Guides: Chemical Safety Resources: Overview

Knovel

Knovel (http://hdl.library.upenn.edu/1017/6967) is a set of online monographs and reference books in many areas of science and engineering. It can be used early in the research process to become aware of general safety information for particular activities, processes, and substances, as well as later in research to learn more specifics about substances.

Benefits

The Knovel platform includes review treatises and handbooks of properties and other data on substances, so, it can be a one-stop shop for many types of information.
Once you have identified a useful text, click the button to create a virtual bookshelf for future reference.

Cautions

Knovel lacks a structure editor; therefore, structure searching is not possible.
The editions of key texts are not always the most recent ones available; check to be sure Penn does not have access to a more updated edition in print or online from another vendor.
Check the publication date of information to be sure that it is recent enough to be of use.
Different sources employ different identifiers substances (name, CAS RN, formula, etc.); be sure that you are trying a variety of identifiers if you wish to get comprehensive results.

There are several ways that you can find health, safety, and hazards information using Knovel.

Prudent Practices in the Laboratory

Prudent Practices in the Laboratory by National Research Council Staff (Contribution by); Prudent Practices in the Laboratory Committee; Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology Staff; Division on Earth and Life Studies Staff
ISBN: 0309138655
Publication Date: 2011-03-25
From the book description: "Prudent Practices in the Laboratory--the book that has served for decades as the standard for chemical laboratory safety practice--now features updates and new topics. This revised edition has an expanded chapter on chemical management and delves into new areas, such as nanotechnology, laboratory security, and emergency planning. Developed by experts from academia and industry, with specialties in such areas as chemical sciences, pollution prevention, and laboratory safety, Prudent Practices in the Laboratory provides guidance on planning procedures for the handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals. The book offers prudent practices designed to promote safety and includes practical information on assessing hazards, managing chemicals, disposing of wastes, and more. Prudent Practices in the Laboratory will continue to serve as the leading source of chemical safety guidelines for people working with laboratory chemicals: research chemists, technicians, safety officers, educators, and students."

CAMEO Chemicals

CAMEO Chemicals (http://https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/) is a free tool available from NOAA and the EPA that allows users to access the safety risks and hazards associated with specific chemicals and classes of chemicals, as well as predict reactivity between them. You can use CAMEO Chemicals online (https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/), you can use its mobile site (https://m.cameochemicals.noaa.gov/), and you can also download the database for off-line use (http://response.restoration.noaa.gov/cameochemicals). There is also an app for tablets and mobile phones.

Benefits

This is the only resource that allows you to search for predicted interactions between two chemicals or classes of chemicals.
Safety profiles are concise, standardized, and easy to read
Easy to generate and export lists of substances and their predicted interactions

Cautions

Reactivity is predicted and has not been experimentally determined

The help files within CAMEO Chemicals are very nice (https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/help/cameo_chemicals_help.htm#t=1_home%2Fcameo_chemicals.htm), particularly the one about how to use physical clues to determine the identity of an unknown substance and how to search CAMEO Chemicals for that substance (https://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/help/cameo_chemicals_help.htm#t=3_searches%2Fusing_physical_clues.htm).

ACS Committee on Chemical Safety

The ACS Committee on Chemical Safety has a mission to "promote and facilitate safe practices in chemical activities," giving "advice and counsel to ensure safety by calling attention to potential hazards and stimulating education in safe chemical practices" (https://www.acs.org/content/acs/en/about/governance/committees/chemicalsafety.html, accessed August 26, 2016). They have a wealth of information available on their Web site. Some of the more generally applicable tools are linked below.

CCS Publications
A list of publications produced by the Committee on Chemical Safety, some of which are highlighted below.
Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories
This publication, last updated in 2015, gives a step-by-step method of identifying, evaluating, and controling hazards in the research laboratory,
Hazard Assessment in Research Laboratories
This site provides an easy-to-use workflow for identifying laboratory hazards and performing risk assessment. The content is derived from Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories, linked above.
Creating Safety Cultures in Academic Institutions
This 2012 report was generated in response to recent, high-profile incidents that occurred at academic institutions and focuses on ways in which institutions can build and strengthen their own safety cultures.

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