Chemical Safety

Receiving hazardous materials  

All goods must be received at the TMU Shipping and Receiving central dock located at 105 Bond Street where they are sorted and delivered regularly to all departments and buildings. 

Transporting chemicals between labs in non-connected buildings or off-campus must be done in compliance with specific Federal Transportation of Dangerous Goods regulations. If you transfer dangerous goods, you are required to have Transporting Dangerous Goods (TDG) training.

Toronto Metropolitan University Lab at MaRS and iBEST

Hazardous materials destined for the Toronto Metropolitan University Lab at MaRS or iBEST are sent directly to:

• MaRS Discovery District, West Tower at 661 University Ave, 11th floor 
• iBest, Li Ka-Shing Knowledge Institute, 209 Victoria St, 7th floor

Managing inventory – HECHMET

TMU is part of a consortium called Higher Education Cooperative for Hazardous Materials and Equipment Tracking (HECHMET). Its constituent institutions have similar goals for tracking and inventorying hazardous materials for community safety and security.

Tracking and tagging with Vertére 

The HECHMET project is underpinned by the Vertére Inventory Manager (VIM) (external link)  software, an online chemical inventory system used to track chemicals and other materials within the university environment.

All new hazardous materials being delivered to TMU receive a unique barcode, which is scanned and added into Vertére upon arrival at Shipping and Receiving. The unique barcode label identifies their:

• storage location;
• ownership; and
• SDS-related information (as required).

All Principal Investigators and labs have a unique username and password for accessing Vertére. Please contact chemical.inventory@torontomu.ca if you need an account created.

Tracking and tagging compressed gas cylinders

All full cylinders of compressed gas receive a unique barcode, which is scanned and categorized into Vertére, upon delivery to one of TMU’s compressed gas storage locations. Laboratories that use compressed gases should follow the steps outlined in  (google doc) TMU-LAB-007 - Gas Cylinder Receiving, Transferring and Handling procedure.  (external link) 

This procedure outlines the specific details for maintaining inventory, returning empty cylinders and accessing cylinder storage locations. Successful completion of Compressed Gas Cylinder Training is required prior to accessing cylinder storage.

A Chemical Workplace Label is required for chemical solutions prepared/produced on campus. Two standard label templates are available. 

Both template 1 and 2 (see below) allow the user to supply the following mandatory information:

• chemical or generic name
• Chemical Abstracts Service (CAS) number
• if it is a mixture, the percentage of each component chemical
• WHMIS symbols and indication if these pose a low risk (“warning”) or higher risk (“danger”)
• required PPE for handling

Template #1

Template #2

Users may choose to use this version of the template when they would like to have a system to compare similar products and their associated levels of danger.

1. To order chemical workplace labels
2. Visit the online ordering system for TMU’s chemical safety labels (external link) . 
3. Enter the password: “Ryerson” to access the system.
4. Click on the desired template and sizes available.
5. Select the quantity of labels, these are already chemical and water resistant.
6. Select quantity of laminate covers (optional).
   Note: For heavier chemical users, you may want to purchase the laminate covers in addition to the labels to prevent the ink from the markers to fade or be removed from harsh solvents used in the lab. 
7. Add to cart. 
8. Apply coupon code: “Ryerson” to all orders over $115 to receive free shipping.
9. Checkout.

Labels will be delivered within approximately 5 to 10 business days. If you have any questions, please contact Wholesale Safety Labels (external link)  directly.

How to complete chemical workplace labels

1. Name the product contents: Provide the chemical or generic name(s) and CAS number(s). If the solution includes more than one chemical, include what percentage of each mixture it contains.
2. Check or circle WHMIS symbol(s) that apply
3. Indicate risk level: For high-risk hazards, check: “Danger”. For less severe hazards, check: “Warning”. Find more information on these hazard phrases in section 2 of the Safety Data Sheet (SDS).
4. Indicate what Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is required while handling the chemical(s)
   • If specific PPE is required but not listed, indicate the type of PPE under ‘Other’
5. Provide additional information
   • Name of the person that prepared and transferred the chemical(s) into the container.
   • The date the chemical(s) were prepared and transferred into the container.
   • Expiration date of the chemical(s), if applicable.
6. Refer to SDS in Chemwatch: Find more information about any chemical by searching their SDSs in the Chemwatch database, including possible health effects and proper disposal methods.

