The use of polyethylene (i.e., plastic) bottles is universal in the DOE system because the bottles are considered to be much more convenient to use and safer than their glass counterparts. However, the useful lifetime of plastic reagent bottles may be considerably less than a year - particularly if they are used to store and dispense corrosive chemicals.
On May 25, 1989, a chemist at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) suffered a chemical burn while dispensing concentrated nitric acid from a polyethylene reagent bottle that laboratory workers had used routinely over a 2-year period. The accident occurred when the chemist squeezed the bottle slightly to dispense the chemical and a small portion of the nitric acid leaked out of the bottle. Despite protective clothing and equipment, the chemist was burned on the neck. Following the accident, ICPP investigators discovered small, barely noticeable fatigue lines (one of which contained a minute pinhole) on the inside wall of the reagent bottle. The investigators determined that the nitric acid had leaked out through the pinhole and fallen onto an exposed area of the chemist's neck.
Under normal conditions, polyethylene bottles can be used almost indefinitely; however, when they are used to store and dispense corrosive chemicals for a prolonged period, the useful lifetime of the bottles may be markedly shortened. Reagent bottles holding corrosive chemicals may begin to deteriorate in 6 months or less, and dispensing such chemicals by repeatedly squeezing the bottle seems to accelerate the deterioration process. Unfortunately, because fatigue lines and/or pinholes are difficult to see, damage to the reagent bottles usually goes unnoticed until an accident, such as the one at ICPP, occurs.
Because polyethylene bottles are routinely used for dispensing and storing chemicals at all DOE laboratories, their deterioration presents a safety hazard to laboratory workers. Implementation of the recommendations listed below will reduce the risk of chemical burns resulting from faulty reagent bottles.
This publication is one of several series of bulletins published so that DOE program managers and contractors can share information about potential occupational safety problems relevant to DOE operations. For more information or additional copies, contact the Performance Evaluation Division, Office of Safety Compliance, Assistant Secretary for Environment, Safety & Health, U.S. Department of Energy, Washington, DC 20545; telephone (301)903-3294.