CROETLaboratory Safety Training

Overview

This training segment describes: 

• The Laboratory Safety Manual• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)• Protective Clothing• Lab Rules and Procedures• Emergency Information

Quiz Questions

 There are 10 quiz questions presented in

the course of this training exercise. Please complete the score sheet provided

with this training course and return to Greg Higgins (CROET room 1506,

4-2503)

CROET’s Safety Policy• Safety is the number one

objective at CROET. • We follow OHSU and Oregon

OSHA rules on safety. • The rules are based on state

and federal OSHA standards for Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (29 CFR 1910.1450). 

• If you have any safety-related questions, ask your supervisor or Greg Higgins, Ph.D., CROET Safety Director (4-2503 or (higginsg@ohsu.edu)

The Laboratory Safety Manual

OHSU Laboratory Safety Manual

• The Laboratory Safety Manual is OHSU’s major source for safety information.  

• A copy of the manual can be found online at http://ozone. ohsu.edu/ehrs/mh/pages/ labsafeman.pdf. 

• The manual serves as OHSU’s written Hazard Communication Program to comply with state and federal regulations. 

• Each employee is expected to review the manual when they start work at CROET.

OHSU Laboratory Safety Manual

• Major topics covered in the manual include: – Introduction (Purpose, Scope and

Definitions)– Hazardous Materials Program– Standard Operating Procedures for

Working with Hazardous Materials– Control Measures (e.g., use of

hoods, air sampling, etc.)– Plan Review 

• Appendices provide additional information on transportation and storage, glove performance data, chemical incompatibilities, etc. 

• Consult with your supervisor regarding any unique hazards specific to the work done in your lab.

Additional OHSU Training Resources

• The OHSU Department of Environmental Health and Radiation Safety also provides several additional online training programs (see http://ozone.ohsu.edu/ehrs/mh/pages/ gen/train.shtml). You are strongly encouraged to review these topics:

 1. Back Safety2. Bloodborne Pathogens3. Chemical Safety

4. Fire Safety & Evacuation

Quiz Question 1

 The OHSU Laboratory Safety Manual: 1. Satisfies OSHA requirements for a written

Hazard Communication Program.2. Discusses the Hazardous Materials Program.3. Describes Standard Operating Procedures for

Working with Hazardous Materials.4. Provides information on Control Measures.5. All of the above.

Material Safety Data Sheets(MSDSs)

MSDSs

What are Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs)?

Answer: Chemical safety sheets written to meet the requirements of the OSHA Hazard Communication and Lab Safety Standards.

MSDS Contents

1. Product and company information2. Composition/information on hazardous

ingredients3. Hazard identification4. First aid measure5. Fire fighting measures6. Accidental release measures7. Handling and storage8. Exposure control/personal protection9. Physical and chemical properties10. Stability and reactivity11. Toxicological information12. Ecological information13. Disposal considerations14. Transportation information15. Regulatory information16. Other information

MSDS Locations at CROET

Where do you find MSDSs at CROET?

Answer: CROET MSDSs are available online on CROET’s home page at http://www.ohsu. edu/croet-cris/croet/.

Paper copies can be printed from this website or obtained from Kevin Coble (4-1198) or Greg Higgins (4-2503).

Quiz Question 2

 What information can I find on an MSDS?

 1. Recommendation on protective

clothing and gloves.2. Occupational exposure limits.3. Toxicity information.4. All answers are correct.

Quiz Question 3

 Where can I find MSDSs in CROET?  1. On the OHSU Internet at CROET’s

home page.2. Contact Kevin Coble.3. Contact Greg Higgins.4. All answers are correct.

Protective Clothing

Protective Gloves

When are protective gloves needed?  Answer: Use gloves when handling

• hot or cold materials • radioactive chemicals• hazardous chemicals• Animals, animal tissues & fluids, and

infectious agents.

Types of Protective GlovesLatex gloves –use with animals and

animal tissues & fluids and non-toxic chemicals (please notify your supervisor if you are or suspect you may be sensitive to latex products).  

Nitrile gloves -(usually blue or purple) – recommended for most chemicals used in CROET labs, such as hydrocarbon solvents and chemicals used in histology. 

Specialty gloves -(such as 4H highly resistant laminated foil gloves) - recommended for extremely hazardous chemicals. 

Check with the Laboratory Safety Manual, your supervisor or Greg Higgins if you have any questions on glove choices.

Rules for Wearing Protective Gloves

• Select the proper glove and change gloves frequently to avoid breakthrough and contamination.

• Always remove gloves when traveling into public areas (stairs, elevators, restrooms, outdoors).

 • Always remove gloves when using computer keyboards,

opening doors or pressing elevator buttons.  • Remember - take those gloves off in public areas! Be

sensitive to the perception of danger by members of the public when they see individuals using personal protective equipment.

