Laboratory Safety
NIPISSING UNIVERSITY
Course Outline
 Introduction
 Duties and Rights
 Employers
 Supervisors
 Workers and Non-Workers





Laboratory Instruction
Incident Reporting
WHMIS
Training
Laboratory Safety




Equipment
Chemicals
Waste Disposal
BioSafety
Introduction
 Laboratory Safety is everybody’s responsibility
 Employer (Nipissing University)
 Academic Administrators, Administrators
 Supervisor (Faculty, Post Doc, Technologist)
 Worker (Post Doc, Technologist,)
 Non-worker (Graduate Students, Thesis Students,
Volunteers)
 Each have specific Rights and Responsibilities
under Ontario Health and Safety Act (OHSA) and
its regulations
Ontario Health and Safety
Act
 The main purpose of the Act is to protect
workers from health and safety hazards on the
job.
 It sets out responsibilities for all workplace
parties and rights for workers.
 It establishes procedures for dealing with
workplace hazards and provides for enforcement
of the law where compliance has not been
achieved voluntarily.
 Fundamental to the successful working of OHSA
is the workplace Internal Responsibility System
(IRS).
Responsibilities of Employer
 Develop a health and safety policy.
 Develop programs to support this policy.
 Ensure that supervisors are competent.
 Ensure that equipment and materials
provided are in good condition.
 Take every reasonable precaution.
Supervisor Responsibilities
 Supervisors are responsible for ensuring that
all lab personnel:
 Follow safe operating procedures.
 Use or wear all required personal protective
equipment.
 Are aware of hazards.
 Know and understand emergency procedures.
 Are provided with written instructions where
required.
Supervisor Responsibilities
(Continued)
 Supervisors must also:
 Ensure that an injury/incident report is completed for every
injury or incident which occurs in his or her lab.
 Ensure that the manual is reviewed with all affected
individuals and that a record is kept on file (can be
delegated to the Biology Technologist)
 Ensure that all hazardous materials in the workplace are
labelled in accordance with WHMIS regulations.
 Maintain a current electronic file of MSDS for all controlled
substances used in the workplace (can be delegated to the
Biology Technologist or other Technologist).
 Ensure that adequate emergency response equipment (e.g.
first aid kit, emergency eye wash station, fire extinguisher)
is available and in proper working order.
Worker Responsibilities
 All workers must:
 Work in compliance with the OHSA and its
associated regulations.
 Use or wear all required personal protective
equipment.
 Report to the supervisor any contravention of
the OHSA and regulations.
 Report to the supervisor any health and safety
hazard.
Worker Responsibilities
(continued)
 Workers shall not:
 Remove or make ineffective any protective
device.
 Use or operate any equipment, machine or
device in a manner that endangers themselves
or other workers.
 Engage in horseplay or pranks.
Workers Rights
 The OHSA gives workers in Ontario three
rights. They are:
 Right to know – about workplace hazards (e.g.
WHMIS)
 Right to participate – in health and safety matters
(e.g. JHSC)
 Right to refuse – work they deem to be unsafe
 These rights are outlined in the laboratory
safety manual
Non-workers
 Non-workers are student and/or student
researchers or volunteers. They must:
 Follow all applicable safety procedures as
outlined in the OHSA, this manual and by the
supervisor.
 Attend and complete all applicable health and
safety training courses as required by the
supervisor and/or Nipissing University.
 Follow the rules as outlined in the Laboratory
Safety Manual.
Penalties for not complying
with OHSA and its regulations
 The maximum penalties for a contravention
of OHSA or its regulations are set out in
OHSA Section 66.
 A successful prosecution could, for each
conviction, result in:
 A fine of up to $25,000 for an individual person
and/or up to 12 months imprisonment;
 A fine of up to $500,000 for a corporation.
Bill C-45 (The Westray Bill)
 Received Royal Assent on Nov. 7, 2003
 Adds a new section to the Criminal Code
 Establishes a duty in criminal law to protect the
health and safety of everyone in the workplace.
 Sets out severe penalties of imprisonment if
failure to protect worker health and safety results
in:
 bodily harm (maximum penalty – 10years in prison)
or
 death (maximum penalty – life imprisonment).
Bill C-45 (The Westray Bill)
 “Every one who undertakes, or has the
authority to direct how another person does
work or performs a task is under a legal duty to
take reasonable steps to prevent bodily harm
to that person, or any other person, arising
from that work or task”.
What Bill C-45 Means to You
 Broadens the scope of who is responsible for worker health
and safety
 The Law now encompasses all levels of management AND
everyone else who can “direct how another person does
work or performs a task.”
 Including:






Academic Administrators
Administrators
Faculty
Support Staff
Post Docs
Graduate Students
 “Supervisors” can be held Criminally Responsible for failure
to ensure worker health and safety
Teaching Activities
 Two types of teaching activities
 Indoor Activities
 Held on-site in teaching laboratory setting.
 Fully supervised
 Outdoor Activities
 Held off-site
 May be on University property or otherwise
 Fully supervised
 More chance for injuries
Teaching and Due Diligence
for In-Classroom Activities
 Instructors are considered experts and are
qualified to teach the material covered.
 General laboratory safety talk.
 Attendance must be mandatory.
 Need students to complete a general sign-off
sheet at the end of the talk.
 Sign-off sheet should include a check off list.
 Minor student is able to complete this sign-off
sheet.
Teaching and Due Diligence
for Outdoor Activities
 Outdoor activities require a waiver to be
signed.
 Waivers force an individual to disclose any health
concern that may affect them during the outdoor
activity.
 If not disclosed, the responsibility for health and
safety is transferred back to the individual signing
the waiver.
 Waivers are not binding on minors unless legal
guardians have signed the waiver form.
Waiver Forms
 “Waiver of Liability for Negligence” forms
 A means to transfer liability from organization
back to the individual.
 The person who signs a waiver agrees to
forfeit their legal right to pursue a legal
remedy, should they come to harm as a result
of their participation and should this harm be
caused by the organization’s negligence.
 By signing a waiver a contract is formed
between the individual and the organization.
Waiver Forms
(cont.)
 Waivers are not binding on minors unless the
parents have signed them (contract between
parents and organization).
 Waivers are only legally binding if the activity
is entered into voluntarily.
 Must not be a required or mandatory activity.
 Will a waiver hold up?
 Only a court of law can decide.
Centre for Sport and Law Inc
Hazard and Incident
Reporting
 Hazard Reporting
 Workers must report any health and safety
concern to their supervisor.
 If no action is taken, then the worker may report
to a workplace JHSC representative or Manager of
Environmental Health and Safety.
Hazard and Incident Reporting
 Incident Reporting
 All injuries/incidents, including those
requiring first-aid treatment only,
must be reported to your supervisor
immediately.
 It is the instructor’s responsibility to
contact the Manager of EH&S and fill
out and forward the injury/incident
forms within the timeframe required
(24 hours).
 The purpose of reporting all injuries
and incidents is so that they can be
investigated and measures
implemented to prevent them from
reoccurring.
 http://www.nipissingu.ca/hr/downloa
ds/IIRIF.pdf
Workplace Hazardous Material
Information System (WHMIS)
 Anyone working with a WHMIS controlled
substance must first receive WHMIS training.
 Online WHMIS training is available to students,
staff and faculty at no cost .
 The only acceptable proof of training is the
WHMIS course completion certificate.
 Must be reviewed annually (accepted best practice)
Material Safety Data Sheets
(MSDS)
 MSDS
 Provides information on PPE, First Aid measures,
spill clean-up procedures.
 Also provides information about the chemical and
physical properties of a chemical or compound.
 Should be consulted BEFORE undertaking any
experiment or procedure.
 Can be found in electronic form via:
 Online via http://intranet.nipissingu.ca/MSDS2
 Off-line via CD-ROM in blue binders marked MSDS
Training
 Every supervisor is responsible for:
 Ensuring every worker is trained:
 In the use of specific equipment
 All materials and procedures used in their work.
 Ensuring all workers know the location (and
proper use of:
 Fire safety equipment (fire alarms, fire extinguishers
and fire blankets),
 Emergency routes and exits,
 First aid and spill kits,
 Eye wash stations and safety showers.
Laboratory Safety – Personal
Protective Equipment
 To be used in addition to Engineering
Controls
 E.g. Fume hoods, Biosafety Cabinets, etc.
 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
 Eye/Face protection
 Foot protection
 Hand protection
 Hearing protection
 Respiratory protection
Personal Protective Equipment
 Minimal PPE to be used
consists of:
 Lab coat (worn closed, not
open)
 Lab safety glasses or goggles
 Appropriate gloves if
handling chemicals or
microbiological organisms.
 Shoes – low profile heel with
full foot coverage.
Consult glove manufacturer web-site for information on chemical
compatibility OR talk to your supervisor or lab technologist
Laboratory Safety – Workplace
Labels
 All bottles, flasks and vials must have a
workplace label containing information about:




Contents
Concentration
Date
Individual involved
 Exception
 Those chemicals which will be consumed in one
session by one individual.
 Chemicals with the original supplier label affixed to
the container.
 Chemicals from unlabelled containers are not
to be used and their presence shall be reported
to the supervisor.
Laboratory Safety – Chemical
Storage
 System used at Nipissing is the ‘Fisher
Scientific’ system:
 Colour coded for different compatibility groups.
 Bottles are coded with coloured tape and stored
based on colour.
RED: Flammable. Store in area segregated for flammable reagents
Explosive
Flammable
Toxic
Corrosive
Oxidizer
Harmful or
Irritant
Compressed
Gas
Biohazard
Toxic and
Infectious
Dangerous to
the
Environment
Dangerously
Reactive
Keep away
from Food
BLUE: Health Hazard. Toxic if inhaled, ingested or absorbed through
skin. Store in secure area.
YELLOW: Reactive and oxidizing materials. May react violently with
air, water or other substances. Store away from flammable and
combustible materials.
WHITE: Corrosive.. May harm skin, eyes, mucous membranes. Store
away from red-yellow- and –blue coded reagents above.
Laboratory Safety – Chemical
Storage (Continued)
 Chemicals should not be stored in direct sunlight
or near sources of heat.
 Labs are encouraged to purchase only what is
required for immediate use.
 Long term storage of chemicals is to be discouraged
 Those chemicals no longer needed should be disposed
of as hazardous waste
 Flammable chemicals or materials should not be
stored in regular refrigerators.
 Use specially designed or modified refrigerators for
storage of flammables.
Laboratory Safety – Chemical
Storage (Continued)
 Refer to the Laboratory Safety Manual for
more complete information regarding the
storage of specific types of chemicals
Designated Substances
 Eleven ‘ Designated Substances” are regulated under the
OHS Act due to their safety and health implications.
 acrylonitrile
 arsenic
 asbestos
 benzene
 coke oven emissions
 ethylene oxide
 isocyanates
 lead
 mercury
 silica
 vinyl chloride
Designated Substances
 Use in teaching and research should be avoided.
 Use alternatives if possible
 Regulations have 3 key components:
 Assessment – the employer is required to consider the
worker exposure or likelihood of exposure to the substance.
 Control program – a formal documented program is
required if the assessment discloses that a worker is likely
to be exposed to the substance. The program must include
engineering controls, hygiene practices, work practices and
facilities to ensure that the worker exposure to the
substance is controlled.
 Monitoring – air emissions monitoring and medical
surveillance are required to determine actual exposure to
the substance.
 It is the responsibility of the laboratory supervisor to ensure
that such a program exists in their area.
Hazardous Waste Disposal
 Regulated through the Ministry of
Environment (MOE)
 Hazardous waste must never be:
 Poured down the drain
 Evaporated in a fume hood (violates the
certificate of air regulations).
 It is important to minimize waste generation
due to:
 Environmental concerns
 Cost factors (it’s expensive to dispose of waste)
Controlling Hazardous Waste
Costs
 Purchase only what you need
 Miniaturize experiments, if possible
 Choose non-hazardous chemicals over
hazardous
 Return unused supplies to the supplier
 Donate unused chemicals to other researchers
within the same site.
 If not on-site, there are transportation regulations that
will apply
 Recycle and/or recover materials when this can
be done efficiently and safely
Hazardous Waste Packaging
and Labelling Requirements
 Incompatible materials may not be combined in a single





waste container.
Chemical liquid waste containers may not to be filled
beyond approximately 75% of their capacity to allow for
vapour expansion.
Container materials must be compatible with the contained
wastes
Containers must be in good condition.
Wastes must be identified appropriately (e.g. biohazard
bags may not be used for chemical wastes if no biohazard
exists).
Non-hazardous wastes must be segregated from hazardous
waste streams to avoid unnecessary expenses.
Hazardous Waste Packaging and
Labelling Requirements
 All waste must be labelled with
a yellow waste tag
 The accumulation start date
must be on the label
 Waste can only be stored on site for
3 months unless special permission
is sought and granted by the MOE
 Tag must be completely filled
out with the component and
concentrations of each
component
BioSafety program at
Nipissing
 Biosafety program is mandated through the
Vice-President Research and Academic
 Overseen through the Biosafety Committee and
the Biosafety Officer.
 All experiments/studies dealing with the culture of
any microbial organism (fungi, bacteria or virus)
must be vetted through the Biosafety Committee
prior to beginning these experiments.
 Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines 3rd edition are in
force.
BioSafety Regulations
 Two government agencies involved
 Public Health Agency of Canada (PHAC)
 Office of Laboratory Safety (OLS)
 Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA)
 Office of Biohazard Containment and Safety (OBCS)
 The legislation and regulations cover:
 Microbial and other organisms
 Human, animal and plant pathogens
 Genetically modified organisms (GMO)
 Plant and Animal
 Regulations are overlapping and sometimes
contradictory
BioSafety Law
 Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA)
 Requires all persons responsible for activities
involving human pathogens or toxins to register
their laboratory or facility (Nipissing University)
 To be implemented in three phases.
 Phase I
 obligation to take reasonable precautions when
working with human pathogens and toxins
 An obligation to advise the Minister, on an annual
basis, of the risk groups of human pathogens or toxins
in a person's possession, and their location.
BioSafety Law (continued)
 Human Pathogens and Toxins Act (HPTA)
 Phase 2 (now in this phase)
 Consultation phase to look at matters such as:
 Licensing, Security Screening, Inventory control, Transfer,
Imports and Exports, Biological Safety Officer
requirements.
 Phase 3 (2 – 3 years time)
 Implementation phase
 Set up of the licensing scheme.
 Prohibition from using human pathogens and toxins
without a license
 Obligation to report an inadvertent release, or an incident
that has caused or may cause disease.
Summary
 Responsibility for safety lies with all members
of the University community
 Specific safety guidelines are available in the
Laboratory Safety Manual
 The Laboratory Safety Manual is the
minimum standard for safety in the
laboratory.
 Specific situations may require more rigorous
safety protocols than contained in the Safety
Manual
=
QUESTIONS?