Discussion

Does anyone have a policy for the voluntary use of respirators that they would like to share? Thanks, ------------------------------ Matthew Pope, CSP Safety Coordinator Texas A&M University At Qatar +974 5597-7410 ------------------------------

Hi Margaret, Is the rock grinding operation 100% contained during its run time? Is PPE goggles (or dust type goggles) plus a face shield if not 100%? Even if it is 100%, collecting the dust, etc. could result in dust in the eye. Were it ...

Lab Safety Aficionados! Please plan on joining us for a group call next Tuesday June 25th at 3PM EasternTime. Please add your valuable voice to the discussion. The link to join the call can be found on the right hand side of our discussion board on the ...

Greetings, A question has come up in a lab space that may have mechanical hazards (grinding of rocks) but there is no use of chemicals in this space. Is an eyewash required for this space? Some help is greatly appreciated. Thanks, ------------------------------ ...

​I'm hardly an expert in this field, but I'm midway through designing an internal policy and workflow for lab and space decommissioning.  Here are my thoughts. 1) your historical search is going to be a key part of identifying/eliminating potential hazards.  ...

If you can narrow the scope of plausible contamination, a lab decommissioning approach in a small college may be fairly straightforward.  If there was no activity involving regulated exotic radioisotopes, no scrubber, burn box or abandoned piping for ...

We have a 20 year old laboratory that was formerly used for biological research that needs to be decommissioned for general classroom use.  Can anyone recommend a vendor who specializes in this type of decontamination activities (ANSI/ASSE Z9.11-2016)?  ...

The University of Memphis has a position open for a laboratory safety specialist (see  https://workforum.memphis.edu/postings/22264 ).  Benefits include 37.5 hour work week, 24 paid vacation days, free tuition, tuition discount for spouse and children, ...

Can you share which specific diazo compounds, and what your researchers will be doing with them? ------------------------------ Chris Kolodziej Chemical Hygiene Officer UCLA Environment, Health & Safety | Laboratory Safety Mobile: (310) 261-8611 --- ...

Hello, The Laboratory Safety Group within the University of Maryland's Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk   is hiring! We have   posting   for a Research Safety Specialist 1. Please forward to anyone who may be interesting. ...

So I have a new researcher coming to my department who uses diazo-containing compounds .  They are stabilized via conjugation, but it still makes my toes curl about these compounds.  So any guidance on developing safe handling, storing, and disposal practices ...

Thanks for reposting this announcement! One small edit to my original post:  The 2020 awards are presented in the Fall of 2020, not 2021.  Oops.  It's a good thing that I'm only a volunteer.  They can't fire me for the typos!  :P ------------------------------ ...

Please consider supporting the American Chemical Society's annual CHAS awards from the Division of Chemical Health & Safety: The American Chemical Society's Division of Chemical Health and Safety is now seeking nominations for the division awards ...

I don't know how helpful, but using the search terms "formaldehyde fixative alternative" PubMed spit out: Glyoxal as an alternative fixative to formaldehyde in immunostaining and super-resolution microscopy https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/29146773 ...

Joy, I'm most-familiar with glutaraldehyde, but there are many alternative fixatives. Their suitability will vary depending on the type of study to be performed on the specimens. Leica has some good resources here: Formaldehyde and glutaraldehyde ...

Hi all,  I have a researcher that is interested in finding a substitute for formaldehyde fixation of zebra fish embryos. The desired fixative needs to fix the embryos and then have the excess washed away to allow for further study (rather than storage). ...

It isn't clear if we are talking about compressed argon or liquid argon. From Wikipedia: The expansion ratio of liquefied and cryogenic from the boiling point to ambient is: nitrogen 1 to 696. liquid helium 1 to 757. argon 1 to 847. ...

Joseph, Argon is an inert, simple asphyxiant. As such, it is much safer to use than many other gases. The main things I would consider are: 1) the amount and location of use given that a high enough concentration can displace oxygen and make a space ...

Hi Dan We have an ABSL2 facility for mice and our researchers wear disposable gowns over their street clothes. Most of the work is done in a biosafety cabinet. Any work outside of the biosafety cabinet requires an N95 respirator. The animal model, the ...

Hi Matthew, We have a few processes in place: 1.  As part of risk assessments with lab managers/supervisors, we identify what types of activities can and cannot be conducted in each lab outside of 'regular' hours.  This all depends on hazards/risks ...

I am seeking guidance or procedures on Argon use and tank storage in laboratories Sent from Mail for Windows 10 To access the internet, click the "Log In" button.

I am seeking some feedback regarding laboratory access control and notifications: 1. What type of policy and procedures do you have in place to manage access for researchers to labs after hours and on weekends? 2. How do researchers notify you of ...

Good morning Dan,      What animal model are they working with? Its its small enough, they should be able to conduct their work in a BSC which would negate the concern over contamination of their legs/pants. If they are working with large animals at my ...

We do not require scrubs in our ABSL2 labs- we do require lab coats. The decision as to whether to require scrubs depend on the level of hazard (in this case how transmissible) with the materials you are using. -- Randolph Shebby M.Ed. < rasf@lehigh.edu ...

I don't consider myself an Organic Chemist by any means, but having worked with chemicals and prepping labs for the better part of 30 years, my gut tells me it is likely a VERY BAD IDEA to heat a superacid and another strong acid to 92'C unless done by ...