Protective Clothing and Safety Glasses

What other Protective Equipment is required?

Protective clothing (lab coats, aprons, etc.) - required whenever there is a hazard of contaminating the clothing or skin with hazardous materials.

 Safety glasses – required whenever

there is a hazard of splashing material into the eyes. Always wear eye protection when working with chemicals presenting a significant eye exposure hazard (liquid nitrogen, phenol, osmium tetroxide, etc.)

Quiz Question 4

Which is false? 1. Latex gloves are recommended for

biohazards and non-toxic materials.2. Nitrile gloves are effective against most lab

chemicals.3. Nitrile gloves stop the penetration of all

chemicals.4. Use safety glasses when there is a splash

hazard.  

Quiz Question 5

Which is true? 1. Latex gloves are good protection against

hydrocarbon solvents.2. You don’t need to use gloves or safety

glasses with liquid nitrogen.3. Wear thermal gloves when removing items

from a hot autoclave.4. Use latex gloves when embedding tissues for

microscopy.  

Lab Rules and Procedures

General Lab Rules and Procedures

• Personal space areas (designated by green “Personal Space” tape) are for covered beverage containers only.

• No food is allowed in the lab at any time.

• No toxic materials are allowed in personal space areas at any time.

General Lab Rules and Procedures

• Children under 14 yrs are not allowed in CROET labs.

• Professional behavior is required at all times (no running, horseplay, etc.).

• Use personal protective equipment required for the task you are working on.

• Do not carry open lab chemicals (open test tubes, uncovered beakers, etc.) into public spaces (elevators, restrooms, etc.).

Quiz Question 6

Which is false? 1. You can have a covered drink in

personal space areas.2. It is ok to eat at your desk in the lab.3. Do not carry open lab chemicals into

public spaces.4. Always wear safety glasses when

pouring liquid nitrogen.

Required Training/Health Evaluation for New Employees

All new CROET research staff employees (permanent staff, summer employees, and volunteers) must complete the following requirements: 

1. This Laboratory Safety Training segment.2. Health Insurance Portability and Accounting Act (HIPAA)

Privacy Education (see https://www.ohsu.edu/bigbrain/).3. Responsible Conduct in Research (RCR) Education (see

http://www.ohsu.edu/research/rda//rcr.shtml).4. Health Evaluation: TB test, immunization history, prescreening

to determine if Hepatitis B vaccine is warranted.5. Animal Safety and Handling Training (if working with animals).6. Bloodborne Pathogens Training (if working with human tissues,

blood, or other potentially infectious materials).

Waste Disposal Rules• This chart summarizes the

management of general, medical, and hazardous wastes at OHSU.

• Specific rules on hazardous waste disposal are found on the OHSU Safety Webpage (http://ozone. ohsu.edu/ehrs/mh/pages/chem/waste.shtml)

• Do not drain dispose chemicals unless approved on OHSU Safety Webpage or in Radioisotope License.

• Talk to your supervisor for additional rules regarding radioisotopes, human tissues or body fluids.

Quiz Question 7

Which is true? 1. OHSU has detailed rules for disposal of

general, medical, and hazardous wastes.2. The OHSU safety website lists chemicals

prohibited from drain disposal.3. All sharps must be disposed in sharps

containers.4. All human and animal tissues and blood

must go into red biohazard bags. 5. All of the above.

Use of Animals at CROET

• The Department of Comparative Medicine oversees the use of research animals at CROET and provides training for new laboratory animal users. Where applicable, new staff should attend an animal handling training program prior to beginning work with animals.

• Be aware that allergies to laboratory animals affect a sizeable percentage of animal users. Wear facemasks, gloves, and clean laboratory clothing, and wash hands after contact to prevent development of allergic reactions to animals. 

• Be sensitive to the perceptions of coworkers and visitors to the lab! Transport animals in closed containers and keep animal carcasses and excised tissues in a covered container during transportation. Use the freight elevator for these tasks – not the passenger elevators.

Quiz Question 8

Which is true? 1. No training is required before handling

research animals.2. People cannot develop allergies to lab

animals.3. You should transport animals only on the

freight elevator, not on the passenger elevators.

4. None of the above.

Proper Hood Use

• Always work under a hood if you are using volatile or hazardous chemicals or biohazardous materials.

• Remember that the hood sash must be lowered to provide maximum protection.

• Always wear the required protective equipment when working in a hood.

Understand the Types of Hoods Used at CROET

• Chemical fume hoods – use when handling volatile & toxic chemicals.

Understand the Types of Hoods Used at CROET

• Biosafety hoods – use when handling biological materials with potential risk to workers. Always use a vented biosafety hood for work involving biologicals and toxic chemicals.

