West Virginia University
Laboratory Training
Module 3. General Laboratory
Safety
Topics to be covered
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
8.
Contacting the Safety Department
Incident Reporting
Electrical Safety
Laser Safety
Centrifuge Safety
Housekeeping
Personal Protective Equipment
Cryogenic Liquids
1. Contacting the Safety
Department
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The Health Sciences Center Safety
Department is located at g139 of the
Health Sciences Center.
If at any time you feel there is any
type of safety related issue please
contact the safety department
2. Incident/injury Reporting

Incident reporting is the most
effective way for the safety
department to gage the effectiveness
of its safety program. Therefore, by
reporting all incidents no matter how
insignificant they may seem will aid
the safety department in ensuring a
safe working environment for you
and your coworkers.
Hurt at Work
You've carefully thought out all the angles.
You've done it a thousand times.
It comes naturally to you.
You know what you're doing, its what
you've been trained to do your whole life.
Nothing could possibly go wrong, right ?
Think Again!
How do I report an Incident/Injury?

Supervisors or Principal Investigators
are responsible for completing
Incident / Injury report forms. If the
supervisor or principal investigator
does not possess this form, one may
be printed from WVU’s
Environmental Health and Safety
home page at:
http://www.wvu.edu/~ehs
3. Electrical Safety

All areas on the West Virginia
University campus at some points
utilize electricity. The goal of
electrical safety is to educate you on
the importance of the hazards
involved with electricity and the
precautions and some simple rules to
follow to avoid becoming a victim of
those hazards.
Hazards:

The hazards associated with electricity
come from the direct contact that results
in current flow through an inappropriate
conductor, the human body, or from
excessive heating by current flow through
a conductor with a greater resistance than
expected. In basic terms the hazards are
electrocution or fire. Most electrical
accidents result from unsafe equipment,
unsafe environment, and unsafe work
practices.
Shock and Electrocution:

Direct contact with electricity can cause
electric shocks that can result in death by
electrocution. The human body is a good
conductor and when the body is exposed
to electric current the muscles and nerves
of the human body are electrically
stimulated. The muscles will attempt to
contract at the same frequency as the
electric current. The muscle of the
diaphragm will clamp and you will stop
breathing and the heart will go into
fibrillation and stop beating. Death is
most likely to occur in the 100 to 300 mA
current range.
Effects of electric current in the
human body

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Below 1 milliampere
Not perceptible.
1mA
Tingle.
5mA
Slight Shock.
6-25mA women Painful Shock and Letgo range.
9-30mA men
Let-go range (Individual
cannot let go).
50-150mA
Extreme pain, Death
possible.
1000-4300mA
Death Likely.
10,000mA
Cardiac arrest, Death.
Electrical Fires:

The most common cause of
laboratory fire is worn or damaged
power cords. An exposed cord can
burn or heat objects in contact with
them to their flash point.
Electrical Fire Prevention

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Take the time to do it right the first time
When needed request electrical repairs
and changes that are necessary
Never try to fix electrical equipment.
Keep water and electricity separated
Do not stretch electrical cords across
aisles or doorways.
Do not use extension cords as a substitute
for wiring additions or changes.
Do not use electrical equipment that has
worn or damaged power cords.
Electrical Fire Prevention


FUSES:
Before removing any fuse from a circuit, be sure
the switch for the circuit is open or disconnected.
When removing fuses, use an approved fuse
puller and break contact on the hot side of the
circuit first. When replacing fuses, install the fuse
first into the load side of the fuse clip, then into
the line side.
Lockout/Tagout
Electrical power must be removed when electrical
equipment is inspected, serviced, or repaired. To
ensure the safety of personnel working with the
equipment, power is removed and the equipment
must be locked out and tagged out.
Personal Protective Equipment:

Employees who work directly with
electricity should use the personal
protective equipment required for
the job which may include rubber
insulating, gloves, hoods, sleeves,
matting, blankets, line hose, and
industrial protective helmets.
4. Laser Safety
• A laser should be isolated from areas
where the uninformed and curious
would be attracted by its operations.
Doors should be closed or locked to
keep out unqualified personnel. Signs
should be posted to keep out
unqualified persons.
Work Area Safety Practices

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The illumination in the area should be as
bright as practicable in order to constrict the
eye pupils of users.
The laser should be set up so that the beam
path is above or below normal eye level
(below 4.5ft or above 6.5ft.).
Where practical, the laser system or beam
should be enclosed to prevent accidental
exposure to the beam.
The potential for specular reflections should
be minimized by shields and by removal of
all unnecessary shiny surfaces.
Work Area Safety Practices
continued:
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Windows to hallways or other outside areas should be
provided with adequate shades or covers.
The main beams and reflected beams should be terminated
or dumped. This is required for any accessible laser for
which the MPE limit could be exceeded.
Electrical installation must meet electrical safety standards.
The active laser shall not be left unattended unless it is part
of the controlled environment.
Good housekeeping should be practiced to ensure that no
specular reflector is left near the beam.
Warning devices should be installed for lasers with invisible
beams to warn of operation.
Laser Use Safety Practices
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Avoid looking into the primary beam at all times.
Avoid looking at the pump source.
Before operating the laser, warn all personnel and visitors
of the potential hazard, and ensure all safety measures are
satisfied.
Be very cautious around lasers that operate at frequencies
not visible to the human eye.
Do not wear bright, reflective jewelry or other objects.
Use proper eye protection when working with a Class III, or
Class IV laser.
Clothing such as gloves and covers for the forearms may be
required to protect the skin if laser intensity and
wavelength warrant such protection.
5. Centrifuge Safety


