As a researcher in the MSE department, you are responsible for developing and implementing good safety practices in the laboratory. These good practices are extremely important because the labs in our department contain a variety of dangerous chemicals and machinery. Unfortunately, one careless move can result in significant injury or damage. You are therefore strongly encouraged to carefully read the rules and procedures shown below. You must attend the EHS lab safety class before you will be issued keys to your lab.
EHS safety training courses list
Laser safety training is also included in the above link (EHS-BLS005w for Laser Safety Basic Training and EHS-RSS044w for Embedded Laser Safety).
Information on immunization clinic
GENERAL SAFETY RULES
- Always wear eye protection when working in laboratories. You may wear goggles or safety glasses with side shields as appropriate.
- Do not wear contact lenses in the laboratory, even under safety glasses. They will compound eye damage in the event of an injury.
- Remove rings, watches, bracelets, necklaces and large earrings when working with tools, machines, or dangerous chemicals.
- Wear clothing that will provide maximum protection from chemical splashes or flying debris. Shorts and sandals are prohibited in the Van Vlack laboratory.
- Wear close-fitting clothing made of relatively smooth, close woven fabrics. Neckties, sweaters, and bulky shirts or blouses should not be worn. Long sleeves on shirts or blouses should be rolled snugly above the elbows.
- Wear closed-toe shoes to protect your foot from splashes. Sandals, open-toed shoes, and high-heeled shoes are prohibited.
- Long, loose hair styles must be safely contained in a scarf, cap, or other appropriate fashion.
- NO horseplay in the laboratory.
- When handling dangerous chemicals or dangerous materials, wear protective gloves, a rubber apron, and an eye splash shield. Rain suits are available. If possible, use shielding or work in the hoods with the door closed as far as possible. Anytime chemicals must be moved outside of the lab, they must be in a secondary container to prevent spills if the primary container should break.
- All chemicals from Fisher or Aldrich must be ordered through Shelley Fellers and include an MSDS sheet. All other chemical orders can be ordered through Lourdes Jorgenson.
- Post a safety SOP for all experiments that you set up.
- When working with machines like the band saw, drill press, or rolling mill, have a second person present.
- Report any injury, no matter how small, to a member of the MSE staff.
- When lifting heavy objects, lift with your legs as opposed to your back to prevent injury.
- Be aware of the many high-voltage sources in the department. Exercise extreme caution when working on a machine’s electronics, and always turn off the power first. However, remember that capacitors can store charge for quite some time even after the power has been turned off. If you aren’t sure what you are doing, please find help.
FINDING NECESSARY SAFETY INFORMATION
Each laboratory has a Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) either on or near the door. The CHP contains a variety of information, including SOP’s (Standard Operation Procedure) for all equipment and activities that occur in the laboratory.
Each research group has a safety officer who is in charge of implementing and enforcing safety regulations in those laboratories belonging to his or her advisor. Safety officers meet regularly to learn about new safety procedures being implemented by the university. You should go to your safety officer if you see a safety problem in your lab, or are unsure of how to conduct an experiment safely.
If you plan to use chemicals or materials that are unfamiliar to you, it is wise to check out the hazards, if any, associated with their use. Occupational Safety and Environmental Health (OSEH) has files containing Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) on most chemicals you would use.
You may also contact our OSEH safety representative @ ehs.umich.edu or 734-763-1185.
INJURY
If a person is seriously injured or ill on the job (amputation, chest pain, loss of consciousness, severe burn or trauma), call 911 immediately and request an ambulance. He or she will then be transported to the nearest Emergency Room. The person’s supervisor must fill out an “Employee Accident or Illness Report” and submit it to the Risk Management office.
If the injury is less severe but still requires medical treatment, the person should be transported to the M-Works facility in Ann Arbor, provided the injury occurs on weekdays between 7 a.m. to 5 p.m. M-Works is run by the University of Michigan, and is specifically set-up to deal with workplace injuries of U/M employees. (All research and teaching assistants are employees of the university.) The injured person should preferably be accompanied by a supervisor and should have an “Employer Referral Form” filled out describing the nature of the injury. If the injury occurs on an evening, weekend, or holiday, the person should be transported to the nearest Emergency Room. As in the case of a major injury, the injured person’s supervisor must also fill out an “Employee Accident or Illness Report” and submit it to the Risk Management office.
FLOOD
If there is a flood during the day, notify a member of the MSE staff immediately. If at night, call Public Safety as well as a member of the MSE staff.
HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL SPILL
If you spill a hazardous chemical, use your best judgment on how to deal with it. If it is a small spill and there is no immediate danger of inhalation damage, explosion, or fire, you should use a spill kit to clean it up. Notify a member of the MSE staff as soon as possible. If the spill is large and obviously hazardous, pull the fire alarm, call 911, notify MSE staff personnel (if possible), and leave the building. Be sure to remain in the area (Northwest Entrance, Level 3) to give direction to emergency personnel.
FIRE
If a fire starts in your lab, use your best judgment on what to do. If you are confident that you can put it out with a fire extinguisher, do so. (For example, a small alcohol fire in a petry dish can probably be put out easily.) Remember to aim at the base of the fire. Notify a member of the MSE staff as soon as possible. If you have any doubts at all about being able to put the fire out, do not attempt to do so. Instead, pull the fire alarm, call 911, notify MSE staff personnel (if possible), and then leave the building. The alarm will alert people to evacuate the building and will summon the fire department located on North Campus. Fire alarms are located in corridors throughout the department. Be sure to remain in the area to give direction to emergency personnel.
Special note: The fire extinguishers in the department are designed to put out a wide variety of fires, including oil fires, paper fires, etc. They are NOT designed to put out metal fires (such as burning Na or K.) There is one fire extinguisher located in 2231 Dow, which is specially designed to put out combustible metal fires.
HAZARDOUS WASTE DISPOSAL
It is important that hazardous waste be disposed of properly. Chemicals cannot simply be dumped down drains, nor can broken glass or razor blades be tossed in the trash. Chemicals must be labeled, packaged up, and then picked-up by EHS for disposal. The proper procedures for disposal can be found in the University of Michigan’s “Hazardous Waste Manual”, which is located in most labs with chemicals. Labels and hazardous waste manifests can be obtained from OSEH. See the Facilities Engineer if you need additional assistance.
GENERAL BUILDING PROBLEMS
Plant Maintenance
If a building facility malfunctions (i.e. leaky faucet, no air pressure, water in the air line, no gas, lights burned out, etc.) please let a staff member know so that it can be reported to the plant maintenance department. After hours please call the building maintenance secretary at (734) 647-2059. She will record your problem, take your name and phone number, then give you a sequence number, and a priority code for this service call.
If the nature of your call is an emergency (priority #1), stay close to the problem area so that the person who comes to investigate can easily find you.
Should you have an emergency problem requiring entry to the service corridors after hours (for example – an open circuit breaker or need to open or close a valve) call the security office at 763-1131 and make your request for entry. Be sure to give your location, and the reason for entry. Then stay close to the job!
If you notice a problem with water on the floor, other spills, or missing supplies in the restrooms, then Building Services should be called at (734) 647-2059 for their help.
PLEASE NOTIFY THE DEPARTMENT FACILITIES COORDINATOR OF ANY BUILDING PROBLEMS!