1. Laboratory Safety Orientation
Joe Cook
Laboratory Operations Manager

2. Laboratory Operations Web Site

4. What Training is Required?
In Person Training: Chad Trent
Hazard Chemical Communication (HAZCOM).
Bloodborne Pathogens.
Fire Extinguisher. (required if you are going to use one)
On-Line. required if you will use the instrument/chemical
Chemical Hygiene Plan Summary
Biosafety Cabinets
Fume Hoods
Centrifuge Safety
Compressed Gas Safety
Autoclave Safety
Freezers
Liquid Nitrogen
Formalin

5. Chemical Hygiene Plan
Policy and procedures for specific laboratories and specific guidelines to protect students and staff from hazards
Standard Operating Procedures for specific chemicals.
Designation of one Chemical Hygiene Officer per lab.
Readily available to everyone.

6. What Does the CHP Cover Basic Rules And Procedures
Chemical Procurement, Storage & Distribution
Exposure Monitoring
Housekeeping
Medical Surveillance
Personal Protective Equipment
Recordkeeping
Chemical Spill Clean-Up and Reporting
Training, Information, and Factsheets
Hazardous Waste Disposal
Inspections
Safety Data Sheets/Material Safety Data Sheets
Floor Plan for Laboratory
Safety Equipment
Ventilation

7. Basic Rules And Procedures
SDS/MSDS for specific chemicals being used must be included or added to MSDS online.
Chemical labels must be used and comply with guidelines.
No mouth pipetting.
No food or drink in the lab.
No applying cosmetics/lip balm while in the lab
No beverages or food stored in Laboratory freezers and refrigerators.
Wash hands when leaving laboratory.
Do not work alone if hazardous chemicals or procedures are being used.
Know what PPE to use for each procedure (Goggles, safety glasses, face shield, lab coat, gloves, etc.).
Be familiar with emergency procedures.
Report unsafe conditions in the laboratory.
Use equipment only for it’s designed purpose.
Do not use damaged glassware.
Appropriately use, label, store and transport gas cylinders

8. Personal Protective Equipment
Principal Investigators are required to provide PPE for employees.
PPE must be selected as appropriate for the functions being performed.
All employees must be trained by the PI or other representative in proper PPE.
A hazard assessment form must be filled out for each employee.
More details see Section II.F in Laboratory Safety Manual
Please. No shorts, open toed shoes or sandals in the lab!

9. Safety Equipment
Eye Wash Stations: Flush weekly. Record date on the tag.
Emergency Showers: Know there they are and how to use them.
Flammable Liquid Storage Cabinets: Must be clearly labeled as "Flammable".
Flammable Storage Refrigerators or Freezers: Flammable materials must not store in regular freezer or refrigerator.
Fire Extinguishers: Class BC or ABC rated are usually appropriate. Know the locations.
First Aid Kits: Know the location. Inspect for content and quantities of supplies

10. Safety Data Sheets/Material Safety Data Sheets
Safety Data Sheets (SDS)/Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) are documents provided by manufacturers describing the physical and health hazards of hazardous chemicals and trade name products and must be accessible to all employees on all work shifts. Laboratories must keep on file any SDS/MSDS received with incoming shipments of hazardous chemicals. They may be stored in hard copy or electronic form. Employees must be able to access the information immediately 24/7.
It is strongly recommended that a person or persons be designated as responsible for obtaining and maintaining SDS/MSDSs for hazardous chemicals used in the laboratory. This person would ensure that SDS/MSDSs are available to all laboratory employees, and would obtain SDS/MSDSs for laboratory chemicals for which none are present.
We can input new chemicals for you into MSDS online. Here is what we need:
The name of the Principal Investigator.
The name of the vendor from which the chemical was ordered.
The order number (part number) of the chemical.

12. Fume Hoods
Before using a fume hood, double-check to ensure that it is in good working order: certified by EH&S within the last 12 months, air flow is sufficient, light is working and side panels are intact.
Never use a fume hood in alarm mode and never ignore a possible malfunction by muting the alarm.
Keep the fume hood clean and clear of unnecessary chemicals, glassware or equipment.
Work with the fume hood sash in the lowest possible position no higher than 18 inches. Keep the sash clean and clear.
Keep the sash in closed position when running an unattended experiment or when the fume hood is not in use.
Never extend your head inside a fume hood to check on an experiment or for any reason.
Keep chemicals and other materials at least 6 inches behind the plane of the sash.
Avoid quick movements and unnecessary traffic in front of the hood and keep the doors closed to prevent cross drafts.
Never attempt to modify or take any part off of a fume hood.

