9.1.
Paragraph 7.17 of SSR‑2/2 (Rev. 1) [1] states:
“The use of chemicals in the plant, including chemicals brought in by contractors, shall be kept under close control. The appropriate control measures shall be put in place to ensure that the use of chemical substances and reagents does not adversely affect equipment or lead to its degradation.”
A policy should be established to prevent the use of unapproved chemicals or other substances in or on the plant’s SSCs. The responsibility for coordinating the control of chemicals and other substances on the site should be clearly established in accordance with the plant’s integrated management system.
9.2.
The operating organization should be responsible for ensuring the use of appropriate chemicals and their specified quality.
9.3.
The use of chemicals and other substances at the plant, including those brought to the plant by contractors, should be controlled in accordance with clearly established plant procedures.
9.4.
A list of approved chemicals and other substances that are allowed to be used at the plant should be readily available. All personnel working at the plant should know where to find this list.
9.5.
Chemicals and other substances should not be used in SSCs that are within the scope of the chemistry programme if they contain corrosion inducing components above the specified limits or if they might increase the activity on the SSC surfaces. If the use of such chemicals and substances cannot be rejected, a risk assessment should be performed and documented before accepting their use.
9.6.
Procedures should be established for the procurement, storage, replacement and ordering of chemicals and other substances, including hazardous chemicals. These procedures should align with or be more stringent than national regulations.
9.7.
Prior to the use of operational chemicals and other substances (e.g. boric acid, ion exchange resins, diesel fuel), a sample should be taken and analysed to ensure compliance with the relevant specifications, and the results should be compared with the supplier’s certificate. If the results are not in compliance with the specifications, use of the chemicals or other substances should be rejected, or a risk assessment should be performed and documented before accepting their use.
9.8.
The batch or container of chemicals or other substances should be labelled in accordance with plant procedures, for easy verification that the relevant department has approved its use in a specific area. Chemicals and other substances in storage areas should have a label indicating their shelf life. Tanks containing chemicals should also be appropriately labelled.
9.9.
When a chemical is transferred from a stock container to a smaller container, the latter should be labelled with the name of the chemical, the date of transfer and pictograms to indicate the risk and application area. The contents of the smaller container should not be transferred back into the stock container.
9.10.
If a sealed stock container has been opened, the date of opening should be documented. The quality of chemicals in open stock containers should be checked periodically. Residues of chemicals and substances should be disposed of in accordance with plant procedures.
9.11.
The number of new chemicals and other substances in the plant should be minimized. However, the replacement of harmful (from the point of view of personnel safety, environmental protection and material compatibility) chemicals or other substances with harmless ones should be encouraged.
9.12.
Personnel involved in receiving, storing, transporting and using chemicals and other substances should be trained in storage compatibility, labelling, handling and related safety requirements.
9.13.
The plant management should periodically perform walkdowns at the plant to evaluate whether the control and storage of chemicals and other substances is effective and to check for insufficient storage practices of chemicals and other substances.
9.14.
Material safety data sheets for all approved chemicals and other substances should be available and easily accessible to everyone on the site (e.g. in an electronic database). These data sheets should be in accordance with the relevant national legislation and should include, at a minimum, the possible hazards of the material, preventive measures for its handling, and medical recommendations in case of its improper use.
9.15.
Chemicals should be stored appropriately, for example in a cabinet that is fire resistant and that catches spillages. The chemical storage area should have a safety shower, in accordance with national regulatory requirements and plant design and documentation, and waste disposal procedures. Oxidizing and reducing chemicals, flammable solvents and concentrated acid and alkaline solutions should be stored separately. Reasonably small amounts of approved and properly labelled chemicals can be stored in other controlled environments.
9.16.
When storing chemicals, account should be taken of the reduced shelf life of opened containers. Unsealed and partly emptied containers should be stored in such a manner that the remaining product meets the certified specifications.