Session 9: Describe various storage

conditions for laboratory supplies

 Learning Objectives
• By the end of this session students should be able to:
1. Explain the importance of proper storage of
laboratory supplies.
2. List types of storage conditions for laboratory supplies
(shelf location, away from light, refrigerate, freeze or
room temperature storage, ventilated room and
desiccators)
3. Classify laboratory chemicals based on storage
conditions (flammables, corrosives, explosives,
carcinogenic, oxidizing/ reducing agents, gas, poisons
and Biohazards such as infectious agents, allergenic
materials, and toxins.
 Cont..
4. Explain international hazard warning signs and
symbols for storage and handling of laboratory
supplies (e.g. Acid & Alkalis, Flammable, Explosives,
Carcinogenic, oxidizing chemicals, and poisons,
biohazard, fragile, no smoking, drinking / eating,
mouth pipetting)
5. Explain the characteristics of standard laboratory
design for safe storage of laboratory supplies
(Workflow, adequate ventilation, lighting, and space,
access control, emergency exits, exit signs, biohazard
sign, proper equipment
 The importance of proper storage of
laboratory supplies .
The importance of managing the Laboratory Supplies
are:-
Laboratory supplies are expensive and
unnecessary wastage should be avoided
Add credibility to facilities when supplies are
available, as they confirm and support diagnosis
Prevent uninterrupted services and meet patient
care need
 Cont..
To preserve, protect and avoid damage or
deterioration of stocks in the facility, hence ensure
consistent availability of supplies and materials
when needed so as maintain uninterrupted
service and meet patient care needs.
Avoid the use of expired reagents and supplies
Minimize wastage of expensive supplies.
 Types of storage conditions for laboratory
supplies .
Mode of storage
• There are adopted different modes of storage of lab
supplies in the facility storage room such as:
• Use of shelves and bins to organize supplies in room
temperature storage
• Use of Refrigerators and deep freezers to keep lower
temperature requiring supplies in well maintained
and monitored refrigerators/deep freezers (record
temperature daily)
 cont
• Use of closable cabinet for chemical storage
• Use of cupboards for storage of chemicals or
devices/kits supplies
 Facility storage features
Storage of supplies in a laboratory facility consider
the following features;
• Assess storage requirements of reagents and
supplies
• Identify a secure and adequate storage site that is
Locked
• Free from extreme temperature, direct sunlight,
and humidity
• Ventilated room or air conditioned and use of
desiccators.
 Cont..
• Free of pests
• Furnished with shelves, bins and closeable cabinet
• Provided with refrigerator and Deep freezers
 Organizing the Storage Area
• Store supplies according to temperature
requirements
• Store similar items together (controls with controls,
calibrators with calibrators, media with media,
chemicals with chemicals)
• Group identical items in smaller groups that are easy
to count
• Within each group of similar items, arrange them in
alphabetical order.
 Cont..
• Store all items that require room temp storage on
shelves (not on the floor)
• Store chemicals inside a closeable cabinet or on a
sturdy shelf.
• Label the shelves with the name of each item in that
area of the shelf.
• Store all items on shelves with shorter expiry dates at
the front i.e. FEFO and not FIFO
• Check weekly for an expired reagents/supplies and
organization of storage.
 Classification of laboratory chemicals based on storage conditions (flammables, corrosives, explosives, carcinogenic, oxidizing/ reducing agents, gas, poisons and Biohazards such as infectious agents, allergenic materials, and toxins .

• How Should Chemicals Be Stored?

 Cont..
• First, identify any specific requirements regarding the
storage of chemicals from
(1) local, Tanzania Government chemistry agency and
(2) insurance carriers.
General Rules for Chemical Storage Area.
• Store chemicals inside a closeable cabinet or on a
sturdy shelf with a front-edge lip to prevent accidents
and chemical spills; a ¾-inch front edge lip is
recommended.
• Secure shelving to the wall or floor.
• Ensure that all storage areas have doors with locks.
• Keep chemical storage areas off limits to all
unauthorized personnel (Non technical staff
members).
• Ventilate storage areas adequately.
 Organization
• Organize chemicals first by COMPATIBILITY—not
alphabetic succes­sion.
• Store alphabetically within compatible groups.
Chemical Segregation (classification based on storage condition)

