27/11/2020
4th National Conference of
Chemical Laboratories
THEME: New Normal, New Solutions
STATUS OF INSPECTIONS OF CHEMICAL
LABORATORIES
Ma. Theresa C. Cayton, RCh
Member, Board of Chemistry
November 23–25, 2020
PRC Inspection Team
• Board of Chemistry
Dr. Adoracion P. Resurreccion
Dr. Soledad S. Castaneda
Ma. Theresa C. Cayton
PRC Staff from Regulations Division / Accreditation
and Compliance Division
Logistics support from the Integrated Chemists of
the Philippines National and Regional Chapters in
areas where there are no PRC regional offices/
vehicles available
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LABORATORY
INSPECTION ACTIVITIES
Preliminary meeting, introduction,
checking of organizational chart
Inspection of the laboratory and its
documents and activities, standard
operating procedures according to a
checklist based on the Chemistry Law’s
requirements
PPEs safety devices , chemical storage , waste disposal,
hazardous wastes management, lab facilities and equipment,
safety manual, qualifications and skills of professionals,
signatories of COA, CORs, hazard pay health insurance
Customized mentoring on hazardous waste
management and environmental protection
Number of Chemical Laboratories Inspected
48 180 36
June to January to January to
December December March
2016 2017 2018 2019 2020
109 223
January to January to
December August
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REGION 2
• Cagayan
REGION 1 NCR
• Ilocos • Quezon
CAR City
• La Union • Baguio
• Pangasinan • Pasig City
• Benguet
• Taguig
City
REGION 4A • Muntinlup
• Laguna a
• Batangas • Alabang
• Rizal REGION 5 • Sucat
• Cavite • Bicol
• Quezon
REGION 3
REGION 9 REGION 4B • Bulacan
• Zamboanga • Palawan • Pampanga
REGION 8
REGION 10 • Leyte
• Bukidnon REGION 6 • Samar
• Misamis Oriental • Iloilo
• Cagayan de Oro • Bacolod
REGION 7
REGION 11 • Cebu
• Davao • Negros
• Bohol
REGION 12
• Koronadal REGION 13
• Polomok
• Surigao
• General Santos
Out of 696 Chemical Out of 596 Chemical
Laboratory Applications Laboratories Inspected
100
(15.22%)
279
(46.81%)
317
(53.19%)
596
(84.78%)
For inspection Inspected Approved For compliance
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IMPACTS OF COMPLIANCE TO RA 10657
Professionalizing chemical analyses - for certified
labs, chemical analyses are only performed by
licensed chemists and chemical technicians, licensed
pharmacists ( for pharmaceutical , supplements,
cosmetics) as mandated by law
Improvement on health and safety of lab
personnel – lighting / ventilation / fire hazards /
fume hoods, canopy hoods and exhaust system /
safety manual / use of PPEs / chemicals and
hazardous wastes storage
Initial inspection : Dim, flammable
wood ceiling and cabinets, poor
housekeeping
Well organized, with chemically resistant
laboratory working table and cabinets
ONE EXAMPLE OF
LABORATORY IMPROVEMENT
After corrective actions
were done: Well lighted,
with non flammable
ceiling
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Non flammable
acid resistant
cabinets for
chemical storage
BEFORE
Properly functioning
laboratory fume hood
Emergency shower
and eyewash station AFTER
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ONE EXAMPLE OF A HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN ADRESSED
Figure 2 Corroded cabinet
handles are replaced with
new stainless steel handle
Figure 1 Corroded stainless
steel cabinet handles as
evidence of acid fumes in
the area
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ONE EXAMPLE OF A HEALTH AND SAFETY CONCERN ADRESSED
Laboratory Concern regarding Corrections:
Facilities and wastewater Analysts to dispense acid in the
Equipment treatment fumehood no longer at the working
Laboratory- evidence table
of acid fumes in the
area because of Always Switch on the exhaust fan before
heavy corrosion of and during the conduct of analyses
stainless steel
emergency shower Replace corroded handles of the
and cabinet handles cabinets.
