General Lab Safety

1. General Lab Safety Georgia Tech – Savannah Version Date: 08-18-2010

2. Introduction • Lab Safety is designed to: • Educate you on procedures to keep you safe in the lab • Create a common understanding among all lab users about lab safety • Provide a set of regulations on the use of the lab

3. Provision of Information • All labs have various signs, labels and documents to help keep you safe • You should be familiar with each, know where they are and what they say

4. Signs and Labels • All signs and labels in the labs are designed to give you maximum vital information in a minimal amount of time. • Your job is to examine them each time you enter a lab, your life may depend on it.

5. Signs and Labels Door signs are designed to give you information about the contents of a lab, what could be hazardous to you and what to do in the event of a hazard. An example is shown at the right. Note that within this room there are corrosives, poisons and mercury. Each sign give the room number, the hazards in the room and contact information.

6. Signs and Labels Additional Door signs may be included, such as this Mercury Hazard sign or the Engineering Laboratory sign. Each sign should be read and understood before opening the door to the lab. This is your first line of defense in protecting yourself from the potential dangers within.

7. Signs and Labels Once in the room, there are other signs and labels that should be noted and understood. Most labs have an emergency procedures posting, like the one shown at the right. They are a step-by-step listing of what to do in an emergency and are meant to help you remember things when the situation is chaotic. The sheets are “grab and go”, meaning that they are designed to be easily pulled off the wall and are printed on both sides with the instructions, so you only to grab one of them in a evacuation.

8. Signs and Labels Each room with chemicals also contains a Chemical Inventory Sheet. This sheet describes what hazardous chemicals are in the room, the type of container it is in, how much is in the room, when it was purchased and its location. Be aware that some rooms contain chemicals that you will not be using but that could still be a hazard to you. This sheet will help you determine what is there.

9. Signs and Labels There may be other signs in the room that are not shown in this presentation. It is up to you to know the information on all of the signs in each lab, each time you enter. Assuming that a lab’s signs are the same as the previous lab you were in, or the same as the last time you were in that lab, can be a deadly mistake.

10. Material Safety Data Sheet Another feature of nearly every lab is a red three ring binder located near the door. It contains the Material Safety Data Sheets, or MSDS, for each chemical in the room. The MSDS is a standard sheet prepared by the manufacturers or suppliers of these chemicals. The MSDS includes information on chemical composition, exposure limits, potential health effects, first aid procedures, personal protective equipment requirements, and spill / leak procedures.

11. Material Safety Data Sheet Before using any chemical in a lab, you should review, understand and comply with the procedures and methods shown on the MSDS. Pay particular attention to health and safety procedures. This information can also be found at www.chematix.gatech.edu.

12. Safety Equipment All laboratories are equipped with basic safety equipment appropriate for that lab. When entering a lab, you should familiarize yourself with the location and operation of each piece of safety equipment.

13. Safety Equipment You may not think of it as safety equipment, but each lab is equipped with an exit door. In case of an emergency, the exit door may be your best protection. Should an emergency happen in your lab, you don’t want the only way out of the lab blocked by some equipment or furniture. Always make sure that the exit is clear and easily accessible.

14. Safety Equipment Remember also that your exit door can be a barrier to dangers outside the lab. If you look out through the glass in the door and there some danger there, keep the door closed, call 911 and tell them where you are (the room number is on the Emergency Procedures sheet by the door). Tell them why you are stuck in this room and follow their instructions.

15. Safety Equipment Remember that the glass in the buildings, including in the labs, is hurricane glass. It is extremely hard to break, so using the windows as an exit will probably require the fire department removing the glass. Thus, if you are stuck in the lab, your best course of action is to call 911 and follow their instructions.

16. Safety Equipment Fire extinguishers are located in all labs where they are required. In addition, there are fire extinguishers located in the hallways of all buildings in inset cabinets. The primary purpose of a fire extinguisher is to control a fire that is blocking your exit. If you can put the fire out, so much the better, but do not risk your life to save stuff. There are four steps to using a fire extinguisher, denoted by the pneumonic PASS: Pull the pin Aim at the base of the fire Squeeze the handle Sweep back and forth across the base of the fire

17. Safety Equipment Most fire extinguishers have a gauge, as shown at the right. While extinguishers are inspected monthly, it is good practice to verify that the extinguisher gauge is in the green or charged area every time you enter a lab. Also, if you use a fire extinguisher, even for a second, do not return it to its holder. Leave it in the hall near the lab door and contact the Lab Manager or Facilities. Once operated, the seal in an extinguisher can leak and make it ineffective for the next user.

18. Safety Equipment In case of a fire: Don’t Panic Have someone pull the fire alarm Small fire, if easily put out, put it out If in doubt, get out. Evacuate the building Inform Student Affairs and Facilities You may be hesitant to pull the fire alarm. Don’t be! We would rather roll the fire department and evacuate the building over a small fire than lose the response time if the fire is larger than you thought. In a fire, the difference between everyone safe and someone dead is sometimes seconds.

19. Safety Equipment Safety showers and eye wash stations are located in the first floor East hallway of EDRB, in the hallway near the bathrooms in ELAB and on the East wall of High Bay. If you are splashed with a chemical or get a particle in your eyes-you should use the eye wash station. To use the eye wash station : 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 Get someone to call 911

20. Safety Equipment Safety showers and eye wash stations are located in the first floor East hallway of EDRB, in the hallway near the bathrooms in ELAB and on the East wall of High Bay. If you are splashed with a chemical in an area of your body which cannot be put under a sink faucet and flooded immediately-you must use an emergency shower To use the shower: If your clothing is involved-remove it on the way to the shower Shout for help Remain in the shower for 15 minutes Get someone to call 911 Do not re-don contaminated clothing

21. Personal Protective Equipment Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is safety equipment used to protect parts of the body from harm. It can include lab coat, hearing protection, eye protection, gloves, etc. Such items as are needed in each lab are normally provided in that lab. You should be familiar with and use the PPE provided. At the beginning of each semester, the lab manager or other instructor will show you where the PPE is stored in your lab.

