Containers of solvents greater than 5 litres should not be stored in laboratories. 20 litre drums should be decanted into 8 x 2.5 litre bottles. The bottles should be of the appropriate type and be correctly labelled. (Information on the bottle’s label should be the same as the supplier’s drum label.) Decanting of minor quantities of chemicals that are NOT Dangerous Goods, can take place in a fume cupboard, provided there are sufficient spill control measures in place. Flammable liquids should only be decanted in a designated area of the building. In Chemistry this is the covered area next to the Distillation lab, on the roof. This area is dedicated solely to the decanting of flammable liquids.
• A current MSDS for the substance/s to be decanted must be consulted before any decanting can commence.
• Decanting should be carried out by at least two people. One to do the decanting and the other as a back up in case of fire or spill.
• Where containers of greater than 20 litres are to be decanted from, manual handling assessments must be done and written procedures formulated.
• When pouring or decanting quantities in excess of 20 litres, care should be taken to avoid static electricity discharge. The container being filled and any transfer equipment should be earthed by use of the grounding circuit provided.
• Mobile phones should be switched off to avoid sparking.
• All taps used in the decanting process must be self closing.
• When the decanting is complete, all empty containers must be cleaned and free of any fumes or residues and the labels removed or defaced.

LABELLING OF CHEMICAL CONTAINERS

If the container into which a chemical has been decanted is to be stored for later use, it must be appropriately labelled. The label on a container should alert the user of the significant hazards associated with the substance. Labels should provide the following information in a legible, easy to read format:
• Product name (include strength of solution where appropriate)
• Chemical name printed in legible English
• Class diamond label or signal words, e.g. Flammable liquid, corrosive
• Risk and Safety phrases (except where the container is so small it is not practical)
• Denotion of Hazardous Substance or Carcinogenic status if applicable
• Poisons Schedule if applicable
• ID of the owner of the substance (as above)
NB: For smaller containers apply the label to the outer storage box.

The label must not be removed, defaced or modified in any way until the container has been cleaned.

A container into which a chemical has been decanted does not need to be labelled if:
• The decanted substance is used immediately, and
• The container is cleaned, or the contents have been neutralised, cured or chemically deactivated immediately after use.

“Immediately” means “as soon as possible to do so”. In other words labelling is not needed provided the container remains in control of, or within sight of, the person using the decanted substance. That is, the container must not be left unattended.