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Essential Lab Safety Protocols and Waste Disposal Guidelines

This document outlines critical safety features and protocols for the Prather Lab, including the presence of eyewash stations, safety showers, and fire extinguishers. It emphasizes the importance of personal protective equipment, such as gloves and safety glasses, and outlines proper waste disposal methods compliant with EHS and federal regulations. There's a strong focus on maintaining sterile environments when working with live cultures and ensuring proper labeling and cleaning in shared lab spaces. It serves as a comprehensive guide for ensuring safety and compliance in laboratory practice.

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Essential Lab Safety Protocols and Waste Disposal Guidelines

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  1. Prather LabLab Specific Training Kevin Solomon 4 February, 2009

  2. Lab Safety Features • 2 Eyewash Stations • 1 Safety Shower • 1 Fire Extinguisher • MSDS binder located on bookshelf by Lab Entrance • 2 Emergency Exits To Stata To 56 To Ames St

  3. Personal Protective Equipment • Safety/Prescription glasses should be worn at all times • Be mindful of UV hazards near the EtBr area • Gloves should be worn most times • Protection of self from biohazards • Protection of experiments from human-hazards • Latex Examination Gloves serve only as water permeable barrier • Consult MSDS and Glove Manufacturers for permeability to hazardous reagents • Lab coats provided, but optional • Recommend wearing for handling of hazardous materials (e.g. Ethidium Bromide)

  4. Good Microbial Practices • Work with live cultures is permissible on open bench (BL1) • For sterility • Should be in Biosafety Cabinet, or • Near open flame on benchtop • Know the biohazard level of purchased strains & materials • BL2 or higher organisms pose additional risks for personnel and requires lab re-certification • Always wear gloves when working with cultures • Be mindful of glove contamination

  5. Waste Disposal • EHS, Federal Regulations and QuANGOs require the separation of waste streams according to hazard type • Solid Waste • Nonhazardous Waste • Recycling Bin • Solid Biohazardous Waste • Biosharps • Chem Sharps • EtBr Solid Waste

  6. Waste Disposal Cont’d • Liquid Waste • Sink • Qiagen/Zymo Waste • Guanidine Thiocyanate (QG/ADB) • Chemical Waste • Alkaline Aqueous Waste – For pH ≥ 7 solutions that are not oxidizing or predominately organic. • Acidic Aqueous Waste – For pH ≤ 7 solutions that are not oxidizing or predominately organic. • Organic Waste – For waste that is predominantly organic in nature (ethanol, acetone, butanol, etc.), except for waste containing strong oxidizers. • Oxidizer Waste – For waste containing any amount of a strong oxidizer (hydrogen peroxide, permanganate, chromates, nitric acid, etc.).

  7. Waste Disposal Guidelines • Treat liquid biowaste w/ 10% (v/v) bleach solution for 5+ mins before sewering • Check Sink Disposal sign under sink for chemicals that may be safely sewered • All liquid waste (including biohazardous garbage) must be kept in secondary containment at all times • All liquid waste must have a Red Tag • When waste is full, date the tag and call EHS for pickup • If a waste stream does NOT have a Red Tag, it is Effluent. Do not call it Waste • If you add to a waste stream, update the Red Tag (exception: Miniprep and QG/ADB Waste) • When in common areas, please empty and replace waste receptacles if full • Do not overflow HPLC Effluent • For Mixed Waste: Bio designation takes priority except with volatile organics • May need separate containment for mixed

  8. Miscellany • Break down boxes before recycling • Do not throw boxes or other garbage in the hall way (exception: Biosharps) • Storage of hazardous reagents should be in the solvent cabinet and not personal benches/shelves. • When new chemicals are introduced to the lab, obtain the MSDS and add to the binder • HOUSEKEEPING – more important as lab becomes more crowded.

  9. Final Notes • To be safe, you must be aware of your surroundings. • Assume any new chemical is unsafe until you find out otherwise. • Assume any material to be discarded is hazardous unless you know otherwise.

  10. EHS Rep Weekly Inspection • Occurs every Friday by our EHS Rep • See level 1 checklist at: http://web.mit.edu/environment/ehs/rep_tools.html

  11. Be CAREFUL and use COMMON SENSE! • KNOW what you are working with • LABEL – especially when using common areas • CLEAN up common areas immediately and periodically maintain your lab bench • Be RESPECTFUL of other people’s experiments, solutions, reagents, etc.

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