• Store acids in a dedicated acid cabinet. Nitric acid

should be stored alone unless the cabinet provides a
separate compartment for nitric acid storage.
• Store highly toxic chemicals in a dedicated, lockable
poison cabinet that has been labeled with a highly
visible sign.
 Cont…
• Store volatile and odoriferous chemicals in a
ventilated cabinet.
• Store flammables in an approved flammable liquid
storage cabinet.
• Store water sensitive chemicals in a water-tight
cabinet in a cool and dry location segregated from all
other chemicals in the laboratory.
 Storage Don’ts
• Do not place heavy materials, liquid chemicals, and
large containers on high shelves.
• Do not store chemicals on top of cabinets
• Do not store chemicals on the floor, even temporarily
• Do not store items on bench tops and in laboratory
chemical hoods, except when in use.
 Cont..
• Do not store chemicals on shelves above eye level.
• Do not store chemicals with food and drink.
• Do not store chemicals in personal staff refrigerators,
even temporar­ily.
• Do not expose stored chemicals to direct heat or
sunlight, or highly variable temperatures.
 Suggested Shelf Storage Pattern
• A suggested arrangement of compatible chemical
families on shelves in a chem­ical storage room,
suggested by the Flinn Chemical Catalog/Reference
Manual, is depicted here under .However, the list of
chemicals below does not mean that these chemicals
should be used in medical laboratories.
 Cont..
• First sort chemicals into organic and inorganic
classes.
• Next, separate into the following compatible families.
 Detailed explanation of storage of
common chemicals in Health lab facilities
Acids
• These must be kept in glass-stoppered bottles
preferably in a drip tray.
• Winchester bottles should be stored at floor level
• Acids, EXCEPT Nitric acid – Store Nitric acid away
from other acids unless the cabinet provides a
separate compartment for nitric acid storage
Alcohol
• Duty free alcohol must be kept in a locked store and
all details of use recorded.
 Cont..
Ammonia
• Must be kept tightly Stopped and away from heat
and other chemicals.
Cyanide and other poisonous
• Store in poison storage cabinet or poisonous
cupboard and kept locked.
• Must be clearly marked poisonous in red letters
• Detailed records of the issue and use of all poisonous
should be kept.
 Cont..
Deliquescent and hygroscopic chemicals
• Such as potassium and sodium hydroxide, sodium
carbonate phenol and phosphorus pentoxide must
be stored in air-tight containers.
Ether
• Must be kept in a glass bottle, stoppered with a
tinfoil-covered cork or a wax –lined Bakelite screw
top
 Cont...

• NOTE
• A rubber bung must not be used because ether
attacks rubber
• Flammable solvents must not be stored in
refrigerator.
 Cont..
Flammable liquids
• Must be kept well stoppered in clearly marked metal
container (flammable storage cabinet- flammable
organic).
• Stocks of such fluids should be kept in a store used
solely for this purpose, which has a sunken floor
so, that, in the event of breakages no liquid flows
from the room. Bottles be kept as cool as possible
and must never be used near a naked flame.
 Cont.

Hydrogen fluoride
• Since it attacks glass must be stored in gutta-percha
or polythene bottle.
Hydrogen peroxide
• Must be kept in a brown glass bottle with a glass
stopper. A rubber bung must not be used because
iodine attacks rubber.
 Cont…
Potassium and Sodium hydroxide solution
• Should be stored in bottles waxed on inside because
it attacks glass, forming potassium or sodium silicate.
• Glass stoppers must not be used, as the CO2 in the air
combines with the KOH or NaOH, forming K2CO3 or
Na2CO3 which acts as a cement, firmly fixing the
stopper into position.
 Cont…
• The solution in daily use (working solution) should be
stored in an aspirator .A soda-lime guard tube will
absorb and prevent any CO2 from entering the
aspirator.
 Cont..
Potassium permanganet
• Must be stored in a dark, glass-stoppered bottle, as it
decomposes when exposed to light
Silver nitrate solution
• Must be kept in a dark, glass-stoppered bottle
because exposure to light triggers decomposition to
silver oxide
Sodium
• Must never be allowed to come into contact with
water or spontaneous combustion will result
• It must be kept completely covered with xylene or
naphtha.
 Cont..
Sodium nitroprusside
• Must be stored in a dark, glass-stopered bottle,
because it decomposes upon exposure to light.
 International hazard warning signs and
symbols for storage and handling of laboratory
supplies
• International hazard warning signs and symbols for
storage and handling of laboratory supplies
(e.g. Acid & Alkalis, Flammable, Explosives,
Carcinogenic, oxidizing chemicals, and poisons,
biohazard, fragile, no smoking, drinking / eating,
mouth pipetting)
 Explanation
• Hazard symbols are recognizable symbols designed
to warn about hazardous materials or locations. The
use of hazard symbols is often regulated by law and
directed by standards organizations. Hazard symbols
may appear with different colours, backgrounds,
borders and supplemental information in order to
signify the type of hazard.
 Cont…
• Here under are the hazard warning signs and symbols
which laboratory personnel should understand them
when handling and storing chemicals and reagents:
Hazard Label
• As being shown above, a hazardous substance label
includes a hazard warning symbol indicating the
general nature of the risk associated with using that
substance. The symbol is printed in black on an
orange background as explained in sheet 1
 Cont,.

