general lab safety - nazarbayev university

General Lab Safety

Why lab safety training is important?

  No one wants to be hurt and injured!   No one wants to compensate for equipment loss!   NU is committed to provide and maintain healthy

and safe working and learning environments for all employees, students, volunteers and visitors.

  Requirement: everyone will need to pass a online safety test. A link will be sent to you by the HSE department. Failure or No show will cause you not allowed to do labs in the coming semester.

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A recent lab accident 3

  The University of Hawaii faces a total $115,500 fine for15 workplace safety violations after a laboratory explosion in March 2016 on the university’s Manoa campus. Postdoctoral researcher Thea Ekins-Coward, who worked for the Hawaii Natural Energy Institute, lost one of her arms in the explosion.

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If you have lab experience, you may have been asked to…

Why does lab safety matter?

  Safe working protects:   You   Other lab workers   Cleaners   Visitors   Your work

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Regulations – Lab Standard@NU

  National level (RK)   University level (NU)   School level (SEng)

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The Laboratory Standard applies to all individuals engaged in laboratory use of hazardous chemicals. “Laboratory” means a facility where the “laboratory use of hazardous chemicals” occurs. The Laboratory Standard consists of five major elements: • Hazard identification; • Chemical hygiene plan; • Information and training; • Exposure monitoring; and • Medical consultation and examinations

How to do a Risk Assessment? 7

You will receive specific training on how to do this in your department.

Use Precautionary Principle!

What are the general hazards in a laboratory?

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Chemical hazards (1) 9

  Air contaminants: e.g., toluene and xylene. They are solvents used to fix tissue specimens and rinse stains. They are primarily found in histology, hematology, microbiology and cytology laboratories.

  Acrylamide is usually found in research laboratories and is used to make polyacrylamide gels for separations of macromolecules (e.g., DNA, proteins).

  Formaldehyde is used as a fixative and is commonly found in most laboratories.

  One of the most common chemicals that laboratory workers are exposed to is latex, a plant protein. The most common cause of latex allergy is direct contact with latex, a natural plant derivative used in making certain disposable gloves and other products.

Chemical hazards (2) 10

  Safety Data Sheets for chemicals received by the laboratory must be supplied by the manufacturer, distributor, or importer and must be maintained and readily accessible to laboratory workers. Information is defined by Global Harmonization System of Classifying and Labeling Chemicals

  The Chemical Hygiene Plan set forth procedures, equipment, PPE and work practices capable of protecting workers from the health hazards presented by chemicals used in the laboratory.

Physical hazards and others 11

  Radiation: can pose a considerable health risk to affected workers if not properly controlled.

  Fire and explosion   Noise: Operation of large analyzers (e.g., chemistry

analyzer), fume hoods, biological safety cabinets, incubators, centrifuges (especially ultracentrifuges), cell washers, sonicators, and stirrer motors, all contribute to the noise level in laboratories.

Controlling lab hazards 12

Control Measures (in order of preference)

1.  Use a less risky substance

2.  Use a safer form of that substance (e.g. solution instead of powder)

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Control Measures

3.  Totally enclose the process (e.g. a glove-box)

4.  Partially enclose the process (e.g. with a fume cupboard)

5.  Ensure good general ventilation

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Control Measures

6.  Safe systems of work 7.  Reduce exposure

times, increase distance, reduce volumes

8.  Personal protective equipment (as a last resort for primary protection)

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10 important lab safety rules

  1. Follow the instructions   Instructor, lab supervisor, books   If you are unclear about any point or have questions, get them

answered before starting, even if it’s a question about a step later on in the protocol.

  Know how to use all the lab equipment before you begin.

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  2. Know the location of safety equipment   Review lab safety signs and look for them before starting an

experiment   Periodically check equipment to make sure it is in working

order.

