We too struggled with this for years.å When our building was built 20 years ago, the freight elevator was nixed when the bond money ran out.å To my knowledge, there was nobody with any chemical health and safety background involved in the construction at that time to advocate for the importance of a freight elevator in a science building.å We have 2 very small passenger elevators with carpet in them and getting equipment to upper floors is not easy.å As we have a renovation approaching this summer they are already talking about how equipment and supplies will be brought in.

Moving waste was our biggest issue, but we also have to move the large LN2 tanks.å We use the already suggested buddy system with signs, but I finally got the physical plant to give us a key to lock out an elevator so it won't stop on the other floors during the process a couple of years ago.å This has made the process much better.å We also time the transport at non-heavy traffic periods, such as late afternoons or during class times.

Sammye

All,

In past years when I had the need to move something hazardouså (hazardous waste in my case) using an elevator, none of our multi-story buildings had "freight" elevators.å å Everything was open to the public.å å In those cases we used a leap frog technique to move material through multiple floors - moving the unoccupied elevator one floor at a time.å The loaded, unoccupied elevator would be sent from the 4th floor to the 3rd floor to be met there by a co-worker.å å The co-worker would wait until the 4th floor sender had hustled down the stairs to the 2nd.å å The unoccupiedå elevator was then sent down one more floor - you get the pattern.å å This was just before the age when everyone had a cell phone.å å Our office actually had a collection of two-way radios we carried around to coordinate moves like this when "out in the field".

By the way, these collections of hazardous waste were "lab packed" by meå in sturdy plastic closedå containers (secondary containment)å to facilitate moving them with a dolley and transport on campus (department truck)å back to our Accumulation Area without breaking anythingå å ("Lab Pack" is actuallyå a DOT designation that uses a 55 gallon or smaller drum in which to pack bottles surrounded by vermiculite.)

Now I am glad to be teaching part time elsewhere.å å Life is easier.

Thanks for listening.

Michael Ahler

Associate Faculty Member

LPS (Chemistry)

Allan Hancock College

and CHO (retired) Cal Poly San Luis Obispo

---

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> on behalf of James Kaufman <jim**At_Symbol_Here**LABSAFETY.ORG>
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 7:25:09 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Elevator Entrapment while Transporting a Liquid Nitrogen Dewar

å

There have been fatalities that have resulted from not following the prudent practice.å Use the elevator as a dumbwaiter.å ... Jim

James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.

President/CEO
The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI)
A Nonprofit Educational Organization forå Safety in Science, Industry, and Education

192 Worcester Street, Natick, MA 01760-2252
508-647-1900 å Fax: 508-647-0062å
Cell: 508-574-6264å Res: 781-237-1335
Skype: labsafe; 508-401-7406å

jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafety.orgå www.labsafety.org

Teach, Learn, and Practiceå Science Safely

On Fri, May 11, 2018 at 9:33 AM, Meschewski, Brian D <bmesche2**At_Symbol_Here**illinois.edu> wrote:

Hi Martin,

å

Our policy is to simply not travel in an elevator with liquid nitrogen. We tell personnel to place the container inside the elevator and place this sign on it facing the door: http://www.drs.illinois.edu/site-documents/LiquidNitrogenSignElevator.pdf. We include this information in our cryogen guidance document: https://www.drs.illinois.edu/SafetyLibrary/CryogensAndDryIce.

å

Brian Meschewski

Research Safety Professional

Division of Research Safety

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

(217)333-2423

bmesche2**At_Symbol_Here**illinois.edu

å

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> On Behalf Of Bell,Martin
Sent: Friday, May 11, 2018 7:54 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Elevator Entrapment while Transporting a Liquid Nitrogen Dewar

å

å

Good morning,

å

We recently had an incident where a researcher was momentarily trapped in an elevator while transporting a 230 liter Dewar of liquid nitrogen. Thankfully the researcher walked out of the elevator a few seconds later.

å

This incident raised a concern about the potential for asphyxiation if an entrapment occurred and the Dewar released nitrogen gas into the elevator cab (unlikely but need to prepare). We have elevator rescue protocols in place but the response time depends on the time of day.

å

Has anyone addressed this type of concern?

å

Martin W. Bell, M.S. CIH CSPå

Director, Environmental Compliance

Department of Environmental Health and Safety

å

Drexel University

400 North 31st Street

Philadelphia, PA 19104

Tel: 215.895.5892 | Fax: 215.895.5926

Mobile: 215-778-4278

drexel.edu/facilities/healthsafety

å

å

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