Formaldehyde: On Ice

Title

Formaldehyde: On Ice

Wednesday, February 28, 2018

Situation

I was working with collaborators in their lab. When I finished, they asked that I return some chemicals they had borrowed from a group member. One of which was formaldehyde. I put the bottles in a zip-lock bag and put them into my backpack. On a set of stairs during my walk across campus back to lab, I realized that campus was still extremely icy--and I was carrying chemicals on my back, without secondary containment, and no documentation as to what I was carrying.

Suggestions

When carrying chemicals between lab spaces, and especially between buildings, use appropriate secondary containment, carry documentation of chemicals that you are carrying, and take care when walking with chemicals in icy conditions.

Resources

http://z.umn.edu/chemmove