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Laboratory Safety Orientation. Dr. Hayley Wan Danny Mah, CRSP Department of Chemistry. T ake Away. Hazard Identification / Control Risk A ssessment / Reduction Situational Awareness Incident Reporting Incident Investigation University Policy (UAPPOL) Provincial Regulations (OHS).
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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.
CATEGORIES 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 ShashikantPhadnisdiscovers Sucralose (aka Splenda) while researching pesticides compounds. • Chemist ShashikantPhadnis 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 Hazard Analysis
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 Risk - Likelihood Risk – Severity 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 3 Weeks 7 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-workeris 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?
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 what to do in: • Medical Emergencies • Fire • Report all event to PI, Supervisor or Designate
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?