[Insert your municipality here)Clan Lab Awareness Training

Awareness for identifying possible materials associated with clan

labs

Clan Lab Awareness

What is a Clan Lab?• Clan lab is the short term for clandestine

laboratory for illegal drug production. Most clan labs are associated with making methamphetamine or ecstasy but could be for LSD, GMB, crack cocaine or hash oil.

Clan Lab AwarenessWhat health hazards are there for materials associated with clan

labs?• Most clan lab chemicals fall into three categories

– petroleum solvents– acids – bases (alkali /caustics).

• Petroleum solvents used are highly volatile and can evaporate quickly so that they can be inhalation hazard (dizziness) or fire hazard.

• The acids and caustics are in a liquid or solid form so there may be risks of chemical burns to the skin.

• Abandoned liquids may be mixtures of solvent and corrosive liquids.• Mixing the different components can create toxic gases

– E.g. rock salt and sulfuric acid create hydrogen chloride gas• The drugs themselves are present in trace quantities and do not

pose a health risk to workers.

Clan lab wasteA combination of some or many of these products is an indication of

clan lab activity

• Numerous pill bottles and packaging – allergy medication with pseudoephedrine• Solvent containers – plastic or metal

» Either» Acetone» White gas, camping fuel» Chloroform» Methanol» Isopropanol, rubbing alcohol» Toluene, MEK, xylene, naptha

• Stained (red/ brown/ yellow/ orange) glassware, pots, plastic buckets, coolers (may have holes cut in them)

• Compressed gas cylinders of ammonia or propane (often badly corroded from holding ammonia)• Numerous household consumer products

» Carburetor cleaner or engine starter (flammable solvent)» Road flares (red phosphorus = red staining)» Drano crystals, Red devil lye (strong caustic alkaline corrosive)» Car batteries, drain opener, root killer (strong acid)» Rock salt (mixed with strong acid to produce toxic corrosive gas)» Iodine (yellow or brown staining)» Tile and grout cleaners (strong acids or strong alkaline corrosives)» Gas line antifreeze (flammable solvents)

• Miscellaneous waste may include flex ducting, tubing (stained), funnels, numerous red stained coffee filters and lab glass ware.

• Clan lab waste may have a general odour of “cat urine” or “licorice”.

•Round bottom flasks

•Ducting

•Plastic sheeting

•Heating plates

Note: Red staining from red phosphorus

Staining may be yellow to brown orange from the use of iodine as well.

Staining will be on equipment

Round bottomed flasks

Heating plates

Condensers – glass tube within a glass tube

Tubing

Hot plate

Note: Red-brown staining on other items and surfaces

Assorted laboratory glassware

Separatory funnels

Flasks

Laboratory glassware

Heating plate

Note red residue on condenser column

Clan Lab Awareness• Minimum PPE:

– Rubber, nitrile, or neoprene gloves. Discarded at end of work.– Coveralls, immediately removed after task or contact and must be laundered

before worn again• If crews come across suspect liquid wastes (greater than 1 liter) they should call

(insert appropriate contact here).