It is critical to dispose of chemical waste properly so as not to cause harm to people or the environment. Please follow these steps:

1. Collect chemical waste in appropriate leak-proof waste containers. EHS does not supply containers but they can be purchased at various companies, such as Uline, Acklands-Grainger, VWR and Fisher Scientific. Remember not to put incompatible chemicals in the same container. Keep the container closed at all times to minimize exposure.
2. Label the container(s) using the  (google doc) Hazardous Waste Disposal Label template (external link)  available to TMU students, faculty and staff for print.
   
   EHS is committed to accessibility for persons with disabilities. If you require this document in an alternative format, please get in touch with your department’s EHS contact.
3. Print the label, fill in the information by hand and affix it to your container.
4. Request pick-up. Once your container is filled and labelled, it is ready to be picked up. Complete and submit an online Chemical Waste Disposal Request form for pick-up. When filling out the form, you will be prompted for information about the chemical after providing your contact information and the location where the waste resides. Please note the following:

• The tag number requested refers to the barcode number that the item has been tagged with for inventory. If you do not have a tag number, leave this field empty. If there is more than one tag number, you can add multiple tag numbers by clicking the “Add” button on the right side.
• Under the Chemical Composition field, please enter the composition of the chemical. This will help in determining the properties of the substance. 
• Next you will be required to choose the physical form of the chemical from gas/aerosol can, solid and liquid. You will need to select either the Total Volume or Weight option, depending on the physical form. 
• The last field will ask you whether any sharps are included in the waste. Please note there should be no biological sharps in the chemical waste. 
• If there is more than one chemical waste item ready to be picked up, click on the “Add” button to enter the information for the next chemical.
• Submit the form when you are done.

Disposing of lithium ion batteries properly is critical to preventing severe fires during thermal runway events as well as stopping toxic chemical fumes and leaks from entering our facilities and the environment. Proper disposal also ensures hazardous heavy metals like cobalt, nickel, and manganese do not leach into surrounding soil and groundwater.

When a lithium ion battery requires disposal, please follow the same procedures as shown above for a hazardous waste pick up request:

1. Collect the battery in a clear plastic bag or an appropriate leak-proof waste container with clear tape placed over the terminals. EHS does not supply containers but they can be purchased at various companies, such as Uline, Acklands-Grainger, VWR and Fisher Scientific. 
2. Label the container(s) with the building name and room number, contact name and department (e.g., CUI001, Jon Smith, Engineering Zone). 
3. Request pick-up. Once your container is filled and labelled, it is ready to be picked up. Complete and submit an online Chemical Waste Disposal Request form. When filling out the form, you will be prompted for information about the chemical after providing your contact information and the location where the waste resides. Please indicate Lithium ion battery as the chemical name. Container volume or weight can be estimated.
4. Store safely. Keep the batteries in a cool, dry place until they are picked up. 

For questions on completing the form, please contact chemical.inventory@torontomu.ca.

Damaged Batteries

If batteries show signs of damage or are swollen, immediately place them in a non-flammable material like sand or kitty litter inside a metal or plastic container. Submit a pick up request as shown above. Batteries will not be picked up unless they are properly contained and labeled.

All chemicals and compressed gases arriving on campus are now barcoded and inventoried upon arrival at Shipping and Receiving and prior to delivery to the user. 

In order to keep the Vertére inventory as accurate as possible, any barcoded container from which contents have been emptied must be removed from the inventory. Please follow the simple process outlined below for disposal of empty containers or returning empty compressed gas cylinders.

Disposal of chemical containers using Vertére

If you have access to Vertére (external link) , you can log in and locate your barcoded chemical within the database. 

1.  In the Chemical module, click on View/Update and type your alphanumeric barcode into the search field. Click ‘Search Barcode #’ to locate the barcoded chemical within the database.

2. Click on the box in front of the chemical name and hit ‘delete’.

Your chemical has now been removed from the lab inventory in Vertére. The same procedure can be done for barcoded compressed gas cylinders.

If you do not have access to Vertére

If your container does not have TMU chemical inventory barcode

All broken glassware that is not contaminated by chemical or biological agents (e.g. microscope slides, slide covers and Pasteur pipettes) is to be deposited into a broken glass waste container. Wear gloves and use tongs or a dustpan to pick up pieces for disposal, and never pick up a broken chemical glass container with your bare hands. 

When a broken glass waste container is full, close and seal the box, mark it as garbage and submit a service request to the Facilities Help Desk (Fixit)  for a pick-up.