LabNotes
SAFETY NEWS FOR UC SAN DIEGO RESEARCHERS
E n v i r o n m e n t , H e a l t h & S a f e t y Work Safely with Complete Freund’s Adjuvant
N o . 97 S p r i n g 2 013
Lab Safety Videos
Complete Freund’s adjuvant (CFA) is a potent inflammatory agent that contains heatkilled mycobacteria. Used for many years to enhance immunologic responses to
antigens, CFA is considered to be one of the most effective adjuvants.
CFA can be an occupational hazard to laboratory personnel
and should be handled with care. Some of the hazards associated with CFA are:
• Inadvertent ocular exposure can lead to severe eye irritation
and even blindness.
• Accidental needle punctures in humans have been associated
with clinical pain, inflammatory lesions, and abscess formation in
tuberculin-positive individuals. In tuberculin-negative individuals,
accidental exposure may result in tuberculin sensitization which
may result in ‘false positive’ TB skin testing and lead to unnecessary
medical evaluation and/or treatment for affected individuals.
Follow these safety guidelines for work with CFA
• Substitute a less hazardous adjuvant whenever possible.
• Review the Material Safety Data Sheet and follow your lab’s standard operating
procedures for CFA.
• Use appropriate personal protective equipment, including gloves, safety glasses
or goggles, and lab coat.
• Use 2 sterile luer-lock syringes joined by a stopcock to prepare the emulsion.
• Use safety-engineered sharps whenever possible.
• Immediately dispose of needles or other sharps used for administration of CFA in
an appropriate sharps container.
• In case of accidental exposure, immediately wash the exposed area for 15 minutes
with plenty of soap and water. Use an eye wash station for eye exposure. • See the Emergency Preparedness Procedures Guide/Personal Injury tab posted in
your lab to learn how to report exposure incidents and obtain medical treatment:
http://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/emergencies/preparedness/guide.html
Find the Emergency Guide
in Your Lab
http://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/
research-lab/laboratory/videos.html
Help yourself to selected lab safety
videos on Blink’s “Laboratory Safety
Videos” page, including these safety
training videos written and produced
by Dr. Haim Weizman, UCSD Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry:
Splash Zone
Quick, impactful message about the importance of always wearing eye protection in
labs, whether you are engaged in research
or just happen to be in the Splash Zone.
A Day in the Lab
Cultivating a safe laboratory environment
from the top down, a PI instructs lab staff
on PPE, hazardous waste, fume hood function, safety training, piranha solutions, and
the merits of good housekeeping.
Flash Chromatography 101
Demonstrates lab safety techniques for
flash chromatography.
How to Handle Pyrophoric Reagents
3-part instructional video starting with preparing to work with pyrophoric reagents,
transferring pyrophoric liquids, and working with reactive metals.
To Be (Safe) or Not to Be
Safety orientation for newbies in the lab.
Good refresher for everyone.
What if there is no Emergency Guide in your lab?
Contact the EH&S Research Assistance Program
at ehsrap@ucsd.edu to get a Guide posted.
University of California, San Diego-Environment, Health & Safety
page 2
before you need it
• Do You Work With or Near
Research Animals?
• Be Ready for the Inspector!
• PPE Support for Researchers
) (858) 534-1954 - 0920 : ehsweb@ucsd.edu : http://ehs.ucsd.edu
Be Ready for
the Inspector!
Cal/OSHA inspectors make unannounced visits to make sure
UCSD labs are safe and healthy.
What triggers a Cal/OSHA inspection and what should you
do if an inspector shows up at your workplace?
Read the Cal/OSHA Inspections Fact Sheet (PDF) to find
out what you need to know to be ready for an inspection
at any time:
http://www-ehs.ucsd.edu/lab/pdf/UCSD_CAL-OSHA_
FactSheet.pdf
PPE Support for Researchers
UC San Diego has a centrally funded program to
provide personal protective equipment, or PPE, for
researchers who will be in a UCSD lab longer than six
months.
Find out who is eligible and how to participate in the PPE
distribution program. See “PPE Support for Researchers”
on Blink for details:
http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/ppe
Do You Work With or Near Research Animals?
UC San Diego’s Vivarium Safety Program requires a risk assessment be completed for every employee or affiliate working with or in close proximity to research animals to determine if the individual’s medical status may make him or her
more susceptible to possible illnesses.
Who must enroll and participate?
All faculty, staff, fellows, students, and affiliates who have direct contact with animals, animal waste, or animal tissues or enter the
vivaria are required to read UC San Diego’s Occupational Health and Safety Program (OHSP) on Blink at http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/
vivariumsafety, and enroll and participate in the OHSP.
Depending on your risk category, the OHSP may require you to undergo additional training or medical surveillance before beginning your duties.
“Direct contact” means you handle animals, perform procedures on animals, or handle
their tissue. Examples of persons with direct contact include principal investigators, laboratory staff, students doing animal research, and animal care personnel.
Who may voluntarily enroll/participate?
Persons who have no direct contact with research animals and do not enter vivaria but
may have incidental or infrequent exposure to research animals at work are encouraged
to participate. “Indirect contact” means you do not touch animals or animal tissue and
do not handle animal waste. Examples of persons who may have incidental or infrequent
exposure include those listed above and facilities personnel, police, security, housekeeping, administrative, and clerical staff who enter lab space where animal work is done.
How to enroll and participate in OHSP
Complete and submit OHSP forms A and B found on Blink at http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/vivariumsafety. Your health information
and responses will be reviewed by the EH&S Occupational Health Nurse to identify any medical recommendations and you will
be counseled about required training, available precautions, and any applicable work restrictions that apply to your work. Health
information is maintained as a confidential medical record.
• For a quick program overview, read the OHSP Brochure (PDF): http://www-ehs.ucsd.edu/animal/OccHealthBrochure.pdf
• Learn more about vivarium safety on Blink: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/vivariumsafety
Questions? Contact Deborah Durand, Vivarium Safety Officer, at (858) 534-6715 or ddurand@ucsd.edu
or Bobbi Sawtelle, EH&S Occupational Health Nurse, at 858-534-8225 or bsawtelle@ucsd.edu
University of California, San Diego-Environment, Health & Safety
) (858) 534-1954 - 0920 : ehsweb@ucsd.edu : http://blink.ucsd.edu/ehs