In the future, the laboratory will issue a memorandum about this incident to illustrate the need to wear safety glasses with side shields, store chemicals compatibly, take care when placing chemicals in the refrigerators for storage, and keep the quantities minimal. The laboratory will issue guidance regarding chemical storage hazards, identifying the hazard and requiring all chemicals to be stored according to compatibility, with secondary containment provided, in approved refrigerators.

The main point to keep in mind is to minimize the quantities of reactive materials to be stored in refrigerators. Chemicals placed in refrigerators should be stored with regard to their chemical compatibility, and secondary containment should be provided to prevent contact with incompatible chemicals.

Additional discussion about working with reactive metal-hydride materials in the laboratory can be found in the Lessons Learned Corner on this website and in the Hydrogen Safety Best Practices Manual.