Maybe you're right, Don.  These things all look like car batteries - and 
the USP chassis is called a "Battery Cabinet" and they're 12V DC devices 
containing lead and sulfuric acid, and I could probably use one to jump 
start my car if I had to (looks like a duck).  But the Fire Dept asked me 
to include the lead and sulfuric acid on the substance inventory, and I 
did because it was easier to add it to the list than to challenge them on 
it.    
Here's what they said, and it made sense to me:  Firefighters bring up 
that CR2K database on a laptop in the truck on the way out to a fire so 
the scene commander knows what they're up against when the arrive.  
Firefighters just don't just automatically run into burning buildings 
anymore, and when they do they want to know what's in there.  
And now that Monona said these things might flame up unexpectedly - but 
very rarely (geeesh!) ... well, it seems like reporting that material is 
an even better idea now.   

>>> Don Wanamaker  7/12/2010 10:49 AM >>>
Eric/Kathleen,
Wouldn't the Uninterupted Power Supply as described be excluded from 
compliance with Community Right To Know requirements since the batteries 
are 
consumer products and/or articles as defined by OSHA?  This question 
comes 
up often for quantities above certain thresholds and becomes very onerous 
if 
the local jurisdiction also requires a Risk Management Plan if over 
that 
threshold quantity.  If there's no risk to the community if one of 
these 
batteries leaked, why not exclude it from CRTK reporting if, in fact, 
the 
batteries meet either definition?
djw
Don Wanamaker
Environmental Management, Ltd.

----- Original Message ----- 
From: "Eric Clark" 
To: 
Sent: Monday, July 12, 2010 12:01 PM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Emergency Action Plan for science labs

Kathleen,
Most emergency power generators typically don't service the entire 
building, 
just the critical systems, and those are the ones with the red plugs or 
otherwise hard-wired into the building grid.  Even that might not 
suffice 
for your needs, a typical emergency power generator requires 6 or 7 
seconds 
before it actually restores power.  But as we all know, that kind of 
power 
interruption can disrupt hundreds of sensitive automated laboratory 
analyses 
that took hours to set up.  As Arnold would say:  Beeeg Problem (especially
 
if you have insufficient samples for re-runs!).
That's where the Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) comes in.  It's 
basically 
a bank of several dozen continually-charging car batteries that will 
provide 
sufficient continuous AC power for 10 - 15 seconds to ultra-critical 
systems 
until the emergency power generator kicks in.  And there are no moving 
parts.  There are lots of different kinds out there.  We happen to use 
the 
Eaton Powerware 9390 - actually two of them, set up side by side.
One more thing about the UPS.  Don't forget to report the lead and 
sulfuric 
acid on the annual Community Right To Know forms AND tell the local 
fire 
department about them and show them where they are!
Eric

Eric Clark, MS, CCHO, CHMM
Safety & Compliance Officer
Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory

>>> "Schmidt-Nebril, Kathleen"  7/8/2010 5:34 PM 
>>>
My university recently was hit with a four day power outage due to 
severe 
storms.  Our science building is recently new and has a back up 
generator 
however none of the main lab instruments or equipment were backed up to 
it. 
Hoods, lights and ventilation were.  In the end we are looking at a 
huge 
insurance claim and are now trying to prepare  an action plan for each 
of 
our labs in the event we go through something like this again.  I am the 
CHO 
for the department and was asked to put this together.  Does anyone 
know 
what OSHA standard, if any, I should be looking at for this?  They want 
to 
incorporate a "what to do" list for example if none of the scientists 
were 
around someone from maintenance could follow it to turn off sensitive 
equipment in our absence.  My thought on that is would we need to train 
and 
document  anyone who might have to respond and use our action list?


Kathleen

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