Hellmann Lab Safety
and Operational Guidelines
Chris Brown/Jason Dzurisin
Sept. 10, 2007
Roles and Responsibilities

Lab Manager’s Responsibilities:
 Ensure lab members know and follow chemical hygiene rules.
 Monitor procurement, use and disposal of chemicals used in the
lab.
 Provide Risk Management and Safety with an annual inventory of
hazardous materials.

Lab Member Responsibilities:
 To plan and conduct all operations in accordance with the
chemical hygiene procedures.
 Develop good personal chemical hygiene habits.
 Obtain information pertinent to equipment and material safety
 Use personal protective equipment provided.
Hellmann Lab Chemical Hazards

Flammables





Ethanol
Isopropanol
Chloroform
Phenol
Isoamyl Alcohol

Acid/Base


Acids
 37% Hydrochloric acid
 Acetic Acid
 EDTA
Bases
 Sodium hydroxide
pellets
 Potassium hydroxide
Other chemicals

Ethidium bromide


Mutagenic
Suspect carcinogen and teratogen


Teratogenic = causes possible genetic birth defects
Water


Poses electrical hazard
Poses physical hazard (slipping, etc.)
Safety Considerations

Wear gloves at all times when doing bench
work




Good general practice
Prevents absorption of chemicals through skin
Prevents contamination of samples
Wear lab coat when appropriate

Chloroform/Phenol
Safety Considerations

Spill Response
 Stairway A, 1st floor
 Acid, Base, Solvent kits
 Procedures:
1.
2.
3.
4.

Inform Lab Manager
Close off and mark spill area
Lab Manager will treat spill
Contact Risk Management
Fire

Extinguisher: In lab, near exit

Procedures:
1.
2.
Pull alarm (outside lab)
Use extinguisher

3.
Only if fire is ‘manageable’
If larger, evacuate the
building
Safety Considerations

Cuts/Scrapes


Eye contamination


First Aid kit in lab
 Next to office
 Inform Lab Manager
Eye wash in lab
 Tested every month
1. Squeeze handle
2. Keep eyes open
3. Inform Lab Manager
Body Contamination

Safety showers
 In bathrooms just outside of lab

1.
2.
3.
Tested every month
Pull handle…area will not drain
Take off contaminated clothing
Inform Lab Manager
GLP Guidelines

Label all handmade solutions with:



Contents
Initials/Name
Date
 Bare minimum requirements under GLP rules


Unknown solutions will have to be discarded
MSDS Forms



Updated MSDS paper database in file cabinet
Better to know what you’re working with than not
“Right to know”
GLP Guidelines

Keep hood as clean/organized as possible



Cluttered hood leads to reduced air flow
Uncapped or open chemicals can mix
dangerously
Use certain chemicals in the hood



Chloroform/Phenol mixtures
Ethidium Bromide
BME: beta-mercaptoethanol
Operational Guidelines
-20°
-20°
4°
Office Workstations/Whiteboard
-80°
Fume Hood
Storage
Dirty Work
Microscopy
Meetings
Mobile
workstations
Genetics
Wet Chemistry
Gel Electrophoresis Station
Hellmann Lab Layout
Food Safe
Station 1:
Genetics/Wet Chemistry

All stations are general use

Users are responsible for
leaving workspace clean
and organized at the end of
each workday

Red Taped area is RNA
Free Zone

All tips are autoclaved
Station 2:
Meetings/Mobile workstations/Food Safe

Yellow taped area is
food safe. No
hazardous materials
allowed.

Middle stations are free
for mobile laptop use or
other misc. projects

Also used for meetings
Station 3:
PCR/Electrophoresis/Balance/Waterbath

Station is group use

Should be left clean at
end of use

When not active,
hardware should be
turned off
Station 4:
Dirty Work/Microscopy

Left zone for
microscopy only

Right zone for dirty
projects and materials
sorting

Should be left
organized at the end of
each workday
Station 5:
Office Workstations/Whiteboard

Total of 3 computer
workstations



1 Apple Powerbook
1 Gateway Desktop
1 IBM Thinkpad

Printer

Couch

Whiteboard
Station 5: Continued
Office Workstations/Whiteboard

All workstations are
group use



Desktops should be left
clean
User files should be
stored virtually
Please collect print jobs
promptly; uncollected
jobs will be recycled
Other considerations

When leaving:






Clean and organize workspace
Double-check all equipment is off
Make sure hood shade is down and light is off
Wash hands
“Check out” with remaining personnel
If last to leave, turn off all lights and ensure door
is locked