Always inspect the centrifuge prior to
use. This will ensure that you are
not harmed and equipment is not
damaged.
Always follow the manufacturer’s
instructions for operation and
maintenance.
Centrifuge Safe Operating
Procedures
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Lids shall be closed at all times during operation.
The operator shall not leave the centrifuge until
full operating speed is attained and machine
appears to be running safely without vibration.
If vibration occurs the centrifuge should be
stopped immediately and load balances checked.
Swing-out buckets should be checked for
clearance and support.
Rooms where potentially hazardous biological,
radioactive materials, toxic or other hazardous
chemicals are centrifuged must be identified by
the appropriate warning signs.
Centrifuge Safe Operating
Procedures Continued:
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Plastic centrifuge tubes should be discarded after
one cycle of ultracentrifugation.
Nitrocellulose tubes should be used only when
transparent and flexible (fresh). They must never
be heated because of explosive possibility.
Rotors and cups should be cleaned and
disinfected after each use with non-corrosive
cleaning solutions (mild detergent and distilled
water are recommended). Test tube brushes
must not be used for cleaning the cup cavities.
All traces of detergents should be removed prior
to air drying.
6. Housekeeping

By maintaining a neat, orderly work
area, you will greatly reduce hazards
in the lab.
Good Housekeeping Practices
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Put items back where they originated
from promptly when you are done
using them.
Stay organized! Do not let papers
and materials accumulate.
Maintain clean counters and floors.
Lab Hygiene

There is a definite
relationship between
housekeeping and safety!
Lab Hygiene

Individual Items to Look
For:
1.Excessive amounts of chemicals
in work areas - Hoods and
bench tops.
2. Old, outdated, unused equipment
and chemicals cluttering up the
work area
3. Floor Storage
4. Blocked exits / equipment / controls
5. Visual assessment of hoods and other
safety equipment
6. Are special hazards marked?
7. Personal Protective
Equipment (PPE)


Anything that is
used to protect a
person from
exposure
Latex or Nitrile
gloves, goggles,
CPR mouth
barriers, aprons,
respirators
PPE Rules to Remember

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Always check PPE for defects or tears
before using
If PPE becomes torn or defective
remove and get new
Remove PPE before leaving a
contaminated area
Do not reuse disposable equipment
8. Cryogenic Liquids

Because of the extremely low
temperatures of cryogenic liquids
and their vapors, direct skin or eye
contact can result in severe damage
to tissues similar to burn injuries.
Handling Procedures for Cryogenic
Liquids
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Face shield and/or safety goggles to protect eyes.
Suitable dry gloves to protect hands. Gloves
should be loose fitting so that quick removal is
possible if liquid should splash into them. Even
with gloves, contact with cold liquids should be
for a very brief time.
Suggested protective clothing may consist of,
depending on hazard, rubber aprons, overalls
without pockets or cuffs, and hightop shoes to
protect against skin contact in the event of a
splash or spill.
Cryogenic Liquid Ventilation

Cryogenic liquids should be stored
and handled in well- ventilated areas
to prevent excessive buildup of gas
concentration. These should never be
used in closed environmental
chambers.
Transfer of cryogenic liquids from
storage vessel

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Attach a 1 to 3 foot length suitable hose
that has a phase separator in place to the
control valve located on the top of the
storage vessel.
All transfers must be made into an
appropriate container. Any funnels
used must be stainless steel. If the
receptacle is glass, it should be
shielded to protect the person making the
transfer from possible implosive
fragmentation of the flask.
Transfer of Cryogenic Liquids from
Storage Vessel continued:
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Do Not Use A Household Thermos.
They are not designed for holding
cryogenic liquids and will fail.
Withdraw liquid slowly at first
because the interior of the flask may
still be at room temperature and
rapid boil off will occur.
Disposal of Cryogenic Liquids

Evaporation in a well-ventilated area,
from a well-anchored and approved
container is the best method of
disposal of cryogenic liquids.
Oxygen (b.p. -183oC)

Oxygen can be condensed out of the
air by cryogenic fluids which boil at a
sufficiently low temperature (e.g.
nitrogen, b.p. -195oC). For this
reason care must be exercised in
disposing of the final residue of an
open container of liquid nitrogen
since it may be oxygen rich.
Emergency/First Aid Procedures for
Cryogenic Liquids
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Rapidly rewarm contact area by immersion
in warm water (100-110oF), with body
heat, or warm air. DO NOT USE AN OPEN
FLAME FOR THIS PURPOSE. (NOTE: this
procedure is the opposite of the procedure
for a burn injury which is to rapidly cool
the contact area).
Do not rub or massage the affected area.
Prevent infection by cleansing with mild
soap and water.
Notify supervisor and then proceed to the
Emergency Room.
Hey, Jeff, where’s your lab coat and
what’s in the mystery beaker?