22. Personal Protective Equipment Safety Glasses are designed to protect the eyes from particle and chemical splash hazards. Wearing regular glasses is not a substitute for the use of Safety Glasses. While industry does make Safety Glasses in prescription form, most glasses are not designed for protection from lab hazards. Similarly, contact lens provide no protection in the lab environment. In labs where safety glasses are required, you must use approved Safety Glasses at all times.

23. Personal Protective Equipment Hearing protection is required in labs where the noise level of any equipment or machinery is excessive. If the noise level is above that of a garbage disposal or heavy traffic, you should be using hearing protection. (82 dBA) Machinery that requires hearing protection will have signs or placards indicating such.

24. Personal Protective Equipment Gloves are required whenever there is a chance of damage to the structure or skin of the hands or arms. Typical uses are with chemicals, heat and cold, or biological hazards. Each hazard can require a different type of glove. The choice of glove is dictated by the protection required. Labs requiring the use of gloves will normally have the correct type on hand. If you are unsure of which type glove to use, consult the Lab Manager.

25. Personal Protective Equipment Other PPE, including hard hats, boots, lab coats and respirators are required to be used in the labs at Georgia Tech – Savannah at the direction of the Lab Manager. Please consult with him/her before starting any work. The Lab Manager will make periodic inspections of the laboratories to assure that proper PPE is being used for the environments. In addition, in research labs, all research plans are subject to review by the Lab Manager and/or EHS to determine safety requirements.

26. Health and Hygiene Health and Hygiene includes basic cleanliness to avoid common hazards in the lab. Food and drinks (meaning anything you would normally put in your mouth) are prohibited from all labs in which chemicals of any kind are stored or used. In addition, in laboratories where chemicals are in use, application of makeup (including lip balms) and touching contact lens is prohibited. When in a lab, the ideal is to never touch your face, period.

27. Health and Hygiene Glove removal requires you to recognize that your gloves may be contaminated with whatever you were working with. Proper removal is done so that the outside of the glove never contacts your skin. Reusable gloves are removed as shown at the right.

28. Health and Hygiene One time use gloves are removed as shown at the right.

29. Health and Hygiene Proper Hygiene in the lab also includes washing your hands after leaving the lab. You do not want to introduce whatever you have been working with into your food or contaminate surfaces that others may be using. When leaving a lab, head straight for the bathroom. Push the doors open with your back or arm and turn on the faucets with your elbows. Rinse your hands under the water (to remove the majority of what is on your hands and dilute any chemical residue). Then apply soap and wash as normal.

30. Cleanliness An organized lab is a safer lab. It may take a little more effort to stay organized, but it pays off in hazards avoided and injuries prevented. Organization also allows you to: Find things quickly when needed Keep track of your process Be deliberate in your work Be aware of what others are doing Don’t let your lab become the fire trap you see at the right.

31. Cleanliness Storage of Chemicals: Store all liquids in secondary containment Segregate Acids, Bases and Flammables into separate, appropriate, labeled cabinets Separate reactive materials such as acids, bases and oxidizers from one another in separate cabinets. Organic from inorganic acids Inorganic acids from one another

32. Waste Disposal of items (liquids, solids, contaminated materials, etc.) can be a hazard in itself. All disposal should follow the MSDS and the Lab Manager’s instructions. Assure that the container is large enough to hold the volume being disposed of plus 5% empty to allow for expansion of the contents.

33. Cleanliness When lab is finished, please: Return items where they were stored Clean up your area Leave the lab better than you found it You would hate to come into a messy lab. So do those following you.

34. Security All laboratory spaces on campus are considered secured spaces. This means you must have permission to enter or remain in a lab. Such permission can be revoked at any time by the Lab Manager, his/her representative or any Faculty member.

35. Security Academic labs are normally only open during instruction hours. Some labs have posted hours and others are accessible 24/7. Your instructor can inform you of hours for your particular lab. All faculty have keys to the labs, except High Bay. Entry into a lab without permission can result in termination of your lab privileges and suspension from Georgia Tech.

36. Security Only those who are certified may enter an academic lab. To be certified, you must have taken and passed this course. For liability reasons, all others (including boyfriends, girlfriends, friends – even other GTS students, spouses, parents, siblings, etc.) are not allowed in an academic lab.

37. Security Do not prop open the doors, even for a minute. Have someone hold the door open if you are moving equipment through. Do not open the lab for others, unless they are a part of your lab group.

38. Security When leaving: Turn off the lights Check that all equipment is off Check that the door is closed and locked After all, we wouldn’t want to allow anyone to get hurt in our lab.

39. Conduct Labs are academic spaces which can be extremely hazardous if you don’t pay attention, so: Horseplay is not allowed. Remember that others can react in unpredictable ways to pranks and jokes. Someone jumping back or being distracted at the wrong time can cause serious injury or death. Then how would you feel?

40. In An Emergency In general, in a emergency, these should be your priorities: Self Protection – Make sure you are not going to be injured or killed. Protection of Others – Help others who need help. If trained, provide first aid. Protection of Facilities – Limit the spread of harm to the facilities (close doors, pull the alarm, notify the front office).

41. Summary Laboratories on campus are working areas. They are designed enhance your education and those of your fellow students. Treat them with respect and caution and you will survive to graduate.