Lab Safety and Usage Training
3-D Systems Packaging Research Center
Georgia Institute of Technology
Dean Sutter – Director Operation PRC
Chris White – Laboratory Operations PRC
404.385.6231 chris.white@ece.gatech.edu MARC 153
Agenda
• Access Protocol
• About Right to Know
• Cleanroom Protocols and Housekeeping
• General Safety Guidelines
• Chemical Safety
– Chemical Labeling and Storage
– Chemical Spills
• Gas Cylinders
• Violations
• Penalties
• Final Notes
Access Protocol
On Line Lab Safety Training
http://www.usg.edu/ehs/training/rtkbasic/
http://www.usg.edu/ehs/training/chemical/
http://www.usg.edu/ehs/training/hazwaste/
Provide Certificates to Chris White
chris.white@ece.gatech.edu
MARC room 153
Access to Lab Provided by Class Instructors
Assembly lab – Nitesh Kumbhat
Room 340
Tel: 5-0730
Substrate Lab – Hunter Chan
Room 154 Tel: 5-0731
Materials Lab – Raj Pulugurtha
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Room 341 Tel: 4-2652
Guest Access – Sponsor must come to staff responsible for the lab so that
they are aware that you have a guest in the lab and to explain lab guidelines.
Right To Know
• Georgia Public Employees Hazardous Chemical
Protection and Right to Know Law also known as “RTK”.
• RTK is the State equivalent of the Federal Hazard
Communication Standard (which does not apply on State
Property/to State employees)
• RTK protects your right to information about the
chemicals to which you may be exposed while working
for the State or attending a State school
• RTK makes organizations accountable for the chemicals
that they own, make, or use.
Not covered by RTK Law
• Chemicals being transported in-state as part of a
shipment in interstate or intrastate commerce – The
DOT regulates shipment of chemicals by a specific set of
hazardous material regulations (49CFR 100 -199).
• Chemicals already covered by the Atomic Energy Act
• Alcoholic beverages and articles intended for personal
consumption.
• Consumer products that are used in the workplace in the
same manner as normal consumer use.
Cleanroom Protocols

All doors are to remain closed except to exit or enter.

Step on the tacky mats when entering the cleanroom.
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Keep hair and ears covered with hoods or bonnets.

Personnel with mustaches or beards must wear beard guards in all Prototype
Laboratories.
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Never open your coveralls in the cleanroom.
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Never touch your skin with latex gloves.
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No paper products are permitted in the cleanrooms i.e. cardboard, paper,
tissues, styrofoam or foam rubber.
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No pencils, erasers or retractable pens are permitted in the laboratories.

Ask permission before bringing in or removing anything from the laboratories.

No cosmetics are to be worn in the cleanroom

Store your cleanroom gown in your assigned locker and only wear it in the
cleanroom.
House Keeping
 Leave the area at least as clean as you found it, if not cleaner
 Do not leave samples/solutions on tables and hoods.
 Ensure trash containers are closed after use
 Turn off room lights when not in use
 Use the proper Chemical Spill Kit for cleaning up chemical
spills.
 Keep work areas free from obstructions
 Aisles, hallways and steps are not to be used for storage
General Safety Guidelines
• Emergency Telephone Numbers
– GT Police 4-2500
– Institute Fire Marshall
– Chemical-Hazard
– Spills/Waste
Michael Hodgson 4-2990
Debbie Wolfe-Lopez 5-2964
Ed Pozniak 4-6224
• Signs and Labels
DO NOT ENTER - EXPERIMENT IN PROGRESS
DO NOT ENTER - LASER IN USE
TOOL IN USE
CHEMICAL WARNING LABEL
General Safety Guidelines
Emergency Procedures
Reporting
 Your name, telephone, building, floor, and room numbers.
 Condition of any injured individual (e.g. unconscious, burned or
trapped).
 Type of emergency such as fire, chemical spill and what type.
Notify others in the area
Exit Layouts
Use the appropriate Fire Extinguisher
 Only CO2 extinguishers are available in PRC Labs
First Aid
 Do not move seriously injured people unless they are in danger of
further injury.
General Safety Guidelines
Protective Clothing and Equipment
Eye Protection
• Contact Lenses are not to be worn in the labs
• Must wear safety glasses
Gloves
• Cleanroom Gloves as not “Chemically Safe”. They are meant to protect the
environment from you, not you from the environment.
Footwear
• No open toe or heel and no high heeled shoes allowed.
• No canvas or open weave shoes.
Clothing
• When using acids DO wear a face shield, acid apron with sleeves and
gloves.
• Shorts, skirts and nylon are not permitted!
• No bare midriffs, no spaghetti straps
• Long hair must be tied back
General Safety Guidelines
Protective Clothing and Equipment
Respirators / Masks
Only to be worn to protect the lab from you.
Will not protect you from dangerous fumes.
Must be certified through EH&S to use respirators.
General Safety Guidelines
 Working Alone and Unattended Operations
Buddy System
½ Hour call to back-up
Call back-up upon leaving
 Visitors
Need to have escorts at all times
 Health and Hygiene
No food, drink or smoking is permitted in the labs.
No food, drink or flammables are permitted to be stored in
chemical refrigerators.
Key Safety Methods for Chemicals
• New Chemicals must be in put into the Chematix system and
labeled with the chemical’s name, owner’s name, date and have a
bar code. – See Person in Charge of the Lab
• Mixed chemical bottles must be labeled with the chemical’s names,
owner’s name, date and properly filled out safety warning
“Diamond”.
• Chemicals must be disposed of properly. No acids, bases or
solvents are to go down the drain.
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Acid waste is to go into a separate labeled waste container.
Base waste is to go into a separate labeled waste container.
Solvent waste is to go into a separate labeled waste container.
No more than 55 gallons of waste is to be stored at a time.
If waste containers are full please notify staff.
Chemical Warning Label
Chemical Safety Protocols
 Use the appropriate glove for your application. (Nitrile
vs Latex)
 Always wear safety glasses.
 When transferring acids, you must wear safety face
shields
 No chemicals are to be pipetted by mouth.
 DO NOT store chemicals in fume hoods or on work
surfaces
 Chemicals are to be stored in appropriate containers
and in the appropriate chemical storage cabinets.
Chemical Usage
• Provide MSDS information to the lab manager for
any new chemicals.
• Read and understand the safety and emergency
procedures listed in the MSDS.
• Familiarize yourself with the proper chemical waste
disposal procedures before starting your work.
• Identify and procure solvents / neutralizers for all
chemicals so that you can clean minor spills
immediately and keep work surfaces clean.
Safely working with Chemicals
Know what you are working with!
– How does it react?
– How dangerous is it?
– What is it incompatible with?
– Does it require a fume hood?
– How should it be stored?
• Does it need an explosion proof refrigerator?
• Does it need an inert atmosphere?
One Rule at Georgia Tech
“Label Everything”
•
Immediate use containers:
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Only last one shift
Never leave your control
Secondary Containers (beakers, flasks)
Label must have:
• Chemical Name
• Name of Owner and contact number
• Date
Extended Use Containers:
– Any Situation Lasting More Than One Shift
– Reagent bottles, Squirt bottles, Spray bottles
• Must Have Permanent Type Sealing Method
– Label must have:
• Hazard information - same as NFPA diamond information
• Chemical Name
• Project Name – due to multiple containers
• Name of Owner
• Date placed in Storage
•
Maximum of 1 container of any individual chemical per project
General Classifications
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Toxic
Corrosive
Irritant
Sensitizer
Asphyxiate
Flammable
Reactive
Explosive
Blue indicates the health hazard.
RED indicates flammable hazard.
Yellow indicates the reactivity hazard.
White gives special information such
as water or oxidizer incompatibility.
Shower
Gas Cylinder
Fire Extinguisher
Electrical
First Aid
Do Not Touch
Eye Wash
Flammable
Chemical Exposures
 Respiratory exposures - move to fresh air
 Skin exposures, rinse for 15 minutes
 If skin exposures involve a body part that cannot be
rinsed under a faucet an emergency shower must
be used
 If exposed to Hydrofluoric Acid, rinse and apply
calcium gluconate – immediately call for an
ambulance to Grady Memorial Hospital.
Chemical Spills
Minor (Spills you can handle)
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Notify possibly affected personnel
Clean it up
Bag waste for proper disposal
Replenish Supplies
Examine what went wrong
Major (Get Help)
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Medical attention required
Violent on going chemical reaction or fire
Highly dangerous or unknown material
Any situation where you question your own safety
Major Spills: What To Do
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Notify personnel in area
Close fumehood
Shut off equipment
Post warning sign
Pull fire alarm if necessary
CONTACT GT POLICE (4-2500)
If possible, remain on or close to phone.
Exit impacted area, but remain accessible to
emergency personnel
Emergency Eyewash Procedures
• Shout for help
• Hold your eyelids open with your fingers as you rinse
your eyes
• Have your helper watch a clock for you to make sure that
you continue to rinse your eyes for a full 15 minutes
Post Eyewash
• You must seek medical attention immediately afterwards
• GT EH&S recommends you go to Grady Hospital to
ensure proper care
• Take a copy of the MSDS with you to the hospital
Emergency Shower Procedures
• Shout for Help
• Remove clothing on the way to the shower
• Shower for 15 minutes
• If the need for medical attention is in question, get a
helper to
– Print out MSDS (4 copies)
– Call GT Police at 4-2500 to summon EH&S
• Do not re-don contaminated clothing
• If a chemical enters the eyes then medical attention
is REQUIRED
Flammability and Combustibility
• Flash Point- Temperature at which a liquid
gives off sufficient vapor to support
combustion if provided with a source of
ignition
• Flammable: FP below 100oF
• Highly Flammable: FP <73oF BP<100oF
Chemical Waste Disposal
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General Waste - trash cans
Solvents - pour the liquid into the solvent waste container. Add the
chemical name to the list on the bottle
Solvent rags - place in safety step cans. Add the chemical name to the
list
Acid and Bases - dilute with water (1:10 ratio) and dispose in the plastic
drain station
Acid or Caustic rags/wipers - wash them thoroughly with water and
dispose in trash can.
All other chemicals, salts, etc - bring your own waste containers. Label
them:
– your name
– contact number
– type of chemical waste
– date and any other important information
Call 4-0499 to pick up the waste.
DO NOT DUMP hazardous chemicals in the drains
Waste Organic Solvents
• Bottle it! Use Chematix, contact PRC
Laboratory Staff for assistance.
• Unless you are physically standing in front of the
waste bottle and adding waste, the bottle must
be capped.
• Discard bottle by allowing the residue to
evaporate off in the hood then deface and
discard into glass trash (lid off)
• Broken Glassware - Glass must be put into Red
Poly containers for disposal.
Waste Acids and Bases
• Bottle it!
• Shipping/Storage Bottle must be triple rinsed
• Rinsate (Solution remaining after rinsing) may
go down the drain
• Deface the bottle
• Discard (uncapped) into glass trash
Highly Hazardous Waste
• Bottle it!
