Prevention, control, and mitigation of dangerous conditions is the goal of limiting the hazardous material allowance in a control area.

Control area is a building or portion of a building where a maximum allowable quantity of hazardous materials can be stored, used, or handled.

Three variants of the X26 are currently available. The X26C is the only one that civilians can purchase, and unlike the others does not record firing data. The variants available to law enforcement and military clients are the X26E (which was the earliest variant) and the more advanced X26P. The latter can be distinguished from the others by its more detailed information display, a differently-shaped grip, a redesigned exterior shell, and the ability to use a variety of battery packs that are unavailable to civilians.

Important – Read about how the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS) affects chemical use at UC San Diego.

Chemical StorageCabinet

The Taser X12 LLS (for Less Lethal Shotgun) was the result of a collaboration between Taser International and Mossberg that took a Mossberg 500-series shotgun and modified it by giving it a crossbolt safety in place of standard Mossberg tang safety, ghost ring iron sights, a rifled barrel set to a custom 1:18 twist rate, yellow furniture to indicate that it was a dedicated less-lethal weapon, a Picatinny rail, and the Radial Ammunition Key to prevent the firing of lethal 12-gauge shells (which carries the extra side benefit of making it, like a flare launcher, a non-firearm). Its associated ammunition, the Taser XREP (EXtended Range Electro-Muscular Projectile) shell, on the other hand, can be fired out of any 12-gauge shotgun. The XREP ammunition was released in 2007, with the LLS released in 2009, and both were available to Law Enforcement only.

The Taser X26 is the smaller but upgraded version of the M26. Developed in response to concerns about the size and weight of the M26 (which has about the same dimensions as a full-sized service pistol), the X26 is 60% smaller in size than the M26. The X26 uses the same cartridges as its predecessor, the M26. The X26 also has the unique ability to be attached to rifles/carbines with an appropriate rail system, using Taser International's "X-Rail" mount.

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The weapon themselves are fully ambidextrous, have a more detailed LCD screen than the X26, dual visible aiming lasers, an aiming light, plastic blade sights on top, and a new button on the side of the gun to trigger the "warning arc," engage "Drive Stun" mode, or to keep applying electricity to any target(s) previously hit. The difference between the X2, and X3, as their names state, are the amount of cartridges they hold. The Taser X2 can, however, also mount a night-vision-capable "Taser cam."

Chemical container labels are required by law to contain specific information. High hazard materials require extra information.

The maximum allowable quantity per control area is based on the material state (solid, liquid, or gas), the material storage or condition of use, and possible mitigating circumstances.

EH&S performs a pre-scheduled annual inventory of every facility where hazardous chemicals are used or stored as part of the Hazardous Materials Business Plan (HMBP) required by the County of San Diego.

Minimize inventory tasks, maintenance, and the risks associated with chemical supplies by restricting the amount of material you order and store:

Chemical storageroom requirements

When first introduced, this model did not come with any sights at all, but an external laser sight accessory eventually became commercially available. Its power source, fitting its early-1990s origins, was a 9-volt battery. Able to muster only 5 watts of power, the Air Taser in the field occasionally had trouble at incapacitating targets, or delivering as many shocks, compared to later models, and due to these factors the Air Taser Model 34000 has long been discontinued by Taser International. However, the cartridges introduced with this weapon would remain in use with later models, up to the Taser X26 (detailed below).

The M26 (the 26 in the designation standing for the number of watts of power it could generate) was the first model to allow for reliable and consistent Neuro-Muscular Incapacition on the vast majority of targets, another factor leading to its widespread adoption. Its power source is an array of 8 AA batteries stored in the pistol grip, much like the ammunition magazine of many semiautomatic pistols. Despite its success, Taser International would discontinue sales of the M26 in 2010, with the civilian M26C (C for Citizen) being the only version of this model still being sold. Whether the M26C can use the longer range law-enforcement-exclusive cartridges has not been confirmed.

MAQs are set by the Fire Code to keep building occupants and first responders safe. EH&S tracks, monitors, and assists in facilitating MAQ compliance on Campus.

Chemical storagepdf

Introduced in 1994, the Model 34000 is a refinement of the earlier TASER TF-76, using compressed air instead of gunpowder to propel its probes, thereby bypassing classification as a firearm and the accompanying restrictions on who could buy and use them. It was also the first model to introduce the AFID (Anti-Felon Identification) tags stamped with the weapon's serial number that emerged whenever a cartridge (dubbed "Air Cartridges" by the manufacturer) was fired, as a means of providing evidence of use and identifying the weapon used, because conventional ballistic fingerprinting cannot be used with Tasers. The Air Taser 34000 can also be used as a conventional stun gun if cartridges are not loaded, a feature carried over to every subsequent Taser model.

The compactness of the X26 drove the developers to use a proprietary lithium-ion power source (called a "Digital Power Magazine"), smaller than the M26's battery array, but which cannot be recharged. This meant a reduced power level of around 7 watts, but due to its "Shaped Pulse" technology allowing more efficient use of power, the X26 achieves slightly greater NMI effects than the M26 could. All Taser models have since used "Shaped Pulse" technology and Digital Power Magazines. Taser International has, however, released a rechargeable proprietary lithium-ion battery for the "Taser Cam" camera accessory that powers both the camera and the weapon to which it's attached.

Improvements over the M26 include an integral LED tactical light along with the standard laser sight (both of which can be switched on or off individually or together), high-visibility iron sights, an LED information display at the back of the weapon that can show the percentage of battery power remaining or the time left in an electrical discharge. The LED display will not turn on if neither the light or laser are set to be on while the weapon is armed. The X26 is also capable of recording data on its usage with more storage capacity than the M26, but its dataport is inside the battery socket, instead of being at the rear of the weapon like the M26.

