Department of Neuroscience
Lab safety
Since we are a laboratory-related department with a variety of technical installations, the level of safety is important. This is due to personal care as well as damage to equipment, premises and research results. The head of the department has a general responsibility that safety regulations exist and are being followed. Also, the safety representative has authorization to interfere and stop specific tasks/individual personal’s activity for safety prevention.
The laboratory activities at the department are located at BMC and the Uppsala Academic Hospital (where the supervisor of the centre for clinical medical research, CKMF, has the responsibility of the head of the department).
Fire protection
There are prescriptions of how inflammable liquids etc. should be handled and stored. Make sure that you are aware of fire alarm, where equipment for fire extinguishing are located in the laboratory and what the current emergency routes are. Also, note where the main taps for the gases are located in the corridor cupboards and where they can be turned off outside each laboratory if a fire has erupted. Education in fire protection should be organized and evaluated regularly.
Radioactive substances
The department has got permission, by the administrator of BMC, to work with a certain amount of radioactive isotopes (within the frame of a permit concerning work with radioactive isotopes issued to the Uppsala University part of BMC, within the frame of C2 licenses). Activities beyond this require contact with the radiation protection engineer and will be performed in the so-called hot-lab at BMC (amongst others, marking of proteins with iodine-125). The department has a list of acquired isotopes and this must be updated according to use. There are special rules for handling of radioactive substances in the waste.
Animal experiments
All handling of research animals (vertebrates) require an ethical permit signed by authorized supervisor at the department, assigned by the Swedish Board of Agricultures. In principal, all handling and storage of animals should be in the animal unit at BMC or in laboratory premises approved for animal experiments. Before experiments start, all experiments should be signed by both the researcher in charge and the authorized supervisor and approved by the Ethical committee for Animal Experiments. The person performing the experiments should have appropriate training. There are special rules how to handle anesthetics etc. during operations as well as how to handle animal bodies separately in animal waste (which are sent to special combustion).
Hazardous waste and other waste should not be thrown in waste-paper baskets. Instead they should be sorted in different boxes for glass, infectious, biological and radioactive waste, respectively. Sharp pipettes, scalpels and syringe needles should be deposited in glass jars before put in risk waste box (prevent perforating the paper wall). For further information, see BMC’s home page.
Waste: http://www2.bmc.uu.se/node37
Fire protection: http://www2.bmc.uu.se/node158
Radioactive work: http://www2.bmc.uu.se/node157
TURN PAGE
KLARA (every group has its own log-in)
KLARA is a web-based system for handling of chemicals where all departments and units at the University should register their chemicals. In the system, you should create your own chemical list, register amount and storage information, get access to the safety data sheet of each chemical product and retrieve several different reports. A specific permit is needed for possession of narcotic substances.
Work with Genetically Modified Microorganisms (GMM)
According to current legislation, usage of all of the genetically modified microorganisms (GMM) comprised should be assessed for risks and reported to or authorized by the Swedish Work Environment Administration. The risk assessment should be the base for protective interventions needed to prevent and counteract damage to health or environment. At the department, our licenses comprise F- and L-activities.
General information
Switch off the light and lock all doors when you are the last person leaving the Department’s premises (because the risk of thefts!).
Additional information about safety at the lab can be acquired from the supervisors (risk assessments, responsibilities over apparatus, which equipment acquire a “driver’s license” etc.)
Insufficiency in any of the points stated above can lead to legal penalties for the head of the department and/or other staff members.
Emergency number: 00112
Sign below when you have read and understood this information. Leave it to your supervisor.
Date:
Signature:
Print name:
2014-10-22