WHMIS SAFETY SYMBOLS
WHMIS safety symbols indicate dangers that may be presented with certain materials that are found in a lab or in the workplace. The WHMIS symbols are compressed gas, flammable material , oxidizing material, poisonous material, toxic material, biohazardous material, corrosive material and reactive material.
Flammable material |
Oxidizing material |
Compressed Gas |
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SAFE STORAGE, USE AND DISPOSAL
It's important when handling carbon monoxide to know what hazards it poses and hot to void them. The following explains how to handle carbon monoxide when it is in an ISO tube, which is what carbon monoxide is generally stored and transported in. (An ISO tube is about 12 meters long and weighs about 820kg. It is pictured below).
Safe storage
Carbon monoxide/the ISO tubes containing carbon monoxide should be stored in an isolated environnement, located away from large amounts of traffic. The room in which the ISO tubes are being stored in should be a non-flammable environnement (to avoid any explosions) and should receive a lot of air circulation, so that the carbon monoxide doesn't pool in one area of the building if there is a leakage. The room should stay cool, and never exceed temperatures of more than 52ºc, as the heat may cause the tubes to leak. The storage room and surrounding facilities should be equipped with sensitive carbon monoxide detectors that give audio and visual alarms, to alert personnel of carbon monoxide leaks.
The ISO tubes containing the carbon monoxide should be stored in a secure up-right position at all times.
The ISO tubes containing the carbon monoxide should be stored in a secure up-right position at all times.
Safe handling
When transporting carbon monoxide ISO tubes from their storage room, they should be moved using a handcart, that is designed for ISO tube movement. When lifting the tubes, they should not be held or picked up by their cap, as it may loosen it or open it.
While using the carbon monoxide ISO tubes, flameproof clothing should be worn, to protect from fires and explosions. When disconnecting or connecting an ISO tube with carbon monoxide inside of it, there should be another person on standby, to ensure that the ISO tube can be resealed in an emergency.
The equipment supplied by the supplier of the ISO tubes and carbon monoxide gas should be used to handle the ISO tubes.
While using the carbon monoxide ISO tubes, flameproof clothing should be worn, to protect from fires and explosions. When disconnecting or connecting an ISO tube with carbon monoxide inside of it, there should be another person on standby, to ensure that the ISO tube can be resealed in an emergency.
The equipment supplied by the supplier of the ISO tubes and carbon monoxide gas should be used to handle the ISO tubes.
Safe disposal
Once the use of an ISO tube is complete, the un-used gas should be returned to the supplier, in the same tube it was delivered in. If it is not possible to return the carbon monoxide to the supplier, it should be released in an isolated area, or incinerated; both of these disposal methods must comply with municipal, provincial and federal standards and regulations.
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