probably coming from
acid rinse drum. Scrub/remove accumulated rust in the
Please study and handle of the emergency shower
correct this daily
source of exposure to Corrective Actions:
acid fumes in this - Transfer the exhaust fan switch
area outside the wastewater lab
- Install canopy hood above the
working table (Center Table)
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ONE EXAMPLE OF FUME HOOD
STACK IMPROVEMENT
FUME HOOD EXHAUST PIPE 1
ROOF TOP VIEW
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IMPACTS OF COMPLIANCE TO RA 10657
Waste reduction and proper disposal and
monitoring of hazardous wastes as a result of
customized waste management mentoring, this is
good for the environment while saving costs for the
companies
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Findings on Hazardous
Waste Management
in Chemical Laboratories
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OBSERVATIONS
• A few labs have:
• minimal amount of hazardous wastes
• been discarding hazardous wastes into the sewer
• Some labs have on site waste water treatment or are
connected to shared facility
• Many labs are sending wastes to 3rd party treaters which
are not actually hazardous
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OBSERVATIONS
• Majority of the labs are sending their wastes to a 3rd party
DENR accredited waste treater
• Many labs have hazardous wastes accumulating in their
sites because of:
• remote location, no available treater or too expensive to transport and
treat
• no hazardous generator permit
• volume still small for transporter
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OBSERVATIONS
• Many labs are mixing hazardous wastes with non-
hazardous wastes thus increasing the waste volume and
cost of treatment
• Some labs have buried immobilized hazardous wastes
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OBSERVATIONS
• Some labs have mislabelled/misclassified wastes
• COD waste labelled and classified as acid waste or chromium waste
but this has mercury!
• Waste from analysis of urine classified as pathological waste but
actually its mixed chemicals waste
• Many labs have misdeclared hazardous waste, for example, “heavy
metals analysis waste” and “mercury analysis waste” on the label but
no heavy metals/no mercury content
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WASTE REDUCTION AT SOURCE
• Use of analytical methods using less hazardous chemicals
• replaced chloroform with iso-octane in determination of peroxide
value in fats
• used dry ashing or microwave digestion instead of triacid digestion
• replaced lead acetate with octapol or pink zeolite as clarifying
agent in sugar analysis
• use of NIR to analyze sugars instead of the method using lead
acetate
• use of NIR instead of Kjeldahl to determine protein content
• mercury free COD test kits for COD analyses of low chloride
wastewater, pre- treatment with silver oxide if chloride is high
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BEST LABORATORY PRACTICES FOR
HAZARDOUS WASTES RESULTING FROM
COMPLIANCE TO CORRECTIVE ACTIONS IN
INSPECTION REPORT
• Thorough waste segregation
• Proper hazardous waste characterization
• Correct classification
• Proper labelling
• Ideal storage
• Continuous hazardous waste minimization
programs
• Due diligence in selection of 3rd party waste
treaters
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Generated Laboratory Wastes from a Feeds
Manufacturing Facility
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Generated Laboratory Wastes from a Feeds
Manufacturing Facility
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SAMPLE CERTIFICATE OF TREATMENT FROM
A THIRD-PARTY TREATER
What is wrong with
this table???
CN 70 ppm
HCl pH 2
Other
acids pH 2
Hg wastes
0.1 ppm
Halogenated
Non halogenated
Used oil
Oil cont
Pharma/drugs
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IMPACTS OF COMPLIANCE TO RA 10657
Health insurance and hazard pay provision—
more and more registered chemists and chemical
technicians are now receiving hazard pay.
• From government agencies which at the start said
there was no way to implement this
• From companies that said hazard pay is already
incorporated in the basic pay
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During the Pandemic -Board of Chemistry
Activities Related to Laboratory Inspections
• Continuous communication with inspected
laboratories to get evidences of compliance to the
corrective actions in their inspection report
Approved Certificate Authority to Operate for 57
chemical laboratories from March 2020 to November
2020
• Currently working on the approval of a resolution
which will allow virtual inspection of chemical
laboratories by the Board of Chemistry with support
from the PRC regional offices and the ICP regions.
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• Denials of application were sent to the first
batch of chemical labs already inspected
but still non compliant to date and have not
communicated to the Board the updates on
the corrective actions required in the
inspection report for more than 3 years
after inspection
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• Notices of violation were sent to the first
batch of chemical labs which have not yet
applied for certificate to operate, more
than 2 years after the end of the grace
period for compliance allowed by law
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We have covered much ground but we have still
have a long way to go with regards to inspection
and compliance of chemical laboratories to the
Chemistry Law.
But during the last 4 years, we have seen a huge
improvement in the leadership, organization,
health and safety practices, environment
protection and other aspects of the practice of
our chemistry profession in chemical
laboratories.
The resulting upliftment and recognition of
our chemists and chemical technicians is a
much welcome result of all our combined
efforts to implement the Chemistry Law.
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Thank you CHEMISTRY LAW ! !
And all our colleagues from ICP and PRC who worked so hard
and so long for 15 years for its approval !
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Thank you for listening! !
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