Hazardous Materials


The Chief Scientist should ensure that persons using or responsible for hazardous materials, review the requirements for their use at sea as presented in chapter 9 of the UNOLS Research Vessel Safety Standards Manual .

14 days prior to sailing, the Chief Scientist must submit the following to the MFP :
- a Hazardous Materials Inventory

- a Hazardous Material Usage Procedure
- Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDS) of all hazardous materials that will be brought onboard.


For each hazardous material brought aboard, the Chief Scientist is ultimately responsible that the project has:

  • Well labeled containers for use and waste. The labels must include, at a minimum:
    • Full and common names of the material inside the container
    • Name and phone number of the responsible person
    • An appropriate hazard warning that identifies the primary hazard(s):
      • Physical, i.e., water-reactive, flammable or explosive
      • Health, i.e., carcinogen, corrosive, or irritant
  • Plans for removal of waste and unused portions after the cruise
  • Equipment, materials and plans for normal use, spill cleanup and accidents
  • A MSDS for each material

The Chief Scientist is responsible for ensuring the proper packing, shipping, and disposal of all hazardous materials, waste materials, and empty containers associated with her/his project. Transportation and disposal must be carried out in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations. In no case will this responsibility be passed to the ship's crew, Marine Technicians, or UAF personnel unless arrangements are made with the Science Operations Manager in advance.

Federal Occupational Health and Safety (OSHA) rules require chemical manufacturers, importers, and distributors to label containers of hazardous chemicals. Persons bringing hazardous materials aboard are required to keep these labels intact on the containers. In addition, the chief scientist(s)/laboratory supervisor(s) must convey the following to all persons on board who work with, or who could be exposed to hazardous materials:

  • Applicable laboratory rules
  • Potential physical and health hazards
  • Appropriate personal protective equipment
  • How to handle spills, accidents and injuries
Bulk Storage

Hazardous material lockers for the storage of larger quantities of chemicals are available on Sikuliaq. Inside dimensions are:

  • One locker @ 46" W x 17.5" H x 16.5" deep.
  • Four lockers @ 23.5" x 23.5" x 23'5" each.

Space is limited, please contact the Science Operations Manager if you are planning to bring very large quantities aboard. Only daily working amounts of chemicals should be kept inside the ship. Incompatible chemicals must not be stored together. This information is readily available in Section 10 of MSDS documents.


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