Judelson Laboratory Safety Training Document 2008 version 1
SAFETY TRAINING DOCUMENT FOR THE JUDELSON LABORATORY
A. INTRODUCTION
At the University of California, a safe working environment results from cooperation between the University, the faculty member, and the individual worker. This document will inform you of the hazards associated with working in the laboratory, and provide information on safe working practices and guidance in resolving safety concerns. If after reading this document you are unsure of safe procedures for performing your work, request instruction from Howard Judelson or the UCR Department of Environmental Health and Safety (827-5528).
B. PROCEDURES FOR EMERGENCIES AND ACCIDENTS
1. GENERAL INSTRUCTIONS
In case of any emergency, FIRST determine if the incident poses an immediate danger to you. If so, leave the area immediately. SECOND, determine if the incident presents an immediate danger to those nearby. If so, evacuate that area. THEN, once you are in a safe area, call for help by dialing 911.
If you need to evacuate the building, do so by activating a fire alarm. Don't take the elevator! Meet outside the building, on the west side of Webber. A map is provided in the Webber Hall Emergency Booklet, which is provided in each laboratory.
2. PROCEDURES FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES AND ACCIDENTS
For serious and life-threatening accidents, call 911 for an ambulance. Otherwise, seek medical attention at your own discretion, using the laboratory first aid kit or an outside physician, or other entity. Please notify Howard Judelson of all accidents.
3. PROCEDURES IN CASE OF FIRE OR EXPLOSIONS
Leave the area of immediate danger, being sure that others are also out of the area. Close the doors to the room involved. Activate the nearest building fire alarm to evacuate others from the building. Call the Fire Department: Dial 911 (for your safety leave the fire zone before calling!). Leave the building.
Fighting fires: Do not attempt to extinguish the fire if it is large or if hazardous materials are involved! You can attempt to extinguish fires if you are confident that you will be able to put it out.
4. PROCEDURES IN CASE OF EARTHQUAKE
Never exit a building during an earthquake!
Take cover under a desk or table or in a strong door frame until the shaking stops.
When shaking stops, secure your area (turn off gas burners and gas cylinders, cap dangerous chemicals) and then exit the lab, closing the door behind you.
Evacuate the building.
Do not re-enter the building until official clearance is given.
5. PROCEDURES FOR A CHEMICAL SPILL (See "Chemical Hygiene," Section, D2e, below).
C. GUIDELINES FOR INJURY AND ILLNESS PREVENTION
1. GENERAL WORK GUIDELINES
Understand the procedures involved in your work before you begin. This means know how to safely use the materials, chemicals, equipment, etc. in your work. IF YOU DON'T KNOW, ASK!!!
Know the location and how to use exits, safety showers, eyewashes, first-aid kits, fire extinguishers, spill kits, fire blankets, alarm pull boxes, and telephones before you start to work.
Follow work practices that reduce the possibility of muscle injury. Take frequent breaks from repetitive activities! Never move anything that is too heavy for you to handle alone: ask someone to help you! When lifting, get a firm grasp while keeping your back close to vertical, and then lift with the legs, not with the back! When working at a computer, sit erect with the screen and keyboard directly in front of you; muscle strain will be reduced if your forearms and legs are kept parallel to the floor.
Long hair, clothing, or jewelry should be tied back or otherwise confined.
Follow good housekeeping practices. Clean up as you go and keep work areas, aisles, corridors, and exits uncluttered. Maintain accessibility to eyewash/emergency showers, fire extinguishers, and electrical panels.
Report all accidents, injuries, or unsafe conditions immediately to Howard Judelson, the Department Chairman, or EH&S (reporting can be done anonymously if desired). Do not ignore an unsafe condition!! Solve the problem yourself or bring it to the attention of Howard Judelson or EH&S!!
2. LABORATORY-SPECIFIC GUIDELINES
Use the proper safety equipment for your procedure. This could include a fume hood, biosafety cabinet, shields, or other equipment.
Wear the appropriate personal protective gear where laboratory or experimental conditions dictate. This includes lab aprons, lab coats, gloves, goggles, face shields, dust masks, respirators, and other equipment.
Wear eye protection. Safety glasses are required when working with chemicals. The wearing of contact lens are not advised for laboratory workers!
Wear clothes that protect the body against spills, dropped objects, and other accidental chemical contact. Thus open shoes, sandals, and bare feet are prohibited. If you wear shorts, cover your legs with a long lab coat when working with radioactive materials or dangerous chemicals.
NEVERNEVER NEVER pipette by mouth. Use mechanical pipetting devices or bulbs.
Working when tired or very late at night is not advised. Fatigued workers cause accidents to themselves and others! Who will help you if you become injured? If you work after regular hours, find a "buddy" who will periodically check on you.
Only perform authorized procedures.
The storage and consumption of food, beverages, cosmetics, smokeless tobacco is limited to "clean areas" outside of the laboratory.
