Chemical SOPs and Guidelines

Chemical Safety Guidelines and SOP Templates

• Lab-Specific SOPs and Blank SOP Template

  Chemicals identified as particularly hazardous or high risk require a customized, laboratory-specific Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). For these chemicals, complete the fillable fields (or italicized sections) in the document for the appropriate hazard class to create a customized SOP for your lab.  

  If you cannot find a relevant guideline or SOP template below, for PDF guidelines where a customized SOP is required, or for chemicals with multiple hazards, use this Blank SOP template (or your own format) and follow these SOP Creation Guidelines  to create an SOP.

  With any chemical use, consider this Chemical Incompatibility Information.

  * In the list of SOPs and guidelines below, the asterisk means customization is required. 

• Physical Hazards

  Compressed Gases Revised 9/30/2016
  Cryogens Revised 12/5/2023 OR Cryogens-with Oxygen Monitor Section* Revised 8/17/2021
  Explosives * Revised 10/8/2012
  Flammable Liquids Revised 11/28/2016
  Oxidizers Revised 10/17/2016
        Aqua Regia* Revised 10/17/2019
        Nitric Acid * Revised 7/25/2019 and Chemical Incompatibility Information
        Perchloric Acid *Revised 12/28/2017
        Piranha* Revised 10/17/2019
  Organic Peroxide-Formers Revised 9/4/2019
  Pressure and Vacuum Revised 2/26/2013
  Pyrophoric and other highly reactive materials *Revised 8/3/2012
  Water Reactives * Revised 3/8/2016

• Health Hazards

  Asphyxiants Revised 1/2013
  Biologically-Derived Substances * Questions? Contact Biological Safety Division at biosafety@duke.edu.
  Corrosives Revised 10/17/2016
              Aqua Regia* Revised 10/17/2019
              Bleach Revised 2/7/2017 and Chemical Incompatibility Information
              Hydrofluoric Acid * Revised 7/25/2019 and Hydrofluoric Acid First Aid and Medical Guidelines Revised 6/21/2019
              PMSF and HF Releasers New! Revised 3/1/2021
              Nitric Acid * Revised 7/25/2019 and Chemical Incompatibility Information
              Perchloric Acid *Revised 12/28/2017
              Piranha* Revised 10/17/2019
              Sulfuric Acid* Revised 7/25/2019

  Toxic Gases Revised 5/1/2013
              Phosgene * Revised 3/9/2023
  Toxic and Health Hazard Liquids New! Revised 3/8/2023
              Chloroform  Revised 7/7/2020
              Formalin, paraformaldehyde solutions, paraformaldehyde powder * Revised 5/4/2021
              Methylene Chloride/Dichloromethane * Revised 8/24/2023
              Phenol (and TRIzol/TRI reagent) * Revised 7/7/2020 and HAZARD ALERT - PHENOL BURNS CAN BE FATAL*Revised 2/15/2021
              b-Mercaptoethanol * Revised 7/25/2019
  Toxic and Health Hazard Powders (and suspensions/solutions).* New! Revised 4/14/2021 - Now with fill-able fields for lab-specific information.
              Acrylamide * Revised 10/2/2023
              Cyanide Salts * Revised 7/25/2019
              Ethidium Bromide * Revised 2/12/2019
              Nanomaterials * Revised 5/1/2013
              Sodium Azide * Revised 3/5/2015
              Osmium Tetroxide * Revised 7/25/2019

   

   

  * Means customization is required