Research Guides: Chemistry: Chemical and Lab Safety

Lab Safety

The information in these handbooks are more arranged by concept than compounds. More titles are available in the Library's Search.

Prudent Practices in the Laboratory by National Research Council Staff
ISBN: 9780309138659
Publication Date: 2011
Offers laboratory practices designed to promote safety and includes practical information on assessing hazards, managing chemicals, disposing of wastes, and more.
Personal Protective Equipment for Chemical, Biological, and Radiological Hazards by Eva F. Dickson
ISBN: 9781118422915
Publication Date: 2012
Personal protective equipment (PPE) is critical for those dealing with toxic, infectious, and radioactive materials....Covering the physics, chemistry, and physiology of these hazards, the book explains how PPE protects from various forms of hazards as well as how to use this information to select PPE against these highly hazardous substances.

Compressed Gas Association (CGA)
The professional organizations representing all facets of the compress gas industry. Develops and promotes safety standards and safe practices in the industrial gas industry.
Laboratory Safety Institute
LSI's mission is "to make health and safety an integral and important part of science education, our work, and our lives." There site provides links to safety guidelines, checklists and other sources for lab safety. There are links to seminars, workshops, internships, sabbaticals, a listserv and an online newsletter.
Laboratory Techniques Videos
Videos from the University of Alberta demonstrating laboratory techniques. Good demonstrations, but lacking in some safety procedures.

Safety Data Sheets (SDS)

Safety Data Sheets (SDS), or Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS), are guides to hazardous materials. These are often created and distributed by chemical manufacturers, distributors, or importers.

In 2012 the Occupational Safety & Health Administration required SDSs to be presented in a standardized 16 section format. These sections include:

Properties of each chemical
Physical, health, and environmental hazards
Protective measures
Safety precautions for handling, storage, and transportation

Below are some resources for finding MSDSs or SDSs. You can find similar property information in databases like SciFinder Scholar.

Hazard Communication Standard OSHA Standard
An outline on the elements included in the new OSHA standardized SDSs.
Where to find Material Data Safety Sheets on the Internet
This website offers a chart listing free sites for MSDSs and related or specialized chemical safety information.
MSDS Solutions Center
4.5+ Million MSDS. Powered by #E Company.

Hazardous Chemicals Information

TOXNET has moved
The TOXicology Data NETwork was a group of databases managed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM). Many of these databases are still available, integrated into other products or services. They contain information on chemicals and drugs, diseases, environmental health, occupational safety and health, poisoning, risk assessment and regulations, and toxicology.
NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards
The Pocket Guide provides industrial hygiene information fro 677 chemicals or substance groupings. It is searchable by chemical name, trade name or CAS registry number. Presents information for 677 chemicals or substance groupings in tabular form.
Toxics Release Inventory (TRI) Program
A publicly available Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) database that tracks certain toxic chemicals that may pose a threat to human and environmental health. Read the About page for more information on how the data is collected.
Agency for Toxic Substances and Disease Registry (ATSDR) Toxic Substances Portal
The Toxic Substances Portal contains toxicological profiles for a variety of substances. Search by health effects or chemical classifications, as well as CAS#, substance name, synonym, or trade name.
EPA: Computational Toxicology Data
Computational toxicology data made openly available by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).

Federal Sources for Safety

National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH)
The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) is part of the CDC and focuses on research and recommendations for the prevention of work related injury and illness. Includes information on industries & occupations, hazards & exposures, diseases & injuries, chemicals, and more.
Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA)
The US Department of Labor Occupational Safety and Health Administration Website. Includes a section on Laboratories and what standards apply as well as a chemical database, a complete A-Z list and other safety related information.
EPA Substance Registry Service
The Substance Registry Service (SRS) is the system used by the EPA to keep information about substances tracked or regulated by the EPA. Includes information on chemicals, biological organisms, and other substances of interest to the EPA and partners.