Protocol for Unloading and Moving 200 Litre Drums from the Chemistry Loading Bay to The

Transport of Hazardous Substances around the School of Chemistry

Overview of Procedure

Hazardous substances are transported around the Chemistry building by staff and students, either when collecting orders from Chemistry stores or moving substances between labs.

Main hazards

• Exposure to hazardous substances
• Spillage
• Manual handling injury

Safety procedures

1. Hazardous substances should always be transported in sealed containers and in secondary containment.
2. Depending on the nature of the hazard, consideration should be given to the route used and how the substance will be transported between floors, in particular avoiding routes where a release of the substance would cause significant disruption, such as the central staircase around the lecture theatres.
3. Winchesters of solvents should be transported on solvent trolleys where possible, to keep the risk of loss of containment as low as possible.
4. Persons transporting hazardous substances around the building should be aware of the emergency response procedures, in case of any incident.

General comments

See also the School of Chemistry risk assessment for removal of liquid waste from laboratories to external store, and University of Leeds guidance on manual handling.

Instructions for transporting hazardous liquids

Before collecting orders of hazardous liquids from stores, ensure you have a safe means of transporting them to your lab, for example, solvent orders should be collected using a trolley with divisions for each Winchester.

If only one or two Winchesters of solvent are to be transported, then a Winchester carrier can be used. This is the minimum requirement for Stores staff to release orders of solvents.

Where a Winchester carrier is unsuitable for the container being collected, due to the size or type of container for example, an alternative method should be used to reduce the likelihood of dropping the container, such as a box or aluminium type carrier.

A risk assessment should be carried out if highly toxic or flammable liquid needs to transported anywhere on a regular basis.

Always ensure you have an awareness of the location of spill kits along the route of transport.

Instructions for transporting hazardous solids

Before collecting orders of hazardous solids from stores, ensure you have a safe means of transporting them to your lab.

A risk assessment should be carried out if there is the potential to cause significant harm to users or passers-by due to loss of containment or if a hazardous solid needs to transported anywhere on a regular basis.

Always ensure you have an awareness of the location of spill kits along the route of transport.

Additional Information

Before carrying out this procedure, training should have been received and signed off on the following topics:

1. PPE requirements for standard procedure and emergency situations.
2. Use of spill kits.
3. Identifying emergency situations, such as large and/or particularly hazardous spillages.
4. Manual handling training – online (compulsory) and University Level 3 if identified in local risk assessment.