13. Fume Hoods
Never use a fume hood for a chemical or procedure that it is not designed for.
Do not evaporate or store chemical wastes inside the fume hood for long periods of time.
Locate sources of spark or ignition (e.g. power strips) outside of the fume hood.
Should the fume hood malfunction in the middle of a procedure that releases hazardous fumes, mists or particulates, follow this emergency plan:
Terminate all electrical and gas supply.
Pull the sash all the way down to the close position.
Alert supervisor and neighbors, advising everyone to evacuate the area.
Post "DO NOT ENTER, HAZARDOUS FUMES" on the entrance door if doing so will not compromise your safety.
 Call Facilities Department (8-7994) and Chad Trent, EH&S (8-6990) to report the emergency and arrange for fume hood repair.

14. Biosafety Cabinets
Turn on the cabinet (if it is not already on) 3 to 5 minutes before working in it to purge cabinet of particulates.
Disinfect the surfaces and containers inside the cabinet. Also periodically disinfect nearby incubators, refrigerators, and other equipment. Do not store cardboard boxes in the tissue culture room. You may use plastic containers that you are able to clean with disinfectant.
Minimize the number of arm movements inside the biosafety cabinet and move slowly. This will minimize the disruption of air currents required to keep the environment sterile. Have everything you need already in the cabinet before starting work.
Make sure the front grill is not obstructed.
Place materials as far back of the cabinet as possible.
Make sure doors to the tissue culture area are closed. Movement of air in front of the biosafety cabinet can disturb the air curtain in from of the unit.

15. Biosafety Cabinets
Work in the central third area of the cabinet. Work at least 4 inches in back of the front grill.
Reduce splatter.
Bunsen burners are not recommended. A lit burner will disrupt the air flow within the cabinet. If you need a burner, I suggest an on-demand type of burner. These have an electric ignition that turns on the burner only when needed.
When finished, remove all items from the cabinet.
Thoroughly decontaminate the work surface.
You may use a UV light when finished.
Leave the room after turning on the UV light.
Never work with the UV light on. This UV light is very damaging to the eyes.
Check the spill pan underneath the unit. Pour any liquid into disinfectant and decontaminate the pan.

16. Centrifuges
Make sure that tubes or containers are properly balanced in the rotor.
Make sure the rotor is compatible with the centrifuge and properly seated on the spindle.
Check tubes and buckets and rotors for any cracks. Do not use them if they are damaged.
Make sure the inside of the centrifuge is clean and dry before using it.
Do not overfill tubes. They should not be no more ¾ full.
Inspect O-ring on the centrifuge. If it is bad shape, do not use it. Contact someone to have the O-ring replaced.
Always use matched sets of tubes and buckets.
Do not open the centrifuge until it has stopped spinning.
Do not run a centrifuge with the lid open.
Always use safety centrifuge cups to contain potential spills and prevent aerosols.
Make sure the centrifuge is operating normally at the intended speed before leaving the area.
Be sure to read the manual for the centrifuge. Consult with someone who has experience using the centrifuge on a regular basis.

17. Autoclaves
Wear appropriate PPE. This includes lab coat, heat resistant gloves, and eye protection. This is especially important when opening the autoclave at the end of the run.
Follow the instructions that are typically posted on the front of the autoclave.
Do not seal containers. Under pressure, these could explode.
If water is running out of the bottom, do not open the autoclave. Wait until it is completely cool.
Wait for the pressure to reach zero and the temperature is at or below 121°C before opening the door at the end of a cycle.
To avoid steam burns and shattered glassware. Do not stand directly in front of the door. Open the door slowly.
Beware of superheated liquids. It is possible that a flask of liquid could suddenly boil and spill out scalding liquid if the flask is touched before it is cooled.
Do not autoclave sharps, pathological waste, hazardous chemicals, or radioactive materials.
Check glassware for cracks. Do not autoclave cracked glassware.
Check the autoclave for any spills inside before using it.
Use secondary containment. This can be metal trays that will collect any spillover from your containers.
Make sure the drain is clear of debris before using the autoclave.

