Life Safety Box

What is the yellow metal box and who is responsible for updating the information inside the life safety box? Response personnel need to know what hazardous materials are present in a room at the time of an emergency. At Stanford, this data is provided in the Life Safety Box (LSB) posted outside the entrance of each laboratory storing hazardous materials.

The responsibility for maintaining accurate information in a Life Safety is shared by EHS, departments and lab personnel.

  • Labs are responsible for updating their chemical inventory at least annually by reviewing existing inventory posted in ChemTracker and adding/deleting items to reflect current information.
  • Contact Notification Form with current information for key contacts is updated by department and/or lab.
  • Chemical Storage Map with chemical storage information is updated by department and/or lab.
  • Need a Life Safey Box? Submit an online SOM eAM Work request for the installation of an LSB at the entrance for any room used for chemical storage.

Life Safety Box Contents

Chemical Inventory-based Form

The responsibility for updating contents is shared by EHS, departments and PI's for individual labs. The LSB coversheet, Guide to Hazard Quantities, and Hazardous Materials Inventory sheets posted in the LSB are generated and posted by EHS. The forms are based on the chemical inventory entered by individual labs in ChemTracker.

LSB Coversheet

The LSB coversheet provides a "snapshot" of chemicals stored inside the room.

Guide to Hazard Quantities

The guide is generated by EH&S, summarizes hazard class descriptions and the specific hazardous materials quantities located in each laboratory reporting a chemical inventory.

  • Emergency response personnel are familiar with the DOT hazard classification and coding system. If the quantity of hazardous materials exceeds the threshold quantity, an appropriate DOT sticker will also indicate the hazard on the LSB Cover sheet.
  • Hazard classes 1.0-9.0 are considered the Main Hazard and is synonymous with the DOT hazard classification.
  • Hazard classes 11-49 further define hazardous and regulatory characteristics that are not defined by the Main Hazard and includes additional details about each group of chemicals.
  • If a significant change is made in the chemical inventory stored in a room, an updated copy of the report must be posted in the LSB. Contact EH&S Hazardous Materials Office to request a revised Guide to Hazard Quantities.

Hazardous Materials Inventory

This information is posted in the LSB by the EH&S Hazardous Materials Office.

  • The Hazardous Material Inventory report available in the LSB contains detailed chemical inventory information, main (based on DOT) and additional hazard class information and Stanford Storage Group codes for practical segregation of laboratory quantities of hazardous materials.
  • The Storage Group codes are based on Stanford’s Compatible Storage Group Chemical Classification System. Stanford-specific storage group information is used for proper segregation incompatible materials.

Emergency Notification Form

This form is maintained and updated by the laboratory/department for use by emergency response personnel; it contains current emergency contact information for department/lab contacts.

It is important for workers, especially for PIs and supervisors, to be notified of any incidents that have occured in their areas. When an emergency occurs, the best source of accurate information is the people that work there regularly.

Chemical Storage Map

This is updated by the lab to indicate location of hazards within the laboratory based on threshold quantities indicated in the Hazards Key at the bottom of the map.

Location of room hazards indicated on the map include laboratory equipment, safety equipment, Main Hazard Classes 1-9 (over-threshold quantities of chemical hazards), radiological materials and biological hazards.