Wash hands carefully before leaving the laboratory. Beware of contamination on clothing, door knobs, frames, etc. Remove protective gear (gloves, etc.) before leaving the laboratory, using a telephone, etc.
D. CHEMICAL SAFETY
1. GENERAL REQUIREMENTS FOR A SAFE LABORATORY
Chemicals should be handled in such a manner as to reduce the risk of personal exposure and environmental damage. Some of the chemicals used in laboratories are acutely toxic (causing asphyxiation, dizziness, neurotoxicity, allergic response, irritation, or body corrosion), some cause chronic toxicity (mutagens, teratogens, carcinogens, compounds causing reproductive toxicity, or other specific organ effects), and others may be flammable or otherwise injurious. A list of the chemicals in the laboratory can be found in the Chemical Inventory.
2. STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES FOR WORK WITH CHEMICALS:
a. Follow safe laboratory practices!
Safe practices and procedures must be followed. Before starting any procedure, consider what chemicals you are using and what safety procedures are necessary. Safety information is available from several sources, including this document. For example, labels on chemical bottles often contain a description of hazards associated with the chemical. Additional information on safety procedures and signs/symptoms associated with chemicals can be obtained by reading Material Data Safety Sheets, which are available at EH&S (tel. 2-5528). The publication "Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories" is also available at EH&S. The Dept. of Plant Pathology has also prepared a "Chemical Hygiene Plan" which is available in the departmental office during business hours.
While the above sources will indicate the known hazards of chemicals, for caution's sake consider any chemical a potential hazard!
b. Use protective and other safety equipment!
Safety Glasses should be worn to guard against flying particles, chemical splashes, etc. Larger shields (such as splash goggles for face shields) should be utilized as necessary. Contact lens should not be worn since they are extremely difficult to remove in case of chemical contact with the eye, and may allow dangerous chemical vapors to collect behind the lens. If you must wear contact lenses, inform your supervisor so that precautions can be taken.
Dust masks provide an extra although limited margin of protection when working with dry chemicals.
Chemical fume hoods provide a safe environment for working with chemicals yielding hazardous vapors, dusts, and mists. Leave the sash (sliding door) at or below the safety arrow to ensure adequate air flow and check the air flow before use.
Gloves protect the hands against chemicals, abrasion, heat, and cold. Before use, check gloves for cracks, holes, etc. Do not touch door knobs, light switches, telephones, etc., with gloves. Gloves vary in their resistance to different chemicals and physical conditions. Some chemicals will dissolve some types of gloves! Gloves made of cotton or leather protect against abrasion, sharp objects, glass, and in some cases, heat; however, they offer virtually no wet chemical protection, and may actually absorb chemicals. Some rubber gloves may contain pores that allow the passage of small chemicals, tritium, etc.
Lab coats and aprons protect the body. As with gloves, choose the material that best meets your needs. Tyvek coats provide excellent general protection against chemicals and, unlike cloth coats, do not absorb hazardous materials. Heavy duty rubber aprons provide good general protection but are not resistant to all chemicals. As with gloves, lab coats and aprons should remain in the laboratory. Many of the substances in the laboratory can be inadvertently taken home on lab coats and aprons and are dangerous to friends, family, or pets.
Shoes with closed toes should be worn in the laboratory at all times to protect against spills and splashes which reach the floor. Leather shoes offer better protection against corrosion than canvas shoes; open-toed shoes and bare feet are prohibited in the laboratory. If you must wear sandals, then you must wear Tyvek shoe covers. Pets are not allowed in laboratories, since they generally do not wear shoes and for other reasons, also.
Bench paper provides a way to protect your work area from contamination.
c. Handle and store chemicals safely!
In order to know how to safely handle chemicals, laboratory workers must be familiar with the hazard characteristics associated with each chemical they use. This information is available from several sources, including the bottle labels, Merck Index, EH&S, and Material Data Safety Sheets (MSDS's, available at EH&S). MSDS's can be accessed through the EH&S website (
Make sure that others in the lab know the hazards associated with chemicals that you are using or storing! Label your personal stock bottles or aliquots with "FLAMMABLE, CORROSIVE, OXIDIZER, TOXIC, CARCINOGEN, etc." as appropriate, plus your name.
Never taste or smell a chemical, store food in a chemical container, or vice versa.
Store chemicals only on shelves with earthquake guards.
d. Understand the different types of hazardous chemicals!
Organics, including solvents
The majority of chemicals in this class are toxic if inhaled or ingested, and many are flammable. Some cause burns and others are carcinogens. Therefore, protective gloves and a lab coat must be worn when handling them. As a general rule all organic solvents used in the lab must be used only in the fume hood. The only exceptions are ethanol and isopropanol which can be handled outside the hood (volumes less than 500 ml) if adequate ventilation is available. Examples of hazardous organics are listed below.
