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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Elevator Entrapment while Transporting a Liquid Nitrogen Dewar Date: Friday, May 11, 2018 at 2:57:08 PM Author: ILPI Support <info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM> |
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All,
In past years when I had the need to move something hazardous (hazardous waste in my case) using an elevator, none of our multi-story buildings had "freight" elevators.. Everything was open to the public. In those cases we used a leap frog technique to move material through multiple floors - moving the unoccupied elevator one floor at a time. The loaded, unoccupied elevator would be sent from the 4th floor to the 3rd floor to be met there by a co-worker. The co-worker would wait until the 4th floor sender had hustled down the stairs to the 2nd. The unoccupied elevator was then sent down one more floor - you get the pattern. This was just before the age when everyone had a cell phone. Our office actually had a collection of two-way radios we carried around to coordinate moves like this when "out in the field".
By the way, these collections of hazardous waste were "lab packed" by me in sturdy plastic closed containers (secondary containment) to facilitate moving them with a dolley and transport on campus (department truck) back to our Accumulation Area without breaking anything ("Lab Pack" is actually a DOT designation that uses a 55 gallon or smaller drum in which to pack bottles surrounded by vermiculite.)
Now I am glad to be teaching part time elsewhere. Life is easier.
Thanks for listening.
President/CEO
The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI)
A Nonprofit Educational Organization for Safety in Science, Industry, and Education
192 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 01760-2252
508-647-1900 Fax: 508-647-0062
Cell: 508-574-6264 Res: 781-237-1335
Skype: labsafe; 508-401-7406
jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.org www.labsafety.org
Teach, Learn, and Practice Science Safely
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchasHi Martin,
Our policy is to simply not travel in an elevator with liquid nitrogen. We tell personnel to place the container inside the elevator and place this sign on it facing the door: http://www.drs.illinois.edu/
site-documents/ LiquidNitrogenSignElevator.pdf . We include this information in our cryogen guidance document: https://www.drs.illinois.edu/ SafetyLibrary/ CryogensAndDryIce.
Brian Meschewski
Research Safety Professional
Division of Research Safety
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
(217)333-2423
bmesche2**At_Symbol_Here**illinois.edu
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of Bell,Martin
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 7:54 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Elevator Entrapment while Transporting a Liquid Nitrogen Dewar
Good morning,
We recently had an incident where a researcher was momentarily trapped in an elevator while transporting a 230 liter Dewar of liquid nitrogen. Thankfully the researcher walked out of the elevator a few seconds later.
This incident raised a concern about the potential for asphyxiation if an entrapment occurred and the Dewar released nitrogen gas into the elevator cab (unlikely but need to prepare). We have elevator rescue protocols in place but the response time depends on the time of day.
Has anyone addressed this type of concern?
Martin W. Bell, M.S. CIH CSP
Director, Environmental Compliance
Department of Environmental Health and Safety
Drexel University
Tel: 215.895.5892 | Fax: 215.895.5926
Mobile: 215-778-4278
drexel.edu/facilities/
healthsafety
--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
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