All reporting of “Hazardous Materials Business Plan” information to regulatory agencies and the California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) is facilitated through Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S).

The Taser X3 was introduced in 2009 and discontinued around 2013, most likely due to its higher weight, bulk, and comparatively low sales. The Taser X2 was introduced in 2011 and currently remains in production. The two models' lithium-ion batteries are not interchangeable.

The Redon RD-5M is a Chinese-made CEW. It appears to be based on Taser International's Taser C2, and like the C2 the RD-5M has both a laser sight and tactical light.

Note: All reporting of “Hazardous Materials Business Plan” information to regulatory agencies and California Environmental Reporting System (CERS) is facilitated through Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S).

Hazardous materials are inventoried for the HMBP if the substance is used, handled, or stored in quantities greater or equal to the following:

Principal investigators, authorized lab contacts, and Department Safety Officers (DSOs) may use the My Research Safety Web portal to view and export their current inventory records for chemicals, radioisotopes, and controlled substances.

Types ofchemical storage

The Taser and variants can be seen in the following films, television series, video games, and anime used by the following actors:

The Taser (Thomas A. Swift's Electric Rifle) is a less-lethal weapon manufactured by Taser International. It is used by many law enforcement agencies around the world as a way to subdue potentially dangerous targets where normally a lethal weapon would have been used. The Taser works by firing small canisters of nitrogen gas to propel two electrode darts known as "probes" up to 160 fps that can pierce clothing and will stick into the skin. Each probe has conductive wires trailing behind them to carry the electric charge from the main unit. The electric shock lasts for 5 seconds (10/30 for civilian models) and will deliver 0.02-0.04 amps which will cause neuromuscular incapacitation, in which the target's nervous system would have no control of the muscles causing instant and unavoidable incapacitation. The Taser can double as a standard stun gun by removing the cartridges, or in the case of the X2 and X3, by holding the button on the side and pressing the Taser to the intended target.

Occupancy is the purpose for which a building or a part of the building is used or intended to be used. Most UC San Diego research and shop facilities are classified as Group B occupancy.

Chemical Storagesignage

The predecessor to the more well-known Taser M26, the Air Taser Model 34000 is the first Taser product that pioneered many features in later Taser models.

Particularly high hazard materials and substances regulated by law are subject to special storage requirements. See special requirements for the materials below:

Among the challenges facing UC San Diego is ensuring unhindered research while managing chemical inventories within allowable California fire code (CFC) limits. Fire code limits differ by building, building floor, or a defined storage area in some cases, and are subject to many variables.

Chemical inventory limitations are addressed by control area, not by specific room location. The maximum allowable quantity of hazardous materials will be considered as part of the control area where the materials are located, type of building occupancy, and other mitigating circumstances.

Maximum allowable quantity (MAQ) is the amount of hazardous material that can be stored or used within a control area inside a building or an outdoor control area.

UC San Diego departments are responsible for safely and securely managing chemical supplies and complying with fire code allowances in facilities under their purview. The procedures below meet the California Fire Code (CFC) requirements and the Community Right-to-Know Act.

Chemical storageguidelines

The Taser X2 and X3 are the newest Tasers on the market, though neither was the first multi-shot CEW to be developed. The X2 and X3 use "Smart Cartridges" which differ from those used by the M26 and the X26, by virtue of being slimmer and having the ability to emit a "warning arc" of electricity to intimidate a potential target or otherwise allow the X2 or X3 to be used in "Drive Stun" mode without needing to be fired or unloaded.

Chemical storageregulations

NOTE: The M26 is very similar in appearance to the M18 and M18L models, the civilian versions of the "Advanced Taser" series released around the same time as the M26, but which were discontinued in favour of the M26C. The differences are mainly internal, being that the M18 models could only generate 18 watts of power and could not record data on shocks delivered. They can, however, be externally distinguished from the M26 series in two ways. If a Taser in question looks like the M26 but lacks the integral laser sight, then it is an M18 model (all M26 models, along with the M18L model, have an integral laser sight). Both M18 models also lack the dataport at the rear, which could be hard to discern as the dataport is normally covered by a yellow rubber plug, the same colour as the rear of the weapon.

The variables described below—building occupancy, control areas, maximum allowable quantity, and mitigating circumstances—determine chemical allowances for each building:

Given the high cost of the ammunition (the shells were essentially flying, self-contained stun guns good only for a single hit, and may or may not have been recyclable after use), issues with effectiveness in the field, and concerns about its ability to cause inadvertent lethalities, TASER International discontinued sales of the Taser X12 and the Taser XREP ammunition in April 2012.

Chemical storagetank

Group B occupancy buildings have a specific number of control areas. Most Group B occupancy research buildings at UC San Diego have 4 control areas, but there are some exceptions for newer buildings.

The M26 was part of the "Advanced Taser" series, and was the first widely-adopted Taser model used by different law enforcement agencies and military personnel for less-lethal takedowns. Refinements over the Model 34000 include an ergonomic pistol-like shape, basic iron sights, an integral laser sight, and the ability to store data about the last 500+ shocks delivered (with cartridges or without), which could be downloaded through a proprietary download kit inserted into the dataport at the rear of the weapon. Like its predecessor, the M26 could be used as a conventional stun gun if fired cartridges or no cartridges were loaded.

Chemicals that degrade over time require additional record-keeping. These include peroxide formers, air and water reactives, and other time-sensitive materials.

Mitigating circumstances are fire-suppression systems and special storage cabinets that significantly reduce hazards and may affect the maximum allowable quantity assigned to a control area.

Make the most of your investment and prevent chemical degradation over time by accurately tracking what you buy, use, and store.