Are you in the Boston area? Interested in sharing your expertise at a CSHEMA event? CSHEMA is accepting session submissions through June 7 for the Symposium on Current Trends in Lab Safety and Facilities Management! Consider the following questions/topic ...

Would there be hazard associated with heating an equal mixture of triflic acid and acetic acid glacial to 92 degrees via a controlled water bath? Sent from Mail for Windows 10 To access the internet, click the "Log In" button.

Are scrubs required in ABSL-2? The best I could find is: https://www.selectagents.gov/resources/Checklist-ABSL2.pdf " BMBL: A7 :      Protective laboratory coats, gowns, or uniforms are required to prevent contamination of personal clothing." ...

Hi Lilly, I modeled my system after the "Safety Binder" system that the UC Riverside lab inspectors use - it's a binder that contains emergency contact info, a copy of the CHP (which includes a detailed step-by-step injury report guide), a training record ...

Most of our labs use paper to document their internal trainings. However, we're actively pursuing options to provide an electronic repository for labs to use instead. ------------------------------ Chris Kolodziej Chemical Hygiene Officer UCLA Environment, ...

Lilly - OSU (Oregon State) does not require anything to be in paper format if the lab has computer access within. Some labs choose to have everything (CHP, SOPs, SDSs, Training documents) in paper format, while others have a robust  document share system ...

What kind of documents do you require your labs house in their labs in paper format ? We are in the midst of revamping our program for safety data sheets, standard operating procedures, training documents, emergency management procedures, etc. How ...

Hi Markus- I won't be available to attend this call, but I'd love to see the notes from the discussion on this article.  This is a very relevant topic for our campus right now. Thanks. Lindsay ------------------------------ Lindsay Henderson Laboratory ...

Dear Colleagues, The Biosafety Program at UNC Charlotte is partnering with the Sustainable Workplace Alliance (SWA) to host 3 workshops that are free and open to the public. The following courses will be offered: HAZMAT Prep & Response Class - ...

Hello Lab Safety Colleagues! As a discussion topic for the next COP call, please take a look at this article about lab clean-out and relocation. https://www.labmanager.com/business-management/2017/11/tips-for-a-successful-laboratory-clean-out-and-relocation ...

You might find this useful. Jeff https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S1871553215000407?via%3Dihub Laboratory safety attitudes and practices: A comparison of academic, government, and industry researchers -- ...

Heather, thank you for posting.  We approached inconsistent PPE provision and usage in labs a bit differently.  A few years back, our office removed almost all institutional access barriers to quality PPE.  Our office now funds and makes available high ...

Greetings All, Has anyone developed a survey (electronic and/or in person) on use of personal protective equipment in labs?  We're looking at multi-modal opportunities to move the needle on PPE use and are designing a survey and interview protocol aimed ...

A small group of EHS professionals are organizing a meeting to take your safety career to new heights!  (groan) https://www.eventbrite.com/e/rocketry-safety-symposium-tickets-61100746979 Competitive rocketry is gaining popularity at colleges and universities ...

Hi Vivian, The Foreword in our CHP reads ..."All employees who either direct the operations or and/or perform work in any laboratory where chemicals are used must become familiar with the requirement of the Chemical Hygiene Plan..." And in a subsequent ...

Regarding chemical inventory software, there are 6-8 "major brands" out there, ranging from free to several thousand dollars in price and/or licensing.  It all depends on what your budget is and how important bells & whistles are.  I have many colleagues ...

I have had several people ask for more detail about our safety performance rating system at UW. You can see the questions and calculation method used for our rating system by visiting this page: https://www.ehs.washington.edu/system/files/resources/Lab_Survey_Score_Calculations.pdf ...

Vivian, Here is the purpose and scope statement from our CHP. It addresses students. Policy: This program sets forth the instructions, resources and requirements for work with and around chemicals in academic settings at Whitworth University. ...

Hello, I am tasked with creating a student safety program for laboratories for the university.  In the past, we have included students in the Chemical Hygiene Plan, but my director is not comfortable with having them subject to the CHP since they are ...

The Division of Research Safety (DRS) at the University of Illinois, www.drs.illinois.edu , is seeking applicants for a Research Safety Professional position to facilitate the safe conduct of research, teaching and related activities associated with ...

Dennis, Attached is a JCHAS publication on this topic. Barbara ------Original Message------ Can someone point me to a published article (peer-reviewed is not necessary, but a plus) that does a good job explaining the benefits and costs ...

A quick search of the Journal of Chemical Health and Safety came up with (I'll admit I didn't actually read them, just took a quick look at the title and abstract): Developing a chemical and hazardous waste inventory system https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jchas.2011.05.012 ...

Can someone point me to a published article (peer-reviewed is not necessary, but a plus) that does a good job explaining the benefits and costs of creating and maintaining chemical inventories? I know there are discussions within this COP about "how" ...

At the University of Washington, we use a subset of questions from our lab survey checklist to determine a lab safety performance rating. The questions include training completion and documentation, SOPs, PPE, and chemical management practices. They are ...

I'm curious about how other Universities handle this as well.  Like Joy, we also have an electronic control system that is suppose to monitor the air pressure in our lab rooms.  This being said, sometimes this fails and it seems that sometimes nothing ...