Weitz Lab Safety Information

Welcome to the group. David Vader and Sarah Koester are the Lab safety officers for McKay and the Engineering Science Laboratory (ESL) respectively. This is a document that we give to every new member of our group, it is a bit longish but please read it. We have some simple safety policies which we want everyone to follow so that no harm is caused to you or any other person working in the lab. We strongly suggest that you store this document for any future reference - print it out and paste it into your lab book. We have tried to summarize most of the important stuff here. If you have any questions, concerns or are not sure about something, for instance how to get rid of a certain chemical or how to use a certain instrument, ask existing members. We will be glad to help.

Lab Safety Training

You have to attend a Lab Safety seminar. These seminars take about one and a half hours and attendance is mandatory. A list of scheduled classes is available online: https://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehsapps/training/GetCourseInfo.do?crs=8. Your research project may require additional training (e.g. compressed gas and radiation safety). A full list of classes is available here: https://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehsapps/training/FetchTrainingList.do

Standard Operating Procedures

There are a lot of people in the lab, and much of the space and equipment is shared. Be considerate and aware of other people. Label all containers holding chemicals or samples with your name, the full chemical name, and the date. After you have finished using an area or a piece of equipment, clean up after yourself so that it is ready the the next person. The lab is crowded and someone else also eagerly wants to use the bench space or hood space that you now occupy. You might have had to clean up the space you are currently using, which is unfair. So lets all try to clean up after ourselves to minimize this.

Please read the Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for each laboratory you will be using. They are posted in the labs and on our web site: http://www.deas.harvard.edu/projects/weitzlab/safe.html. Please take into account all warning signs posted in the labs.

Emergency Evacuations

In case of fire or any other emergency evacuation please exit the building and assemble at either of the following locations:
ESL: assemble across the street from ESL.
McKay: assemble across the street in front of the Chemistry building.

Waste Disposal

Please dispose waste properly. Use the satellite accumulation areas (SAA) for this pur-pose. The SAA containers should be properly labeled with the tags that are provided. Everything on the label should be filled apart from the pick-up date. The pick up date should be filled in when the bottle is full and ready for pick up. To have the bottles picked up please call EH&S at 6-3322 and leave a message, or used the web-based form: https://www.uos.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/ehs/ehs-bin/hw_services.pl

We have multiple SAA areas:
ESL: Room 215 (Chem lab)
McKay: Room 531 (Chem lab), 513 (Bio Lab)

All needles AND syringes are to be disposed in the sharps container. They should be signed out from the storage area which are:
McKay: Room 531 (File cabinet)
ESL: Room 215 (Cabinet by entrance)

All broken or waste glassware are to be disposed in the glass trash, and all broken or waste plastic should be disposed of in the plastic trash. Do not mix plastic and glass trash.

Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

Please read the MSDS sheet before using a new chemical. This sheet gives you all the details, safety issues, hazards, etc. of the chemical. An online database of MSDS sheets is located here: http://www.uos.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/msds/msds_bl.pl. We have hard copies of the MSDS of all the chemicals that we use kept in the drawer next to the sink in McKay 531 and above the filing cabinet in the ESL chemistry room. You are required to print out the MSDS of any new chemical that you use and store it in the ap-propriate place (in the drawer near the sink in McKay 531 and above the filing cabinet in ESL Chem room).

Lasers & Gas Cylinders

If you are working with Lasers please follow the safety regulations. We have a couple of very powerful lasers which can cause damage to your eyes if you are not careful. All laser alignment procedures should be done when there is no one else in the room. If you are not sure about Laser safety you are encouraged to attend the Laser safety seminar that is conducted by the SEAS safety committee. If you are working with pressurized gas cylinders be aware of its potential dangers due to misuse or wrong use. Ask someone if you are not sure. You should also attend the Compressed gas safety course. Ask lab safety officers for details.

Accidents, Spills, and Emergencies

If you are ever in doubt about anything please the safety officers or others in the lab. Notify Sarah (if the incident occurs in ESL) or Dave (if in McKay) of any spills, accident etc. immediately. Dave is in Room 525 in McKay (5-3705) and Sarah is in room 201 in ESL (6-9788). Notify the safety officers of the incident ASAP. Call or send and email if they are not around.

Other emergency numbers are posted on the door of each room. The email addresses of Sarah and Dave are skoester@seas.harvard.edu and vader@fas.harvard.edu.

Spills

Use the spill kit (the big yellow box in the hall across from 214 in ESL and in McKay 531) to get rid of chemical spills. Ask us if you are not aware of its location.

Food & Drink

Eating and drinking are not allowed in the chemisty or biology labs or anywhere else where there are toxic/harmful chemicals. Absolutely no chemicals, no matter how innocuous you think they are, should be taken into rooms (or refrigerators) that have food/drink (this includes offices and coffee/lunch rooms).

First Aid Supplies

There are first aid cabinets located near the elevators in both ESL and McKay.

Safety Supplies

Gloves and safety glasses are stocked in both McKay and ESL. If you can't find what you need, visit the chemistry stock room. Lab coats are available in the chemistry stock room. Wear gloves when handling dangerous chemicals. Use the gloves appropriate for the chemicals you are handling. If you don't know which to use, look it up. For everyone's safety, REMOVE your gloves when you leave the room you're in. Do not touch handles or door knobs with you gloves on. Typically, people wear gloves to protect themselves against contact with the chemicals that they're using.You can remove one glove and open doors with your bare hand if you are inclined to conserve gloves. Wear goggles to prevent anything undesirable from getting into your eyes. In addition, the pH of the tap water in Cambridge is quite high and is quite irritating to the eyes - it's better to avoid needing to flush your eyes with it. There are eyewash stations located in the sinks of all lab rooms, and emergency showers are located in the hall outside ESL 216, and in the hall of McKay, just beyond 513, towards the Stone lab.

Online resources

http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu/ - DEAS and Physics safety webpage
http://www.uos.harvard.edu/cgi-bin/msds/msds_bl.pl - For MSDS
http://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehs/ - Environment Health and Safety website
http://deas.harvard.edu/projects/weitzlab/safe.html - SOP for our labs
http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu/highhaz.html - Highly hazardous materials

The following link is a good guide for the particular type of gloves one should use while handling different chemicals: http://physchem.ox.ac.uk/MSDS/glovesbychemical.html

Good luck with your research!