Environmental Health and Safety
Laboratory Safety
Program Elements
View manual and SOPs for implementation of exposure control programs and to convey chemical health and safety information to laboratory employees working with hazardous chemicals.
Laboratory personnel should be familiar with established University policies and procedures regarding emergency situations.
Research involving hazardous chemicals requires careful review to minimize the risk of chemical exposures for researchers and CARE staff.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is equipment worn to reduce exposure to hazards.
Laboratory ventilation is an important engineering control measure used to protect laboratory personnel from exposure to hazardous materials used in the laboratory. The chemical exhaust hood is the most useful of these engineering controls. The purpose of a chemical exhaust hood is to prevent or minimize the escape of airborne contaminants from the hood to the laboratory air.
Chemical storage guidelines can help control the health and physical hazards posed by chemicals during storage and use in the laboratory. A chemical inventory that is properly maintained and kept at a minimum can reduce the inherent hazards of chemicals. Unwanted, unused, or expired chemicals should be removed from the laboratory and chemical storage areas should be maintained and inspected annually.
Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) is an inorganic acid with special chemical properties that make it particularly hazardous to laboratory researchers. It is highly corrosive, very reactive, incompatible with many materials, and exposure to HF can result in burns and even death.
Compressed gases and cryogenic liquids may present significant hazards if not handled properly.
Nanomaterials are objects with at least one dimension between 1 and 100nm. They could be particles, fibers or plates. Engineered nanoparticles with homogenous size distributions are often produced or used in a variety of research settings and applications. Additionally, ultrafine particles of nano-scale can result from processes such as milling and filing.
Accidents involving a heat source typically results in a burn, fire and/ or an explosion. Using these types of equipment in the fume hood will help protect lab personnel in the event an accident occurs.
Methylene chloride is a volatile, colorless liquid with a chloroform-like odor used as a solvent in research applications. The use of methylene chloride is restricted to research purposes only and requires exposure mitigation efforts outlined in the Methylene Chloride Exposure Control Program.
Resources
- Accident/Injury/Exposure Report Form (DOCX)
- Anonymous Reporting Hotline
- Building Specific Safety Information
- Contingency Plan (PDF)
- Door Sign Request (PDF)
- Empty Container Disposal Poster (PDF)
- Equipment Decontamination Form (DOCX)
- ER Handbook (PDF)
- Inspection Checklist (PDF)
- Lab Closeout
- Lab Move In (PDF)
- Laboratory Safety Committee
- Minor Policy
Compliance
Laboratory Safety Contacts
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Linda Olmsted
Associate Director of Laboratory Safety & Chemical Hygiene Officer -
Casey Ochs
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Richard Shea