Understand the Types of Hoods Used at CROET

• Clean benches – use when handling nonhazardous biological materials to protect the materials from contamination.

Quiz Question 9

Which is true? 1. Chemical fume hoods are designed for exposure

control with volatile and toxic chemicals.2. Biosafety hoods protect workers from exposure to

biohazards.3. Vented biosafety hoods are appropriate for use with

combined biohazard and chemical exposures.4. Clean benches only protect the product – not the

worker at the hood.5. All of the above.

Emergency Information

CROET Facilities – Know Your Surroundings

• CROET occupies approximately 50,000 square feet on floors 0, 1, 2, and 3 of the Basic Science Addition/ CROET Building.

 • Each floor is served by a

passenger elevator and freight elevator. The building and freight elevator are locked between the hours of 6 p.m. and 7 a.m. and on weekends and holidays.

Building Map• This figure illustrates the 2nd

floor of CROET to help orient you to our space.

• A public stairway (A) is located at the southeast end of the building. Internal stairways (B & C) connect CROET spaces on floors 0–2 (west end of lab areas) and floors 2–3 (by the Administration Office). An emergency exit stairway (D) serving all floors is located at the southwest corner of the building.

• (For your reference – the Administration Office in 2501 is at the northeast corner of the building)

OHSUEmergency Response Plan

• OHSU has a well-developed Emergency Response Plan to deal with a broad range of emergency situations (medical emergencies/injuries, fires, hazardous materials spills, etc.)

• Research units such as CROET are part of this plan. Detailed Emergency Resource Books have been prepared by OHSU Safety Department and are posted throughout CROET.

Emergency Notifications and Phone Numbers

If you observe an emergency situation within CROET, immediately do the following:

• Make sure your supervisor or other CROET administrator is notified.

• If there is a medical emergency or other incident that requires immediate attention, dial Campus Security at 4-4444. (For non-emergency information, always dial 4-7744).

• If you are able to do so safely, administer needed first aid, use a fire extinguisher, etc. as needed until help arrives.

Emergency Alarms

• The building fire alarm will sound in the event of a fire or other emergency. Immediately leave your work area and exit via the stairs (see following sections for specific instructions).

• Provide assistance as needed to help others exit the building. 

• Do not reenter the building until the alarm has been silenced and the building is cleared.

Procedures for Injuries and Exposures

What to do if you are injured or exposed to a chemical: • Contact your supervisor or other authority.• If there is chemical contamination, immediately wash

skin or eyes with water.• Go to OHSU emergency room for serious injuries.• Seek assistance if needed (campus 4-4444).• Make sure you and your supervisor fill out an OHSU

Incident Report Form within 24 hours of the incident (see your supervisor).

Emergency Information – Fire Exits & Rally Point

Fire drills/evacuation – fire & emergency alarms require that you leave the building.

 The emergency rally point is is in front of the CROET

building by the head. If this area is unsafe due to the presence of emergency vehicles, fallen debris, etc., proceed to Mackenzie Hall by the fountain.

 Emergency Exits for fire or other emergencies are located

at the southeast and southwest ends of the CROET building.

 Do not use the elevators in an emergency situation.

Emergency Information – Main Fire Exit

• Use the southeast exit stairway as your main fire/emergency exit leading up-and-out to the courtyard rally point.

Emergency Information – Back Fire Exit

• You can also use the southwest exit stairway at the back of the building, but there is no reentry to the building from this stairway. This stairway exits at the bottom level.

Emergency Information – Fire Extinguishers

• Fire Extinguishers are located on all floors in the lab corridors.

To Use a Fire Extinguisher:

1. Pull the pin,2. Aim at the base of the fire,3. Squeeze the handles,4. Sweep the spray from side

to side until the fire is out.

Emergency Information – Safety Shower

• Safety Showers are located on all floors in the lab corridors.

• Pull the overhead handle to activate the drench shower.

Emergency Information - Eyewash

• Use the eyewash for at least 10 minutes if you splash a chemical into your eyes.

Quiz Question 10

Which is false? 1. When you exit the building in a fire situation,

assemble by the head in front of CROET. If this area is obstructed, assemble by the fountain in front of Mackenzie Hall.

2. Use eyewash for at least 10 minutes if you splash a hazardous chemical into your eye.

3. It is ok to stay in the building when a fire alarm goes off – it might be a false alarm.

4. The fire exit at the southwest end of the building does not allow reentry.

Safety Problems or Concerns

• Thank you for completing this training segment. Make sure you turn in your score sheet to Greg Higgins.

• If you notice a safety problem that concerns you, contact Greg Higgins (higginsg@ohsu.edu; 494-2503). If desired, your name will not be revealed.