Biohazard
• ´Danger of infection´ warning. The word biohazard is
printed In black against a black edged, yellow
triangle. The specific message wording,eg danger
of ,infection, is printed below in black against a white
background.
Corrosive
• Is shown with the contents of a test tube dripping
onto a hand.
 Cont..
Irritant
• A black diagonal cross
Flammable
• A flame
Toxic
• A skull and crossbones
Explosive
• An exploding ball
Laboratory Design Considerations for Safe
Storage of Supplies.
• Most of Laboratory setup in country has an inbuilt
located store rooms used as sub stores to keep
laboratory supplies/reagents/equipment. Hence the
primary objective in laboratory design is to provide a
safe environment for lab. Personnel to conduct their
work as well as ensuring security and safe storage
rooms.
An ideal laboratory facility should have the
following features
Walls/ Doors/Security
– The laboratory shall be completely separated from
outside areas (i.e., must be bound by four walls).
Windows
• If the laboratory has windows that open, they must
be fitted with insect screens.
 Cont..
Flooring
• The floor must be non-pervious, one piece, and with
covings to the wall. This can be achieved by use of
glue, heat welded vinyl flooring, epoxy coated
concrete slab, etc.
• Floors in storage areas for corrosive liquids shall be of
liquid tight construction.
 Cont..
Chemical/Waste Storage
• Chemical storage shelves shall not be placed above
laboratory sinks.
Sufficient space or facilities (e.g., storage cabinets with
partitions) shall be provided so that incompatible
chemicals/ gases (waste and non-waste) can be
physically separated and stored. Materials which in
combination with other substances may cause a fire
or explosion, or may liberate a flammable or
poisonous gas, must be kept separate.
 Cont…
When designing the shelves, it is important to factor in
enough space for secondary containers. Recommend
that solvent storage not be located under the
laboratory fume hood, as this is a location where
fires are most likely to occur in laboratories.
Emergence Exits
• The lab shall have a minimum aisle clearance of at
least 24 inches. Main aisles used for emergency
egress must have a clearance width of at least 36
inches.
 Cont.

• Clear aisles and exits are necessary to facilitate

departure in the event of an emergency. In practice,
lab aisles must be designed wider than 24” so that
even with the presence of lab stools and other
miscellaneous items, a clearance of 24” is always
maintained
• A pathway clearance of 36 inches must be
maintained at the face of the access/ exit
 Cont..
Access control.
• Designated storage space should be provided for lab
carts. Location must not reduce width of corridors or
aisles to less than code-required widths.
• Laboratory shelving should NOT be installed at
heights and distances which require workers to reach
30 centimeters above shoulder height and extend
arms greater than 30 centimeters while holding
objects 16 kg or less when standing on the floor or
on a 12” step stool.
 Cont..
• NOTE: Installation of high shelving, above laboratory
benches in particular, can create several potential
hazards, including, but not limited to ergonomic
issues (over reaching above shoulders and
across lab benches); spill and exposures to
chemical, radiological or biological agents (e.g.,
dropping containers when accessing them at
high levels).
 Cont..
• If high shelving were installed, administrative
controls, which are often burdensome, would be
required. A system for ensuring access would include
prohibition on the materials stored on shelves,
limitations on the frequency of use, availability of
ladders or ladders stands, training on ladders,
 Cont.
Illumination(Lighting)
• Laboratory areas shall be provided adequate natural
or artificial illumination to ensure sufficient visibility
for operational safety.
Adequate ventilation
• Store room must be well ventilated to allow escape
of volatile chemicals if happen to leak.
 Key point
• Ensure consistent availability of supplies and
materials by proper storage of lab. Supplies to
maintain uninterrupted service.
• There are variety of storage condition depending on
nature and status of reagent/supplies.
• Chemicals are classified on storage basing on
compatibility properties.
• International hazard symbols are designed to warn
about hazardous material or location when handling
them.
 Evaluation

• Give brief explanation on how to organize the

storage area.
• List down five criteria should be observed when
considering chemical storage.