Laboratory Safety

Programs:

Biological Safety. Wellesley College's Biosafety Program serves to protect faculty, staff and students from exposure to biohazardous materials, to guard against the release of biohazardous materials that may harm humans, animals, plants or the environment, and to protect the integrity of experimental materials. Responsibility for oversight of the program resides with the Science Center Office and the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). All recombinant DNA studies, pathogenic organisms, and bloodborne pathogens must be registered with the IBC.

Chemical Safety. The OSHA Lab standard applies to all employees working with hazardous chemicals in the laboratory. The Chemical Hygiene Plan addresses how to safely work with hazardous chemicals to prevent occupational exposure in the laboratory. Responsibility for oversight of the program resides with the Science Center Office.

Radiation Safety. The Radiation Safety Committee is responsible for ensuring that all users of ionizing radiation are in compliance with existing regulatory requirements, such that any resultant radiation exposures are as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA). These objectives are accomplished through a radiation safety program that includes protocol review, continuous accountability of materials and devices, radiation safety training, laboratory waste processing and personnel dosimetry. Responsibility for oversight of the program resides with the Science Center Office.

Waste. Wellesley College is committed to pollution prevention and the management of hazardous and solid wastes in compliance with applicable regulations. It is Wellesley’s goal to (a) reduce these wastes; (b) reuse or recycle them, when possible, and (c) manage them safely, and in accordance with the law. Waste is managed by the EHS Office and the Science Center Safety Officer. Information on disposal can be found on the EHS website.

Satellite Waste Training Video. Run time: 2.51
Provided by the Campus Consortium for Environmental Excellence (C2E2)

 

Important Information:

Bloodborne Pathogens: The purpose of this Plan is to minimize and/or eliminate employee occupational exposure to bloodborne pathogens. An occupational exposure, for the purpose of this standard, means reasonably anticipated skin, eye, mucous membranes, or parenteral contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) that may result from the performance of an employee's duties.

Controlled Substances

Emergencies

Medical

HazMat Release

Phone Numbers:

• Police Department: x5555 or 2121 for non-emergencies
• Health Services: x2810
• EH&S: x3882

Department of Homeland Security

Ergonomics. Ergonomics is the scientific study of human work and considers the capabilities and limits of the worker during interaction with tools, equipment, work methods, tasks, and the working environment. It is, “fitting the task to the person and not the person to the task”. The EHS Office manages this program.

Fire Safety

Formaldehyde
OSHA Safety and Health Topic - Formaldehyde

Fume Hoods A laboratory fume hood is a three-sided enclosure with an adjustable front opening. It is designed to capture, contain, and exhaust hazardous fumes generated inside its  enclosure. Fume hoods accomplish this by exhausting air through the hood face to the outside of the building. Fumes are then drawn away from the worker's breathing zone. Because exposure to volatile chemicals is one of the top health and safety hazards to laboratory workers, a fume hood operates as a principle safety devise in a laboratory setting.  (Info from http://ateam.lbl.gov/hightech/fumehood/students/su00/Fox/FHSafety.htm)

Links on Fume Hood Operation & Safety:

Laboratory Chemical Hood Users Guide - Univ. of Louisville

Fume Hood Information - Cornell University

Fume Hoods and Biosafety Cabinets Safety Library

Gas Cylinders Brochure on safe handling and storage of compressed gas cylinders.

Scott Specialty Gases - Technical & Safety Data

How to Protect Yourself - Personal Protective Equipment, Engineering Controls and Adminstrative Controls

Inspections

Lasers

Material Safety Data Sheets . A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is designed to provide both workers and emergency personnel with the proper procedures for handling or working with a particular substance. MSDS's include information such as physical data (melting point, boiling point, flash point etc.), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, andspill/leak procedures.

Medical Screening & Surveillance. Medical screening is a method for detecting disease or body dysfunction before an individual would normally seek medical care. Medical surveillance is the analysis of health information to look for problems that may be occurring in the workplace that require targeted prevention. Working with some lab chemicals (ie. formaldehyde) or equipment (lasers) may require faculty, staff or students to be involved in these programs.

Nanotechnology EPA defines nanotechnology in their Final Nanotechnology White Paper as "Research and technology development at the atomic, molecular or macromolecular levels, in the length scale of approximately 1 - 100 nanometer range; creating and using structures, devices and systems that have novel properties and functions because of their small and/or intermediate size; and the ability to control or manipulate on the atomic scale." Click here for access to the EPA paper.

Regulations

Select Agents & Toxins

Shipping and Receiving of Hazardous Materials

Department of Transportation

UNH Shipment of Biological Materials Manual

Training

X-Rays

ABSA - Working at Animal Biosafety Levels 1, 2, and 3 http://absa.org/restraining.html

 

Links:

Science Center: Lab Safety
http://www.wellesley.edu/ScienceCenter/Safety/letter.html

OSHA Safety & Health Topics - Labs
http://www.osha.gov/SLTC/laboratories/index.html

Material Safety Data Sheet Info: http://www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/links/msds.htm

Mt. Holyoke College - Lab Safety http://www.mtholyoke.edu/offices/srm/labsafety.shtml

Yale Univeristy's Office of Environmental Health and Safety - Lab Safety http://www.yale.edu/oehs/lab.htm

Princeton University's Laboratory Safety http://web.princeton.edu/sites/ehs/LabPage/index.html

American Chemical Society - Committee on Chemical Safety - Booklet "Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, 7th Edition Volume 1 Accident Prevention for College and University Students

Forms:

Lab Program Review