User:Morrand/Policy on Hazardous Materials
 | This is a draft policy that is open for discussion. |
Pumping Station: One, an Illinois not for profit corporation, with offices located at 3519 N Elston, Chicago, IL, 60618 (the “Organization” and its “Location”) is committed to providing a safe, healthy, and productive environment for its charitable, educational, and other tax-exempt activities.
Consistent with this commitment, this policy (“Policy”) establishes the Organization’s rules for the introduction, storage, use, and disposal of hazardous materials on the Organization's property. The primary purpose of this policy is to ensure that the use and storage of hazardous chemicals on property does not expose the Organization's members to an excessive health or safety risk, and to ensure that the Organization's use of its building conforms to the requirements of Federal, State, and municipal rules.
The introduction, synthesis, use, storage, or disposal of any hazardous material on any property operated by the Organization is prohibited, except as authorized in this policy.
Definition
A hazardous material is any substance that presents an unusual fire, health, or reactivity risk if its use is not carefully controlled. For the purpose of this policy, any substance that is listed in the United States Department of Transportation's Hazardous Materials Table (49 CFR 172.101) is defined to be a hazardous material.
Prohibited Materials
The introduction, synthesis, use, storage, or disposal of the following materials on any property operated by the Organization are explicitly forbidden. Some limitations and exceptions to this prohibition are listed below. Further exceptions may only be made by the Board of Directors for compelling reasons, and on such terms and restrictions as they may dictate.
| Material name | Exceptions or Limitations |
|---|---|
| Ammonia, anhydrous | |
| Ammunition, any kind | Up to 10 small arms cartridges (live or blank) permitted for day use. Live ammunition may not be discharged in the space at any time. |
| Asbestos and articles containing asbestos | Stable non-friable end materials (e.g., floor tiles, brake pads) permitted, but shall not be broken or cut on the property. |
| Blasting caps | |
| Controlled substances, Schedule I | Also see Alcohol and Substance Use Policy. |
| Explosive or pyrotechnic articles of any kind | Consumer fireworks not otherwise restricted by Illinois or Chicago laws are permitted. No use inside the building. |
| Gasoline | Quantities under 1 L are permitted for day use as a motor or appliance fuel only. Storage not allowed. |
| Mercury metal | Sealed mercury thermometers, barometers, etc. are permitted. |
| Model rocket motors, class "H" or greater | |
| Nitrocellulose | |
| Nitroglycerin | Pharmaceutical preparations are permitted. |
| Nitrous oxide | |
| Organic peroxides | |
| Radioactive material | Safety-sealed disk sources of 10 µCi or less, needle sources of 0.01 µCi or less, and unmodified consumer products (such as smoke detectors and photo brushes) are permitted without restriction. |
| Smoke grenades or smoke bombs | Consumer fireworks not otherwise restricted by Illinois or Chicago laws are permitted. No use inside the building. |
| Tear gas and tear gas candles |
Authorization of Uses and Storage
The Organization recognizes that the safe use of certain hazardous materials is necessary and appropriate to its purposes, and that safe storage of those materials on its property facilitates those uses. In the interest of facilitating those uses, the following general authorizations are established under this policy.
Day Use Authorization
Hazardous materials that are not otherwise forbidden by this policy may be brought into or used at the space on a "day use" basis. Only enough of the material may be brought into the space to support one day's usage. None of the material may be stored or disposed of anywhere in the space, and all of the unused material, along with any waste generated, must be removed by the user upon completion of its use.
Whenever this authorization is applied, the user shall comply with all of the safety and health recommendations as set forth in the manufacturer's Safety Data Sheet, if one exists, or take other reasonable measures to protect other users of the space and the space itself.
General Authorization
Limited quantities of certain substances presenting a low hazard to health and safety are authorized for use and storage in the space, as listed in the table below.
Each of these authorizations are subject to the conditions that:
- Each of these materials should be used in accordance with good industrial practices. This includes taking all appropriate precautions recommended in the substance's Safety Data Sheet, if one exists. Users are encouraged to get and have a copy of the Safety Data Sheet while using any of these materials.
- Storage of any hazardous material, as with anything else, is subject to the Tidy Space Policy. In particular, non-flammable hazardous materials must be stored in a member's assigned storage space (if for personal use) or in an appropriate storage space allocated to the Area (if for common use).
- All flammable materials noted in the table must be stored in the flammables cabinet located on the Dock. Storage space in the flammables cabinet is very limited, with priority given to Space-owned materials for common use. Personal materials stored in the flammables cabinet shall be labeled with the proper name of the material (as listed below), along with the owner's name and telephone number.
