Laboratory Safety Orientation Dr. Hayley Wan
Laboratory Safety Orientation Dr. Hayley Wan Danny Mah, CRSP Department of Chemistry Take Away Hazard Identification / Control Risk Assessment / Reduction Situational Awareness Incident Reporting Incident Investigation University Policy (UAPPOL) Provincial Regulations (OHS) Target Audience A new researcher or student to the department; Transferred from another unit on campus; A new staff member working within a laboratory; looking for a refresher in the concepts of safety. the Stats An (estimated) 35% of injuries happen during the first 6 months of work/study Background Tragic incidents occurring in academic laboratories A call for changes (Academia & Gov’t) Dartmouth College, Di-methyl Mercury poisoning (1987) UCLA, tert-Butyllithum fire(2009), Texas Tech Explosion (2010) Yale Physics Major (2011) Far Reaching Impact “A violent death is like a stone hurled into a pond. And the resulting shock wave spreads collateral damage far beyond the point of impact and far longer than anyone understands in that moment; when the rock hits the water” -Deborah Blum the History Focusing on exposure hazards and health hazards for the laboratory work conducted. A need systematic and managed approach has been identified. Take an opportunity to review lab safety practices EHS has a mandate to support the university’s mission through service, partnership and education. Department of Chemistry has an opportunity to play an integral role in overall campus chemical safety. What is it? Trichlorosucrose the History 1976 Researchers - Leslie Hough and Shashikant Phadnis discovers Sucralose (aka Splenda) while researching pesticides compounds. Chemist Shashikant Phadnis was told to test the powdered compound. Misunderstanding the request, thought he was being told taste the mixture, so he did. Define Safety Culture This culture must emanate from ethical, moral and practical considerations first and foremost and less motivated by regulatory requirements. What can I do to get involved? Define Safety Culture Safety policy and programs Strong organizational practices Supervisor relations Co-working relations Personal Safety motivation and Personal Safety Knowledge Building Safety Skills Safety concerns apply across all chemistry and related fields. A need to develop strong knowledge in safety. From first year continuing through the entire undergraduate experience and into graduate studies and postdoctoral training, educating Graduate Students, Teaching Assistants, Postdoctoral Scholars, Laboratory managers and Coordinators. Building Safety Skills Be a proponent of safety, Develop superior safety skills, Develop situational awareness skills, Build a personal safety knowledge base in your discipline, Understand safety procedures and how to apply them, Gain experience in handling hazardous materials. U Governance Policies UAPPOL policiesonline.ualberta.ca Risk tolerance Procedure Health and Safety Responsibilities Procedure EHS Management System ehs.ualberta.ca Biosafety Radiation safety Occupational Hygiene/ Occupation Health Safety Systems and Standards Training Theoretical Understanding Learn superior lab techniques Learn proper material storage Review the Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) PRACTICE, PRACTICE, PRACTICE Safety Attitudes, Safety Awareness, Safety Ethics A solid awareness and good attitude towards safety is as important as following experimental procedures good record keeping of conducted experiments, long term efforts through repetition, Hazard Management Consider Low Probability - High Consequence incident when evaluating risk Labs and research can have more complex operations and there are more diverse ways and combinations that can lead to serious accidents. It’s all in a word (or Acronym in this case) British Petroleum, Transocean - Gulf of Mexico, April 20, 2010 Blow Out Preventer (BOP) Among other root causes the BOP spec’d instead was a Blind Shear Ram (BSR) Causing discharge of hydrocarbons for nearly 3 months. Hazard Assessment Scientific Approach Theory Predict Experiment Observe Hazard Analysis Define Scope Identify Hazards Implement Defined Controls Lessons to Be Learned Hazard Identification The “hazard” Cuts Burns Contact with Latent occurrences (alkali burns) Fire Splash Explosion Spill Hazard Identification Typical laboratory signage Role of Hazard Analysis Define scope of research Identify and evaluate hazards Performing work with control and protective measures in place Identifying lessons to be learned Quote “Knowing is not enough, we must apply Willing is not enough we must do” ~Bruce Lee Hazard Management - Barriers Create barriers (i.e. safeguards, controls for planned outcomes) The thrust of barrier management is this: we know that if we have a sufficient number and quality of barriers in place, then we are safe to operate, but it’s essential to regularly