Trizole Exposure
EHS received a report that a post-doctoral student had
experienced an exposure to a compound called Trizol (phenol/thiocyanate
compound) several days earlier and had received medical evaluation and
treatment at Christiana Hospital. Trizol is a highly corrosive and toxic
chemical that can cause burns on contact with the skin as well as systemic
poisoning. Details of the incident are below.
Reportedly
the incident took place after hours while the researcher was
working alone. He was finishing a process and decided to dilute the
remaining solution in the bottom of a tube in an attempt to rinse it into
the proper waste container. He took the tube containing 5 ml of the trizol
compound to the sink, held it under a running faucet which caused it to
splash out of the tube onto his arms causing burns on both forearms.
Reportedly the researcher had removed his lab coat just prior to the
incident, but was still wearing the proper gloves; however, he reportedly
was not wearing his splash goggles. He washed off the affected area on his
arms and reported to the Student Health Center, who referred him to Christiana
Hospital. Fortunately this lab and department had provided extensive
training to include a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for this
particular operation so the researcher was very aware of the hazards of
the material. However, the method used to remove the excess trizol from
the tube was a decision made contrary to the established SOP.
Several key elements of this incident need to be highlighted for
lessons learned.
- Implement the buddy system when working in a lab, particularly
after
hours. Never work alone when working with hazardous materials.
- Always wear proper PPE including safety eye protection, gloves, and
lab coat while in the lab area.
- Conduct cold runs - For example, conduct the process using only
water in place of the chemicals to gain a better understanding of the
possible
problems that might be encountered.
- Never dilute something directly from the faucet. Use another
container to pour the water from thereby eliminating the possibility of
excessive force causing the contaminant to splash.
- Conduct dilutions in a chemical fume hood over a secondary container
or spill paper, particularly if material is high hazard. Use the chemical
fume hood sash as a form of protection.
- Report any incident to the supervisor and DEHS as soon as possible
to ensure proper medical evaluation and follow up treatment is provided
and accurate investigations are completed.