18. Compressed Gas Safety
Tanks should always have safety caps attached upon delivery. Regulators should not be attached.
Inspect all regulators, pipes and stems. Do not accept a tank in poor condition (rust, pits, etc.).
Tanks should be clearly marked with gas contents. Do not rely on tank color. These colors are not a standard.
Tanks should be maintained in the vertical position, including during transport.
Tanks should be moved using wheeled carts designed for gas cylinder transport.
Cap cylinders when not being used.
Make sure the main valve is closed when not being used, even if the cylinder is empty.
When a cylinder is first connected to a regulator, do a leak test
Incompatible gases should not be store near each other. For example oxidizers should not be stored next to flammables.
Keep cylinders away from electrical outlets or electrical conductors such as metal pipes. When empty, label the cylinder as empty and then call to have it replaced.
Cylinders must be stored properly. They can be attached to a wall mount or a cylinder stand may be used.

19. Liquid Nitrogen
Contact with liquid nitrogen on the skin will cause frostbite. Use Cryogenic Gloves and eye protection.
A full face shield is recommended when working with liquid nitrogen. When exposed to ambient air, liquid nitrogen will boil and throw out droplets
Use only cryogenic containers designed for ultra-low liquids to transport liquid nitrogen (a dewar).
Do not tightly plug any opening of a liquid nitrogen container (Dewar). You must have adequate venting. A buildup of gas can cause the container to explode.
When transferring liquid nitrogen, use only small vessels that you can handle. For large vessels, use a liquid nitrogen withdrawal device.
Liquid nitrogen should be stored in a well-ventilated area. Evaporation into N2 gas can displace oxygen and cause suffocation.
Use a special funnel or phase separator when pouring liquid nitrogen. This will prevent splattering.
Do not place a hollow tube into liquid nitrogen. The liquid nitrogen will be drawn into the tube and spray out of the tube.
When liquid nitrogen is exposed for long periods of time to open air, liquid oxygen can build up. The condensed oxygen will increase the flammability of anything near it, such as clothing or chemicals. Please keep liquid nitrogen containers covered.

20. Waste Disposal Chemical waste:
Contact: EH&S. Chad Trent
See EH&S web page:
Chemical waste containers must be labelled.
The chemicals in the waste container must be listed with the approximate percentage contained in the waste.
Chemical waste containers should in a secondary container.
Chemical waste should have a designated short-term storage area within each lab.
The area should be labelled as “Satellite Accumulation Area”.
When waste is ready for pick-up, go the web site listed above and fill out the form.

21. Secondary Containment

22. Waste Disposal Biological waste
Contact: Laboratory Operations. Joe Cook
Web page:
Most biological waste can be decontaminated by autoclaving and then placed in regular trash.
If the waste contains hazardous chemicals, do not autoclave.
If autoclaving, use clear autoclave bags. Red biohazard bags cannot go into regular trash.
Deposit full sharps containers inside red Waste Management bio-waste tubs.
Send an to Joe Cook if a tub is full.
Glass serological pipettes and any other glass to dispose should go in a glass waste box.

23. Biological Waste Container

24. Radiation Safety
Radiation Safety is under the purview of the Radiation Safety Office (RSO) in Pullman.
For training, go to the RSO training web page and do the online training.
Contacts:
Rey McGehee
Sonja Hartig
Jennifer Serne
Scott Finch
There is a scintillation counter on the 2nd floor of PBS. Contact Joe Cook if you need a demonstration on how to use it.

25. Emergency Management
Each floor has a “Floor Captain” who is responsible for direction during an emergency. Find out who your floor captain is.
You should know the location of fire extinguishers and AED’s, but you can’t use them unless you have had training.
Training is announced in the daily “WSU Spokane Announcements” .
Flip charts are available that contain emergency procedures and contact information:
When in doubt, call 911.
You should know the evacuation procedures and meeting location outside in the event of an emergency. Ask your department admins or the floor captain for this information.
Sign up for campus alerts: