Preface Laboratory safety involves learning to take precautions when working in a laboratory. You must know
what the risks are and how to prevent them. Regulations and guidelines are not sufficient to achieve a
safe lab. It is the skill, knowledge and basic common sense of the individual lab worker that are crucial
to safety. Each student is responsible for reading all safety material, informing the lab TA of any possible hazards or accidents, practicing established safety protocols, and disposing of all wastes in the properly labeled containers.
MSU Biological Sciences Laboratory Safety Guidelines This workplace is covered by the Michigan Right-to-Know Law. Every student in the lab has the right
to readily access the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for hazardous chemicals used in the lab. You
may locate MSDS(s) for the lab by contacting the Office of Radiation Chemical and Biological Safety
in C120 Research Complex–Engineering or by calling 355-0153. Make sure you read the Right-toKnow Law and participate in the safety training given by your TA before you sign a laboratory worker
safety agreement. When you sign this agreement, you agree that you have been informed of the hazards,
safety regulations, and safety features of this laboratory. All students must sign the laboratory worker’s
safety agreement to participate in these labs. If you do not sign this form, you will need to drop this lab
course unless you contact the lab coordinator to make other arrangements.
The following basic safety regulations must be adhered to in the lab at all times or you will be required
to leave:
1.
2.
You must always follow the aseptic protocol, when necessary.
Report all accidents, fires, personal injuries, chemical or microbial spills to your TA and / or the lab
coordinator immediately.
3. You may NEVER eat or drink or smoke or apply cosmetics in the lab room.
4. If you have long hair, you must tie it up so it will not be a health or fire hazard.
5. You must NOT wear contact lenses in the lab (unless you have chemical goggles). Some chemicals used in the lab may get under the contact lens and cause damage to your eye.
6. Before you leave the lab, you must organize the lab trays (according to the tray map), and return all
demonstration materials to their proper places.
7. You will handle all equipment with care. You will clean and store all equipment properly after use.
If you damage any equipment, you may be responsible for paying for the repairs.
8. You must wear a pair of shoes and a shirt in the lab. You may not wear open toed shoes or sandals
or rolling devices (e.g., in-line skates) in the lab.
9. You must inform your TA of any serious medical problems (allergies or a medical condition that
may require immediate assistance) that require emergency medications. If you are pregnant, you
must notify the lab coordinator.
10. You are not allowed to bring individuals not registered in the course into the lab, without the lab
coordinator’s approval.
Aseptic Protocol The aseptic protocol is a procedure that you always practice to protect yourself and other people working in the lab from any hazardous situations. Here are the steps you will perform every time you enter
and leave the lab.
Step 1 Before you enter the lab, you will put your coat, knapsack, and books away. Once in the lab, you
should wash your hands. If you have long hair, make sure it is tied up.
Step 2 You will wipe down and clean your lab bench top with 10% bleach and put the used paper towels
in the regular trash.
Step 3 You must keep your lab bench area free of clothes and excessive paperwork (you should only need
your lab manual). You must never perform experiments over your lab manual or any papers; they
may ignite or become contaminated.
Step 4 You will follow all safety regulations. If your TA gives you additional special safety instructions or
handling instructions for the lab, you must follow them.
Step 5 If you need to leave the lab for a break, you must bleach down your bench top and wash your
hands.
Step 6 When you have completed the lab, you must dispose of all chemical and biological wastes in the
appropriate, designated containers.
Step 7 When you have completed the lab, you must clean and store all equipment properly.
Step 8 On completion of the lab, you must also clean all the glassware, reorganize the lab tray (according
to the tray map) and return all demonstration materials to their proper places. Your lab area and the
lab should be cleaned and organized before you leave.
Step 9 Before you leave, you must push your chair under the bench, bleach down your bench top and
wash your hands.
Safety Protocols for Handling Emergencies You must notify your TA immediately if you have an injury during class. If you need medical attention,
go to Olin Health Center from 8:00 a.m.–5:00 p.m., Monday to Friday. If you have a major injury (unconsciousness or severe bleeding or broken bone), your TA will call 911 (DPS) for an ambulance, and
you will be taken to a local hospital. Your TA will obtain personal information from you and anyone
who observed the accident, for the lab coordinator.
Your TA will show you where the safety eyewash and shower are in the lab. If you get chemicals on
your hands, rinse them in water for 15 minutes. If you splash chemicals in your eyes, flush your eyes
with water for 15 minutes in the eyewash. If burning continues, inform your TA and seek medical attention. If you spill chemicals on your clothes and body, flush yourself with water from the shower for
15 minutes.
If there is a fire, notify your TA so he or she can put it out, if possible. The TA will show you where the
laboratory fire extinguisher is located. To prevent fire hazards, please throw matches into the small
labeled used matches beaker on the tray instead of in the waste basket.
First aid may be provided by asking your TA for bandages or supplies, available in the first aid kit in
the lab. You should not administer first aid to another student in the class. Always notify the TA when
someone in the lab needs assistance.
Nonchemical Waste Handling If you break any glassware (that has not been in contact with microorganisms), notify your TA and discard the glass in the broken glass can by the windows. Pasteur pipettes or capillary tubes should be
placed in the labeled 1 L beaker, on the tray. All paper material that has not been exposed to chemicals
other than bleach can be thrown out in the trash can. You will be required to leave the lab if you fail to
dispose of wastes properly.
Chemical Waste Handling All liquid chemical waste generated while performing experiments will be disposed of in a MSU Liquid Chemical Waste Carboy or another designated, labeled waste container. You will pour liquid
wastes into the carboy, through the funnel. Do not put any solid items in these containers, such as glass
or cotton. You must take care when handling dyes and other chemicals in the lab. When chemicals are
potentially hazardous, you will wear protective gloves and other accessories as needed.
When a chemical spill occurs, you must notify your TA so she or he can clean it up. The spill has to be
cleaned up with the chemical spill kit. Your TA will clean up the spill using our chemical spill protocol. Please do not interrupt your TA while she or he is cleaning the spill.
As the semester proceeds, your TA will remind you about these waste sites and other new disposal sites
when they are needed. Make sure you adhere to these guidelines. Putting wastes where they belong protects you and everyone else. You will be required to leave the lab, if you fail to dispose of wastes properly.
Biological Waste Handling Biological wastes are any type of solid material that is exposed to microorganisms, DNA, blood, insects, plants, or animals. These wastes are considered hazardous and must be handled with care and
disposed of properly. All solid microbial waste, such as petri dishes with agar, dot blots and contaminated paper towels are to be discarded into the orange biohazard bag in the white labeled can (solid biological waste can). The following microbial contaminated items may not go into the biohazard can and
must be put in the 1 L beaker of bleach on your tray: microfuge tubes, plastic 1 mL pipettes, Pasteur
pipettes, slides, coverslips, pipettor tips and microcapillary tubes. All dead fruit flies will be discarded
in a morgue of oil.
You will be wearing gloves for some experiments. When you are done using the gloves, you must dispose of them in the solid biological waste can. If you are injured and start to bleed, any materials used
to wipe up the blood or cover the cut must be disposed of in the solid biological waste can. Any sharp
things, like bloody slides or needles or razor blades, will be discarded in the sharps solid biological
waste container.
Dissected, preserved animals are collected in labeled metal cans. The prep staff will handle the removal
of these from the lab rooms. University Laboratory Animal Resources (ULAR) collects and disposes of
all animal wastes generated at Michigan State University. You will be required to leave the lab if you
fail to dispose of wastes properly.
Emergency Action Plan This emergency plan is for everyone to use (students, faculty, staff, employees and guests). This plan
consists of instructions for reporting emergencies, evacuating the building and seeking shelter in the
building. The North Kedzie Laboratory (NKL) second floor emergency action team members are Sonya
Lawrence and Thomas Harpstead. The building coordinator is Ellen Rzepka.
A building may be considered unsafe if there is a fire, bomb threat, hazardous material release or tornado. If the building is determined to be unsafe, you will be instructed to perform ONE of two actions:
evacuate the building or seek shelter within the building. Refer to the floor plan at the end of this section, to determine the primary and secondary evacuation routes and the designated shelter area, for your
lab room.
Reporting Emergencies For fire, explosion, life threatening or serious injury, crime in progress, and hazardous material release
(spill or odors), dial 9-1-1. This will connect you to a police officer at MSU Department of Public
Safety (DPS). Notify the officer of your problem and wait for instructions. Your TA will report laboratory emergencies.
Fire Knowledge Fires are very fast. For example, a lit cigarette on a chair can result in the room becoming engulfed in
flames in about 2 minutes. The first sign of a fire is smoke. It usually rises to the top of the room before it fills the room. After the smoke, you will see the flames, and lastly you will feel the intense heat.
If there is a fire, you must evacuate the building quickly and carefully. You always need to verify that
your evacuation route is free of smoke and fire (check to see if the door or door knob is hot). If your
primary evacuation route is not usable, proceed to your secondary evacuation route.
Fires are classified into four types. Type A is a fire involving wood or paper. This type of fire is put out
with a compressed water fire extinguisher. This type of extinguisher is found in all the second floor
hallways. Type B fires are caused by the ignition of grease or flammable liquids. Type B fires are put
out with a B-C fire extinguisher, which is a combination of carbon dioxide and a powder. A type C fire
is an electrical fire. This type of fire is NEVER put out with a compressed water fire extinguisher. Type
C fires are extinguished with a powdery chemical, such as a B-C fire extinguisher. Lastly, type D fires
are produced from burning metals. Never attempt to put out a type D fire; let the professionals handle it.
Universal fire extinguishers are used on type A, B and C fires.
Tornado Knowledge Increase your awareness during tornado watches. If you have to seek shelter, go where there is no glass.
Do not use the stairs if there is glass in the stairwell. If you are in North Kedzie Laboratory, make sure
you listen to your TA’s instructions and move to the designated shelter area.
North Kedzie Laboratory Building Evacuation Plan There are three possible reasons that a building may need to be evacuated: fire, bomb threat, or hazardous material release. You will be told when to evacuate the building by your lab TA using one of the
following signals: fire alarm or whistle (standby for verbal verification of evacuation; a whistle is also
used for the seeking shelter plan). When you hear the fire alarm or whistle, this indicates there is a problem. Do not use the elevator.
At the beginning of the semester, your TA will set up a buddy system with the class and inform you of
the evacuation plan. Your TA will evacuate all the students from the lab room using both lab doors.
Students will leave the building by the primary route out of the building. If there is smoke in the stairwell, you must leave the building by the secondary route. The TA will assist individuals in wheelchairs
or who need assistance. Students will meet the TA at the rally point (west side of Agriculture Hall by
the trees) and check in with the TA. Wait at this location for further instructions from your TA. If
someone is missing, notify a member of the emergency action team (wearing a yellow hard hat) immediately. The team member will need the student’s name, lab room you were in, possible route the person
used to exit the building, and where your class meeting point is located.
Seeking Shelter within the Building There are two possible reasons for seeking shelter within the building: a tornado or hazardous material
release. You will be told when to evacuate the building by your lab TA using one of the following signals: campus siren or whistle (standby for verbal verification of seeking shelter; a whistle is also used
for evacuation).
If you are seeking shelter in the building due to a hazardous material release, stay in the lab room and
prevent air from entering the room. Wait for further instructions. If you are seeking shelter in the building due to a tornado, your TA will move the class to the designated shelter area in the hallway. Remember to stay away from windows. Remain in the shelter area until you are notified that the tornado has
passed or the TA tells you everything is fine.