monitor those barriers to make sure they’re actually working. Hazard Management Therefore, when prevention has failed there is also a means for reducing the effects of the incident to prevent it from becoming a disaster. When approaching your work consider… Takes a holistic approach - emphasizing the importance of the whole and the interdependence of its parts. Hazard Identification HA Form here Hazard identification and Risk Evaluation Hazard is the potential for injury. Risk of the hazard is a combination of A likelihood of hazard occurring The severity of the occurrence Task Equipment Process in research Hazard Types of Hazards Chemical splash on skin or eyes Injury from Splattered Alkali Sodium Hydroxide Burn Demonstration Effect of HCL when it contacts a biological material. Types of Hazards Severe Alkali Burn – 2 Weeks 7 Weeks 3 Weeks 8 Weeks Alkali splash Types of Hazards Burns Medical Attention Burn treatment Minor - Ice pack for 20 minutes Demonstration Chemistry can be unpredictable. Your co-worker is suddenly splashed with a caustic substance. What do YOU do now? Wash areas or douse affected with large amounts of water. Eye wash, emergency showers IMMEDIATELY WASH FOR A MINIMUM OF 20 MINUTES Seek medical attention ASAP or as needed. Types of Hazards Foreign body in the eye. Seek immediate medical attention. Do not rub eyes. Types of Hazards Fire Vigorous reaction Seek fire extinguisher training Where? 2013 Fire Extinguisher Training FREE TO ALL UNIVERSITY EM PLOYEES ONESESSION PERDAY 9:00 AM to noon May 21 June4, 18 July 2, 16, 30 August 13, 27 September 10, 24 TO REGISTER CONTACT F&O Safety Division Telephone: 780.248.1987 Email: FOsafety@ualberta.ca Website: www.facilities.ualberta.ca Types of Hazards Cuts and lacerations Types of Hazards Puncture First Aid or Medical Care Cuts Minor – first aid, bandage Lacerations Flush and clean wound Cover with gauze Seek medical attention Emergency Response 911 Provide your name Provide your location Emergency Response Locate emergency equipment in your lab Know your labs emergency response plan Know where to find First Aid Minor injuries Know Medical Emergencies Fire Report all event to PI, Supervisor or Designate what to do in: Near Miss Something that fails by a very narrow margin. An opportunity to learn. Cause to pause and re-evaluate. Question to determine if you have the best possible analysis. Event Reporting “Little by little we human beings are confronted with situations that give us more and more clues that we are not perfect. ” ― Mister Rogers (Fred Rogers) Event Reporting Report all incidents to your PI or supervisor no matter how small you may think it is. Why? The University requires notification WCB regulations apply to student/staff Lab can incur fines – WCB Record are in your own words Event Reporting Future claims from reoccurrence i.e. injury or complications Acute long term toxic effects – where health effects are not apparent at the time of incident. i.e. Asbestosis (20-30 years), Chemical exposures Different physiology from person to the next Event Investigation All Staff and Students are encourage to participate with PI, Supervisors or their designates in the investigation process. This is for determining root causes and preventative measures; not for fault finding or blame. Learning from incidents Recommendations concerning learning from incidents. Much of what we know about Safety was born out of our past mistakes or events. Using these events and studying them throughout undergraduate and graduate learning experiences provides opportunity. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) Only limits exposure to injury Safety Glasses Lab Coat Gloves (Nitrile Limitations) Last line of defense Ineffective as a control or barrier, only minimizes the exposure to the hazard. Other Safety Concerns Things I should ask myself and/or my PI/TA or their designates? What types of hazards are associate with… What type of training do I need? Other Safety Concerns Working alone Considered a hazard What are your responsibilities? SOP’s 492-5050 Safety Committee Have a question about safety? Have a safety concern? Join in (email here) Collaborative interactions help build strong safety cultures Expectations Ask questions if you are unsure. Research what you are required to do. Apply what you have learned. Practice, practice, practice Sign sign-in sheet Required 75% in WHMIS exam Websites Environment, Health & Safety – U of A EHS.ualberta.ca UAPPOL Policiesonline.ualberta.ca Chemical Safety Board CSB.gov (search “experimenting with disaster”) Chemical & Engineering News CEN.acs.org (search “safety”) Websites Facilities and Operations – Extinguisher http://www.facilities.ualberta.ca/en/Opera tions_Maintenance_FO/Health_and_Safety_ Program/FireExguisherTraining.aspx Questions? Thank you for spending the time. Draw time
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