical is not available on the online chemical index, you must submit an SDS for it.

Labeling a chemical provides a variety of benefits:

1. The staff can identify a chemical quickly

2. Chemicals can be disposed easily by Environmental Services without incurring costs for expensive identification tests

3. The proper owner of a chemical can be contacted when there is a question about the chemical

DON'Ts

Don't:Leaving chemicals without proper documentation in Chemical Safety Warning Sheets

Penalty: The mislabeled chemical will be disposed of. Student will be issued a written warning. Repeat Offenders: One-week suspension from cleanroom.

Chemical Safety Warning Sheets are available in a bucket in the hallway. You should fill it up properly by providing necessary information, such as, your name, contact info, removal date, and hazards of the chemical.

If you do not find any of these sheets in the bucket, you can print one out online: here.

All chemicals left unattended must be properly documented by the use of these chemical warning forms. This includes everything, including water, which is left unsupervised at the fume-hood, hotplate, or any other location for any period of time.

Don't:Not wearing proper safety equipment at the fume-hood.

Penalty: Suspension.

First Offense: Reminded to put on proper safety equipment.

Second Offense: Written warning.

Third Offense: One-week suspension from cleanroom.

Fourth Offense: One-month suspension from cleanroom.

Subsequent Offense: One semester suspension from cleanroom.

Safety equipment must always be used when handling chemicals at the fume-hood, or any other situation where you face the risk of injury.

Normal cleanroom garment consists of a gown, hood, shoe covers, booties, mask, gloves, safety glasses and a bouffant cap (optional).

In addition, when dealing with chemicals, a face-shield and an apron must be worn at the fume-hood.

When handling acids, acid gloves should also be worn. Consider which gloves should be selected.

Do not: leave chemical bottles on the floor.

It is very tempting to leave a chemical in a bay so that it is available for use at a later time. However, chemical bottles are not very strong. Glass bottles can easily shatter and plastic bottles can rupture a seam. Once on the floor, the chemical can present a severe safety hazard to everyone in the cleanroom. Some chemicals, such as solvents or hydrochloric acid, will vaporize or react with moisture in the air causing toxic gas clouds in the immediate area. Many chemicals do not have immediate health effects but can cause problems later after excessive exposure. Anyone unsure about the health effects or proper handling of a chemical should consult the MSDS for that chemical. Most are online in the electronic MSDS index and others are available through the manufacturer.

Don't: Store non-acids in the blue acid cabinets (or any chemical cabinet not marked with an “A”

The blue acid cabinets are intended for acid storage ONLY. Storing non-acids in the cabinets (such as solvents, developers, peroxides, etc.) can be VERY dangerous. All other chemicals should be returned to the appropriate location in the storeroom. Solvents are stored in the large YELLOW cabinet labelled "Flammable". Acids are stored in the large BLUE cabinets labelled "Acids". Other chemicals such as developers and bases should be stored in the large blue cabinet in the storeroom labelled "Bases".

Do not: store chemicals in the desiccators (dry boxes)

The desiccators (dry boxes) are built with the intention of storing non-chemical samples (such as wafers) in a moisture-free environment. Storing a chemical inside the desiccator can cause many problems. Many chemicals release vapors because of the dry environment inside the desiccator. These vapors can cause damage to the desiccator itself or can spread to other parts of the desiccator and react with other users' samples. Any chemicals should be stored in the designated chemical storage cabinets.

Do not: store chemicals in a gray tote box

The gray tote boxes are not capable of containing chemical spills. Users who store chemicals in their tote boxes risk damaging articles in the box if a chemical container ruptures. More importantly, chemical spills in the tote boxes put other users at risk when they go to the storeroom to retrieve a tote box. Chemicals should be stored in designated storage cabinets or shelves in the storeroom.

Do not: use chemicals outside of a fume hood.

The cleanroom uses a closed loop air conditioning system. Gases and fumes released in one bay can quickly spread to other bays through the air recirculation system putting other users at risk. The fume hoods are designed and intended to remove chemical vapors and gases from the cleanroom before they have a chance to be recirculated or inhaled by the person dispensing the chemical. It is VERY IMPORTANT that the lids on fume hoods be DOWN when you are working with chemicals under them. The exhaust system is not effective when the hood is up. This may allow vapors to escape the fume hood and enter the atmosphere of the cleanroom putting other users at risk.

DOs