• Introduction
• Suggested Segregation Guidelines
• Chemical Grouping Properties
• Table of Common Chemicals and Segregation Groups
• Chemicals Requiring Designated Areas

Introduction

Any individual chemical or mixture of chemicals can have one or more hazards associated with it.  There are three main pairs of hazards that must be segregated from each other:

1. Acids must be separated from bases;
2. Oxidizers must be separated from flammables; and
3. Water reactives must be separated from water and everything else containing easily extracted protons such as alcohols, acids (organic and inorganic), amines, etc.

Suggested Segregation Guidelines

The following are some suggested guidelines for segregating chemicals for either transportation over short distances or storage in a laboratory.  These guidelines are not meant for any long distance transportation in vehicles or by commercial transportation i.e., US mail, UPS, etc.  The US Department of Transportation regulations must be followed in those cases.  Additional information can be found in Table I "Compatibility Listing" in "Guidelines: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals" printed by REM.

Chemicals for transportation should be placed in strong cardboard boxes or plastic bins.  Bottles containing liquids should be placed in boxes in a single layer without stacking.  It is recommended that boxes containing liquids be lined with plastic and spacers of cushioning material be placed between glass bottles to prevent breakage.  Bottles containing solids may be stacked on top of each other.  In all cases, the lids to all bottles must be securely tightened, all bottles must be right side up, and the weight of the materials in the box must not exceed the strength of the box.  Chemicals within the same group (see groups 1-10 below) may be placed in the same box for transportation.  Chemicals within different groups must be placed in different boxes for transportation.  When unpacking chemicals in their new lab, chemicals from different groups should NOT be stored together.

Chemical Grouping Properties

Group 1: Acids-Non Water Reactive.  These include all aqueous or non-aqueous inorganic or organic acids.  They can be solid or liquid. Some organic acids are also flammable.  If any of these are dissolved in, or mixed in the same container with, a flammable solvent or are flammable alone, see Group 6 below.

Group 2: Acids-Water Reactive.  These compounds may or may not react violently with water, alcohols, etc. to create toxic and/or flammable gases and/or heat.  They can be solid or liquid.

Group 3: Bases-Non Water Reactive.  These include all aqueous or non-aqueous inorganic or organic bases.  They can be solid or liquid. Some organic bases (amines) are also flammable.  If any of these are dissolved in, or mixed in the same container with, a flammable solvent or are flammable alone, see Group 6 below.

Group 4: Bases-Water Reactive.  These compounds react violently with water or atmospheric moisture.  When they react, they generate flammable gases that may 1) catch fire and/or 2) ignite the solvent they are dissolved or stored in and/or 3) explode.  Pyrophoric materials ignite and/or explode upon exposure to the air.  Take special precautions to protect these materials from container breakage.

Group 5: Oxidizers.  These can be inorganic or organic.  Some are also acidic.  Organic Peroxides can also be shock sensitive, impact sensitive, or explosive when dry.  Additional information can be found in Table II "Peroxidizable Chemicals" in "Guidelines: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals" printed by REM.  Isolate Organic Peroxides form acids and acidic oxidizers.  Isolate Ammonium Nitrate and other Ammonium and amine oxidizers from all other oxidizers.

Group 6: Flammable.  These can be solid or liquid.  They may also be acidic or basic or may be mixed with acids or bases.  Be sure to segregate acidic flammables and mixtures from basic flammables and mixtures.

Group 7: Poisons-Special.  There are two subgroups: Group 7a-Acid Reactive Poisons and Group 7b-Special Handling Poisons.  Group 7a poisons react with acids to form poisonous and/or unstable gases.  These include all inorganic azides, cyanides, sulfides, selenides, and tellurides.  Group 7b poisons are extremely dangerous to the environment and require special handling.  These are Polychlorinated Biphenyls (PCBs) and Dioxins (TCDD, etc.).  IF YOU HAVE ANY GROUP 7B POISONS, PLEASE CONTACT REM FIRST.

Group 8: Poisons-General.  Any chemical or material that does not possess any of the hazards of the other groups should be considered poisonous.  Chemicals in the table below that include a "P" after the group number are Poison Inhalation Hazards in addition to any other hazards they may have.  Special care should be exercised when preparing for transportation anything containing metallic mercury, including all thermometers, barometers, gas bubblers, pressure or vacuum measuring devices, etc.  These, along with containers of metallic mercury, should be placed in sealed plastic bags inside a strong cardboard box, separate from all other chemicals and equipment.  Spillage of metallic mercury requires special clean-up by REM personnel.

Group 9: Cylinders.  These may contain gaseous or liquid chemicals of any of the above groups (indicated in the table by the number in parentheses in the Group column).  All cylinders and lecture bottles should be in good condition, all regulators and other tubing removed, and capped (if it originally had one) before moving.  Large cylinders must be capped and be transported with a cylinder cart.  Small lecture bottles may be placed in boxes provided that their weight does not exceed the strength of the boxes.  Care must be taken to ensure that cylinder and lecture bottle valves are not hit by anything (including other cylinders) during transportation.  Violent rupturing of the cylinder could result.

Group 10: Radioactive.  All radioactive materials must be kept separate from all other chemicals/materials.  This is to minimize radioactive contamination in the event of container breakage.  In addition, radioactive chemicals must be further separated from each other according to any chemical hazards they also have as in the above groups.  Any spillage of radioactive materials requires special clean-up by REM personnel.

Table of Common Chemicals and Segregation Groups

The following list of chemicals, chemical types/classes, and materials is not by any means comprehensive.  An effort has been made to include many common chemicals and chemical classes with emphasis on the most dangerous, e.g.: water-reactive, oxidizing, radioactive, and poisonous by inhalation chemicals.  No matter which of the above groups any chemicals fall into, all chemicals should be regarded as poisonous in addition to their other hazards.  Many extremely poisonous chemicals (by ingestion or contact) exist and could not practically be included in the list.

Chemicals Requiring Designated Areas

The OSHA Laboratory Standard 29 CFR 1910.1450 mandates that an employer's Chemical Hygiene Plan will provide for establishment of designated areas "which may be used for work with 'select carcinogens,' reproductive toxins or substances which have a high degree of acute toxicity.  A designated area may be the entire laboratory, an area of a laboratory or a device such as a laboratory hood." The sticker shown here (available from REM) is to be used to designate areas for use of the following select carcinogens, reproductive hazards, and/or substances having a high degree of acute toxicity.  Affix one or more stickers at all work and storage locations associated with these materials.  If you store but are not using one or more of these materials, please sticker the storage area, and if the material is stored in a work area, designate a work area in that room as well.  (The simple existence of the material in a work room implies the likelihood of its being used at some time.) NOTE:  Designating an entire room by placing this sticker at the entrance will simplify this necessity, and will also prohibit all eating, drinking, and storage or preparation of food or beverages anywhere in the room (if such are not already prohibited for other reasons).  See the "Labels and Labeling" page for information on obtaining and using this sticker. Chemicals Requiring Designated Areas List

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Last Modified: Wednesday, November 14, 2007
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