• Bottle contents are hazardous- treat as
hazardous solid waste and call for pick up
• Check www.safety.gatech.edu for the “highly
hazardous” list to see what qualifies
Unique Safety Hazards
Assembly Lab
• X-ray Exposure
*Radiation certification required to operate
x-ray equipment
• Fein Focus X-ray
Inspection Machines
• Burns (Hot/Cold)
• Reflow Oven, Thermal
Chambers, Hot Press,
Placement Systems,
Ultrasonic Bonder
• Limb Sever/Eye Injury
• WaterJet, Dage Tester
• Crush/Pinch
• Placement Tool,
Hot Press, Reflow Oven,
Placement Systems
Unique Safety Hazards
Substrate Lab
• Laser and Ultraviolet
Light (Eye Safety)
• Laser Drill,
Tamarack Exposure Tool
• Chemical and Eye
Safety
• Technics, Plating Lines,
Fume Hoods, Spin
Coaters
• Burns
• Cuts
• Ovens, Hot Plates,
Vacuum Laminator
• Broken Glassware
Using Gas Cylinders
• Gas cylinders must be restrained with a chain or strap between the
“waist” and “shoulder” of the cylinder.
• Remove regulators and cap cylinders before moving.
• Cap unused cylinders
• Never use grease or Teflon tape on cylinder fittings
• The cylinder (not the cap) must be labeled as to contents. Do not rely
on cylinder color to identify the contents. Color identi vary between
manufacturers.
• Fittings vary between gas types: toxic, corrosive, inert, flammable,
oxidizing.
• Never force a fitting. If it has to be forced, it is probably the wrong type.
• Always use non-sparking tools around flammables and oxidizers.
Using Gas Cylinders
• Mishandled cylinders may rupture violently, release their
hazardous contents or become dangerous projectiles.
• If a neck of a pressurized cylinder should be
accidentally broken off, the energy released would
be sufficient to propel the cylinder to over 3/4 of a
mile in height.
• A standard 250 cubic foot cylinder pressurized to 2,500
PSIG can become a rocket attaining a speed of over 30
miles per hour in a fraction of a second after venting
from the broken cylinder connection
MYTHBUSTERS
• A compressed air cylinder can…
• Myth statement Status Notes…blast through a
concrete wall.
• The MythBusters constructed a launch tube and
perfected shearing off the cylinder's valve, the cylinder
shot entirely through their constructed cinder block wall
and damaged the solid concrete wall behind it. The
MythBusters were also aware of recorded instances of
such instances happening.
Violations
•
Not wearing the safety glasses in the
Substrate Lab.
•
What is the violation?
•
The correct way is to be fully gowned to
include safety glasses at all times.
Violations
• Pouring chemicals into beakers next to the cabinets?
• What is the violation?
• The correct way is to pour the chemicals into beakers in
the fume hoods.
Violations
• Cell phone use in the Substrate lab – 158 Cleanroom.
• What is the violation?
• The correct way is to not open your gown inside the
cleanroom to get your cell phone out. The cell phone
should be wiped down with a texwipe and isopropanol
before being carried into the cleanroom. Otherwise
please use your phone in the gowning area.
Violations
• Fume hoods and other areas left messy.
• What is the violation?
• The correct way is to:
Please clean up after yourself!
Violations
• Sulfuric Acid in the Base cabinet.
• What is the violation?
• The correct way is put it back in the correct cabinet!
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Acids in Acid Cabinet,
Bases in Base Cabinet,
Solvents in the Flammables Cabinet.
Oxidizers in Corrosives Cabinet
Violations
• People having their heads in the fume hoods while
working with chemicals.
• What is the violation?
• The correct way is:
Never place your head inside a fume hood.
Windows are for splash and fume protection – 18” height only
Penalties
Consequences of failure to follow protocols:
1st offense is a verbal warning.
2nd offense is a verbal warning and notification
to advisor or supervisor as appropriate.
3rd offense is expulsion from lab, advisor
notification, and written request to re-enter by
advisor or supervisor.
REMEMBER
• THERE IS NO SUCH THING AS AN
ACCIDENT!
ONLY NEGLECT TO ACT PROPERLY
• WORKING SAFELY IS NO ACCIDENT!
Final Notes
 Safety prevails over all other judgment.
 Use good common sense and be considerate to
others.
 If in doubt please ask PRC staff for assistance.