| Substance name | Usage restrictions | Maximum quantity in storage | Storage restrictions |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acetylene gas | Used with torches (welding, jeweler's, etc.) only in Small Metals and Hot Metals | Three "B" cylinders in each of Small Metals and Hot Metals for shared use. | Personal storage prohibited. Area supply to be chained up and capped when not in use. |
| Charcoal lumps or briquettes | Burning inside building not allowed | 25 kg | |
| Cotton | None. Oily rags to be disposed of in proper place. | No limit. | No restriction. |
| Denatured alcohol | Ventilation required during use. | 5 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Ethanol (ethyl alcohol) | Ventilation required during use. Also see Alcohol and Substance Use Policy. | 5 L | Store concentrations above 60% (by vol.) in flammables cabinet only. Beverage-grade alcohol shall be kept in locked storage only. |
| Extracts, aromatic or flavoring, liquid | None. | No limit. | Prevent or control any leak that may create a nuisance. |
| Kerosene | For use as a cleaner or solvent only. Kerosene heaters are prohibited inside the building. | 5 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Magnesium (or alloys), powder | None. | 100 g | None. |
| Methanol (methyl alcohol) | Use in paint booth only. | 1 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Methyl ethyl ketone (ethyl methyl ketone, MEK) | Use in paint booth only. | 5 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Model rocket motors, class "C" or below | Not to be used inside the building. | Five motors. | No restriction. |
| Oxygen, compressed, industrial | Used as part of a welding set only. | Three "B" cylinders in each of Small Metals and Hot Metals for shared use. | Personal storage prohibited. Cylinders to be chained up and capped when not in use. Storage in flammables cabinet is strictly prohibited. |
| Oxygen, compressed, medical | To be used on prescription only. | Not allowed. | Personal storage prohibited. |
| Paint, lacquer or solvent base, aerosol | Use in paint booth only. | 10 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Paint, oil-based | Spray application, and brush applications 30 cm² or greater, in paint booth only | 10 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Paint, water-based | No limitations. | No limit. | No restrictions. Store in a way that prevents leakage (double-bagging, etc.) |
| Petroleum distillates (paint thinner, Stoddard solvent), flash point 21°C or greater | Spray applications or applications over 30 cm² in paint booth only | 5 L total | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Petroleum gases, compressed/liquified (includes propane, butane, etc.) | For use as a fuel only, with proper ventilation. | One "B" cylinder in each of Small Metals and Hot Metals for shared use. Five "blowtorch" cylinders (or smaller) total in flammables cabinet. | Small cylinders must be stored in flammables cabinet only. Large cylinders to be chained up and capped when not in use. |
| Petroleum oil, heavy (motor oil, etc.) | Clean up any spills promptly to prevent slips. | No limit. | No restrictions. |
| Self-defense spray (pepper spray, etc.) | Emergency use only. | No limit. | No restrictions. |
| Sodium hydroxide, solid or liquid | Use on a liquid-proof surface only. If left unattended, must be prominently signed, "Warning - Corrosive." | No limit. | Liquid preparations must be stored in a leak-proof manner (double-bagging, etc.). |
| Flammable solvents, flash point below 38°C (such as toluene, xylene, benzene, turpentine) | Use in paint booth only. | 5 L total. | Store in flammables cabinet only. |
| Tetrachloroethylene (brake cleaner) | Use with good ventilation only (with roof ventilators on in General/Cold Metals Areas, or in paint booth) | 1 L | No restriction |
Registered Use
Where a material not listed above is to be brought into, used, or stored in the space, or where a larger quantity of a listed material is needed than is permitted in the table, its introduction, use, or storage in the space may be permitted through registration.
The purpose of registration is to ensure that materials having a moderate hazard, whether due to their properties or the quantity proposed to be kept on-property, are being used and stored in a way that minimizes the danger to the Organization's facilities and their users and ensures compliance with the law. A secondary purpose of registration is to ensure that the locations and total quantities of hazardous materials kept on-property are identified and tracked to aid emergency response efforts.
The Board designates the General Operations Team to administer the registration and control of materials under this provision.
Initial Registration
To bring a hazardous material into the space, contact a member of the General Operations Team through email, Discourse, or Slack. Provide as much of the following information as you have:
- The proper (shipping) name of the material, and the UN number if it has one.
- The manufacturer's name.
- The Safety Data Sheet (SDS), either as an attachment or as a link to a copy published on the Internet.
- A short explanation of how you want to use the material. You should include an estimate of how long you want to keep the material in storage.
- Your name and storage assignment, if this will be personal material. If you do not have storage assigned to you, please explain where you plan to store the substance. If you propose to make the material available to the space generally, confirm that the appropriate Area Host has approved of putting it into general usage and describe how it will be stored.
General Operations will review the proposed material and will reply as quickly as possible with any restrictions that may apply. These may include limits on the amount to be stored at any one time, the duration of storage, conditions of storage, or other requirements. If those restrictions are acceptable to you, General Operations will register the type, quantity, and location of the material. You may then bring the material into the space under the restrictions that are established.
Labeling and Storage
Registered materials must always be labeled with the following information:
- The proper name of the material and, optionally, the UN number
- Owner's name and telephone number
- Name of the General Operations member who registered the material
- An appropriate hazard label. This may be:
There is no minimum size for the label, but it must remain reasonably legible while the container remains in the space.
Registry Maintenance
On receiving a request for registration, General Operations will review the hazards of the material and its compatibility with the space. The review will include, at least:
- Fire, health, and reactivity hazards, both during use and in storage
- Existing guidance on reducing fire hazards, such as NFPA 30
- Known legal requirements, such as restrictions imposed by Chicago Municipal Code (in particular, Title 15)
- The amount of the material, or similar materials, already on site.
Practical mitigation measures will also be devised for these hazards where necessary, which may include limiting the quantity in the space at one time, restricting storage to certain areas (such as the flammables cabinet), requiring an attendant while it is in use, or other reasonable measures.
General Operations has the authority to refuse registration of a material that cannot be safely stored in the space. A refusal may be appealed through the Dispute Resolution Committee.
Approved materials will be put on a register, showing who brought the material into the space, the amount on site, and its location, and linking to the Safety Data Sheet for the material if one exists. This register will be used to control the quantity and location of hazardous materials, and to provide critical information to fire and medical personnel in case of an emergency.
It is the responsibility of a registered material's user to update the registry when that material is taken off-site or is no longer needed.
Disposal
All hazardous materials used in the space shall be disposed of properly, in accordance with the SDS, after use or when they are no longer needed.
They shall not be put into the ordinary trash, except where this is permitted by the SDS or when the material has been acceptably neutralized (for example, many latex paints can be put in ordinary trash if mixed with an absorbent like kitty litter). Small quantities may be accepted at household hazardous waste centers or collection events. See the Illinois EPA's guidance for more advice and information.
Pumping Station: One does not maintain facilities for disposing of hazardous materials.