Phenol is readily absorbed through the skin. Small amounts cause burns and large amounts can cause death! Use a fumehood for phenol extractions. Make sure your wrists as well as your hands and arms are covered. If you spill phenol on your skin, wash it off immediately using plenty of soapy water. Do NOT use ethanol as this increases absorption of the phenol through your skin. If the burn covers more than 1-2 cm2, or an eye is affected, seek medical treatment.
Diethyl ether and acetone are highly volatile, flammable, and explosive. Use in the hood! Ensure that there are no open flames or sparking electrical devices present.
Diethylpyrocarbonate (DEP) is used to kill enzymes. It can also kill you! Undiluted DEP can cause severe skin burns, and the vapor can cause burns and irritation to the mouth and nose. Always handle DEP in the fume hood. Always wear gloves and eye protection. Exercise great care when carrying bottles of DEP about the laboratory.
Dimethylsulfoxide (DMSO) itself is not very hazardous, but it is frequently used as a solvent for many dangerous chemicals. Since DMSO is almost instantly absorbed through the skin, solutions employing DMSO must be handled with extreme care!
Strong Acids and Alkalis
Sulfuric acid, hydrochloric acid, chromic acid, glacial (100%) acetic acid, phosphoric acid, and other strong acids can cause severe burns to the skin and their vapors can cause burns and irritation to the mouth and nose. Handle concentrated acid solutions in the fume hood. Always wear gloves and eye protection. Carry the stock bottles of these acids in the protective carrier provided in the laboratory. Make acid solutions by adding the acid to water (an alphabetic reminder: acid comes before water). Sulfuric acid and chromic acid are also strong oxidizing agents and can cause explosions if mixed with organic solvents. Therefore, store them away from organics. For the same reason, don't mix mineral acids with organic acids (e.g. acetic acid). Solutions of sodium hydroxide, potassium hydroxide, and other bases are also used in the lab, and these can cause severe burns. Always use gloves and eye protection when handling these solutions. Store strong acids away from strong bases.
Oxidizers and Reducers
Examples of oxidizers include halogens, peroxides, potassium permanganate, ammonium persulfate, and perchloric acid. Examples of reducers include ammonia, most organics, carbon, and metals. Never store oxidizers with reducers, and keep oxidizers away from flammables.
Carcinogens
Many carcinogens require special handling, and in some cases regulatory approval, before their use. Bottles containing carcinogens (including personal stocks) must be specially labeled. Some carcinogens deserve special mention:
Ethidium bromide is used extensively in the laboratory as a fluorescent stain for DNA and RNA. Always wear gloves and a lab coat when handling solutions of this chemical. Do not dispose of ethidium bromide solutions down the sink. For low concentration solutions (i.e. staining solutions), dispose in the Amberlite XAD-16 disposal drums provided in the lab. High concentration solutions (such as CsCl gradients) and contaminated solids should be packaged separately and disposed of through EH&S.
Formaldehyde (formalin) is volatile and therefore represents a special hazard. It is also flammable and irritates the eyes, nose, respiratory tract, and skin. All work with formaldehyde must be done in a fume hood. Never pour formaldehyde down a sink.
Acrylamide and bisacrylamide are neurotoxins and carcinogens and can be particularly dangerous when handled as a powder. Gloves, lab coats, and masks must be worn when being weighed out. Warn people around you that you are about to start weighing them out!
Chloroform is flammable and carcinogenic. Dispensing and handling should be performed in a chemical fume hood.
Flammable Chemicals
Only store flammables in specially designed refrigerators or freezers; otherwise, sparking by the motor or switches may cause an explosion. No more than 10 gallons of flammables may be kept in each lab room. Do not shore flammables with oxidizers or acids.
Special instructions for the use of alcohol for flame-sterilization:
-alcohol for flaming should be kept in a flameproof container (no plastics!).
- only fill the alcohol reservoir with the minimum amount needed for sterilization
- always have a flameproof lid at hand to cover the reservoir in case it catches on fire. In case of fire, DO NOT carry the flaming reservoir to the sink or any other location! Cover it with the lid and let it burn out.
- make sure that the reservoir lid is kept in a location that will not be occluded by flames.
- plan your movements to ensure that the reservoir of alcohol is far enough from the flame such that flaming alcohol can not fall into the reservoir.
- if you catch on fire, fall to the ground and roll. Also use the fire blanket to extinguish the flames
Toxic chemicals.
Examples include cycloheximide, hygromycin, benomyl, and acrylamide. When using dry forms of toxic chemicals, work in a fume hood, wear a protective mask, gloves, and a lab coat. Warn those around you when you are about to use them. If you ingest any of these chemicals, seek medical attention - symptoms may not appear immediately.
Radioactive compounds
A variety of radioactive compounds are used in the laboratory, which can pose a hazard if improperly used. See section E for more information.
Pesticides
These are used in the field and in the greenhouse, especially to control insects. Pesticide applications may only be carried out by persons who have signed pesticide training documents.