Hellmann Lab Safetyand Operational Guidelines

Chris Brown/Jason Dzurisin

Sept. 10, 2007

Roles and Responsibilities Lab Manager’s Responsibilities:

Ensure lab members know and follow chemical hygiene rules. Monitor procurement, use and disposal of chemicals used in the

lab. Provide Risk Management and Safety with an annual inventory

of hazardous materials.

Lab Member Responsibilities: To plan and conduct all operations in accordance with the

chemical hygiene procedures. Develop good personal chemical hygiene habits. Obtain information pertinent to equipment and material safety Use personal protective equipment provided.

Hellmann Lab Chemical Hazards

Flammables Ethanol Isopropanol Chloroform Phenol Isoamyl Alcohol

Acid/Base Acids

37% Hydrochloric acid Acetic Acid EDTA

Bases Sodium hydroxide

pellets Potassium hydroxide

Other chemicals

Ethidium bromide Mutagenic Suspect carcinogen and teratogen

Teratogenic = causes possible genetic birth defects

Water Poses electrical hazard Poses physical hazard (slipping, etc.)

Safety Considerations

Wear gloves at all times when doing bench work Good general practice Prevents absorption of chemicals through skin Prevents contamination of samples

Wear lab coat when appropriate Chloroform/Phenol

Safety Considerations Spill Response

Stairway A, 1st floor Acid, Base, Solvent kits Procedures:

1. Inform Lab Manager2. Close off and mark spill area3. Lab Manager will treat spill4. Contact Risk Management

Fire Extinguisher: In lab, near exit Procedures:

1. Pull alarm (outside lab)2. Use extinguisher

Only if fire is ‘manageable’

3. If larger, evacuate the building

Safety Considerations Cuts/Scrapes

First Aid kit in lab Next to office Inform Lab Manager

Eye contamination Eye wash in lab

Tested every month1. Squeeze handle2. Keep eyes open3. Inform Lab Manager

Body Contamination Safety showers

In bathrooms just outside of lab Tested every month

1. Pull handle…area will not drain2. Take off contaminated clothing3. Inform Lab Manager

GLP Guidelines Label all handmade solutions with:

Contents Initials/Name Date

Bare minimum requirements under GLP rules Unknown solutions will have to be discarded

MSDS Forms Updated MSDS paper database in file cabinet Better to know what you’re working with than not “Right to know”

GLP Guidelines

Keep hood as clean/organized as possible Cluttered hood leads to reduced air flow Uncapped or open chemicals can mix

dangerously Use certain chemicals in the hood

Chloroform/Phenol mixtures Ethidium Bromide BME: beta-mercaptoethanol

Operational Guidelines

Hellmann Lab Layout

Office Workstations/Whiteboard

Gen

etic

sW

et C

hem

istr

y

Food Safe

Mee

tings

Mob

ile

wor

ksta

tions

Mic

rosc

opy

Dirt

y W

ork

Ge

l Ele

ctro

ph

ore

sis

Sta

tion

Fum

e H

ood

-80°

4°-20°-20°

Sto

rage

Station 1:Genetics/Wet Chemistry

All stations are general use

Users are responsible for leaving workspace clean and organized at the end of each workday

Red Taped area is RNA Free Zone

All tips are autoclaved

Station 2:Meetings/Mobile workstations/Food Safe

Yellow taped area is food safe. No hazardous materials allowed.

Middle stations are free for mobile laptop use or other misc. projects

Also used for meetings

Station 3:PCR/Electrophoresis/Balance/Waterbath

Station is group use

Should be left clean at end of use

When not active, hardware should be turned off

Station 4:Dirty Work/Microscopy

Left zone for microscopy only

Right zone for dirty projects and materials sorting

Should be left organized at the end of each workday

Station 5: Office Workstations/Whiteboard

Total of 3 computer workstations 1 Apple Powerbook 1 Gateway Desktop 1 IBM Thinkpad

Printer

Couch

Whiteboard

Station 5: Continued Office Workstations/Whiteboard

All workstations are group use Desktops should be left

clean User files should be

stored virtually

Please collect print jobs promptly; uncollected jobs will be recycled

Other considerations

When leaving: Clean and organize workspace Double-check all equipment is off Make sure hood shade is down and light is off Wash hands “Check out” with remaining personnel If last to leave, turn off all lights and ensure door

is locked