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  3. Dress for the lab   Wear covered shoes, long pants and keep your hair up so it

can’t fall into your experiment or a flame   Wear protective gear as needed, such as a lab coat, safety

goggles, gloves, hearing protection and other items

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  4. Don’t eat or drink in the lab and save your food or beverages in the same refrigerator that contains experiments, chemicals.   There is too much risk of contaminating your food   Having drinks in the lab risks your experiment too.   Eating and drinking in the lab is a form of distracting.   You may accidentally reach for and drink the wrong liquid

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  5. Don’t taste or sniff chemicals   The best way to know what’s in a container is to label it, so get

in the habit of making a label for glassware before adding the chemical

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  6. Don’t play mad scientist in the lab   Don’t play Mad Scientist randomly mixing chemicals to see

what happens. The result could be an explosion, fire, or release of toxic gases

  Lab is not the place for horseplay!

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Dispose lab waste properly

  Before you start an experiment, you should know what to do at the end. Don’t leave your mess for the next person to clean up   Are the chemicals safe to dump down the drain?   If you have biological cultures, is it safe to clean up with soap

and water or do you need an autoclave to kill dangerous organisms?

  Do you have broken glass or needles?

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  8. Know what to do with lab accidents   Tell your supervisor that an accident occurred. Don’t lie about

it or try to cover it up.   If you get cut, exposed to a chemical, bitten by a lab animal, or

spill something there could be serious consequences.

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  9. Leave your experiment at the lab   Don’t take it home! This is how science fiction movies start.   You can hurt someone, cause a fire, or lost your lab privileges

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  10. Don’t experiment on yourself   Science means using the scientific method. You need data on

multiple subjects to draw conclusions. Experimenting on yourself is dangerous and it’s bad science.

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Protecting yourself

  Wear the clothing and protective wear identified in your risk assessment

  Laboratory coats must be kept fastened

  Don’t wear sandals or open shoes

  Long hair must be tied back

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Protecting yourself - gloves

  There are many different types of protective glove

  Use the correct ones for the job you will be doing

  Remember that you need to select chemical protection gloves according to the materials and/or substances (safety data sheet) with which you will be working

  Remove your gloves before using instruments, telephone, and leaving the laboratory

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Laboratory hygiene

  Never eat, drink or smoke in a laboratory

  Never apply cosmetics   Never touch your face,

mouth or eyes   Never suck pens or chew

pencils   Always wash your hands

before you leave and especially before eating

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Avoiding Fires

 Flammable substances   Use minimum quantity   Store in special storage

cabinet   Use temperature-

controlled heating sources (eg water-bath rather than hot-

plate or Bunsen burner)

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Minimise fire damage

 Make sure corridor fire doors and laboratory doors are kept shut at all times

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Fire Safety

  Make sure that you know what to do:   If you have a fire   If you hear a fire alarm

  If you are a member of staff you must attend fire training annually. Post graduates should also seriously consider doing so.

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Glassware

  Use correct techniques for the insertion of tubing onto glassware

  Never use glassware under pressure or vacuum unless it is designed for the job and suitably shielded

  Dispose of chipped or broken glassware – it is a risk to you and others

  Always dispose of broken glass in a glass bin or sharps bin and not in a general waste bin

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Spillages 33

Gas cylinders

  Never use without formal training   Minimise the number in a laboratory

  Store externally whenever possible   Cylinders are heavy and can do serious

damage to you if they fall   Ensure that they are chained when in use   Move only with a cylinder trolley

  Use regulators & control equipment suitable for the gas concerned

  Consider the consequences if your cylinder leaks

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Electrical Equipment 35

General Tidiness

  Keep your workplace tidy   Clear up waste, deal with

washing up and put things away as you finish with them

  Make sure everything is safe before you leave things unattended

  A tidy laboratory avoids accidents to everyone

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Laboratory Equipment

 Never use any laboratory equipment unless you are trained & have been authorised to do so

 As well as injuring yourself you may cause very costly damage

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First Aid 38

Protecting your health

  If you have an allergy to lab materials or suffer from a medical condition which may affect you in the laboratory (eg diabetes or epilepsy), ensure that your supervisor knows

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Waste Materials

  Part of your risk assessment will be to determine how to dispose of waste lab materials safely   Solvents and oils must be

segregated into the correct waste bottle or drum

  Your department will help you determine what to do with chemical or biological materials

  Do not put materials down the drain or in with normal waste unless authorised to do so.

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general lab safety - nazarbayev university

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