What is the yellow metal box and who is responsible for updating the information inside the life safety box?
Response personnel need to know what hazardous materials are present in a room at the time of an emergency. At Stanford, this data is provided in the Life Safety Box (LSB) posted outside the entrance of each laboratory storing hazardous materials.
Chemical Inventory-Based Forms - The responsibility for updating contents is shared by EHS, departments and PI's for individual labs. The LSB coversheet, Guide to Hazard Quantities, and Hazardous Materials Inventory sheets posted in the LSB are generated and posted by EHS. The forms are based on the chemical inventory entered by individual labs in ChemTracker.
LSB Coversheet - The LSB coversheet provides a "snapshot" of chemicals stored inside the room.
Guide to Hazard Quantities generated by EH&S, summarizes hazard class descriptions and the specific hazardous materials quantities located in each laboratory reporting a chemical inventory.
Emergency response personnel are familiar with the DOT hazard classification and coding system. If the quantity of hazardous materials exceeds the threshold quantity, an appropriate DOT sticker will also indicate the hazard on the LSB Cover sheet.
If a significant change is made in the SCIMS chemical inventory, an updated copy of the report must be posted in the LSB. Contact EH&S Hazardous Materials Office to request a revised Guide to Hazard Quantities.
Hazardous Materials Inventory - This information is posted in the LSB by the EH&S Hazardous Materials Office.
The Hazardous Material Inventory report available in the LSB contains detailed chemical inventory information, main (based on DOT) and additional hazard class information and Stanford Storage Group codes for practical segregation of laboratory quantities of hazardous materials.
The Storage Group codes are based on Stanford’s Compatible Storage Group Chemical Classification System. Stanford-specific storage group information is used for proper segregation incompatible materials.
Emergency Notification Form is maintained by the laboratory/department for use by emergency response personnel; it contains current emergency contact information for department/lab contacts.
It is important for workers, especially for PIs and supervisors, to be notified of any incidents that have occurred in their areas. When an emergency occurs, the best source of accurate information are the people that work there regularly.
Chemical Storage Map is updated by the researcher to indicate location of hazards within the laboratory based on threshold quantities indicated in the Hazards Key at the bottom of the map.
Location of room hazards indicated on the map include laboratory equipment, safety equipment, Main Hazard Classes 1-9 (over-threshold quantities of chemical hazards), radiological materials and biological hazards.