Site Map of Manual
Lab Safety Manual
1st Page
Chapter 1
Emergency
Response
Chapter 2
General
Safety
Chapter 3
Chemical
Hygiene Plan
Chapter 4
Radiological
Safety
Chapter 5
Biological
Hygiene Plan
Chapter 6
Laser
Safety
Chapter 7
Administrative
Concerns
Chapter 8
Standard
& Special Operating Procedures
Chapter 9
Facility
Data
Appendicies
Bibliography
Glossary
Index
On-Campus Contact Information
1st Rule of Lab Safety
Haz-Waste No-No
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Updated December
1999
General Safety
Section 2.1 - General Safety &
Operational Rules
A. General Rules of Safety
No running, jumping, or horseplay in laboratory areas shall be
permitted.
No employee shall work alone in a laboratory or chemical storage
area when performing a task that is considered unusually hazardous by the laboratory
supervisor or safety officer.
Spills shall
be cleaned immediately. Specifics of emergency spill tactics are provided in the Emergency Response chapter of this manual
(Chapter 1.0). Water spills can create a hazard because of the slip potential and flooding
of instruments (particularly on the floor below.) Small spills of liquids and solids on
bench tops shall be cleaned immediately to prevent contact with skin or clothing.
Ladders shall be in good condition and
used in the manner for which they were designed. Wooden ladders shall not be covered with
paint or other coating. (Structural defects may be hidden by the coating.)
Lifting of heavy items must be performed in the proper fashion,
using the legs to lift, and not the back.
It is the responsibility of everyone working in the laboratory to
make certain that the laboratory is left clean after work is performed.
Consult University Policy and Procedures for policy on children in
the workplace or in areas of potentially high hazards.
Animals, except for those that are the subject of experimentation
(approved by the Animal Experimentation Committee) are to be excluded from all University
laboratory areas.
B. Personal Hygiene
Wash promptly whenever a chemical has contacted the skin. Know what
you are working with and have the necessary cleaning/neutralization material on hand and
readily available.
No sandals, open toed shoes or clogs shall
be worn by laboratory personnel.
Clothing worn in the laboratory should offer protection from
splashes and spills, should be easily removable in case of accident, and should be at
least fire resistant. Nonflammable, nonporous aprons offer the most satisfactory and the
least expensive protection. Lab jackets or coats should have snap fasteners rather than
buttons so that they can be readily removed. These coats are to be fastened closed while
working and removed prior to exit from the laboratory.
Laboratory clothing should be kept clean and replaced when
necessary. Clothing should be replaced or laundered using appropriate decontamination
procedures whenever contamination is suspected.
Lab coats are not to be worn outside the
laboratory, especially in rest room or break facilities. Any lab coats, respirators, or
other protective gear must be left in the lab areas. Employees must, as a matter of
routine, be responsible for washing, cleaning, and any other decontamination required when
passing between the lab and the other areas. Washing should be done with soap and water;
do not wash with solvents.
Inhalation is one of the four modes of entry for chemical exposure.
"Sniff-testing" should not be done.
Never pipette by mouth. Always use a
bulb to pipette.
Do not drink, eat, smoke, or apply cosmetics in the laboratory or
chemical storage areas.
Do not use ice from laboratory ice
machines for beverages.
No food, beverage, tobacco, or cosmetics
products are allowed in the laboratory or chemical storage areas at any time. Cross
contamination between these items and chemicals or samples is an obvious hazard and should
be avoided.
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Housekeeping
