|
|
EHS RESEARCH & LABORATORY
SAFETY BULLETIN
Fall
2022
|
|
|
TABLE OF CONTENTS
1.
Fall 2022 Laboratory Safety Training
2. Safety News and
Updates
3. Research &
Laboratory Safety Resources
|
|
|
1. Fall
2022 Laboratory Safety Training
Register online for lab
safety training. Courses available include safety essentials,
laboratory safety, biosafety, radiation safety training, and
laser safety training. Find also EHS refresher training courses
and courses for principal investigators that are available year
round.
|
|
|
|
FALL 2022 SAFETY TRAINING
|
|
|
|
Course
|
Description
|
Who is this course for?
|
Date(s) & Time(s)
|
Location
|
|
Safety Essentials Training
|
Three online modules (SFU Safety Orientation,
Electrical Safety & Fire Safety) + Canvas quiz + an in-person
fire extinguisher training session (approx. 45 minutes).
|
Everyone working in
a lab
|
Online self-paced
Fire extinguisher training date TBA - provincial fire ban
still in effect
|
Online via Canvas
Fire extinguisher training location stated in Canvas.
|
|
Laboratory Safety Training
|
Online modules covering WHMIS, safety
responsibilities, laboratory hazards, emergency response,
exposure routes and control, hazardous waste disposal, SFU
hazardous inventory system, chemical storage, laboratory
apparatus safety, cryogenics & compressed gas safety, and
laboratory glass safety + an in-person practical lab safety
training session (approx. 1 hour).
|
Anyone working in a lab area that has chemicals
(including bleach, ethanol, compressed gas,
etc.)
|
Online self- paced
Practical In-person component
(60-minute
session).
Offered September 12 to 15 (Burnaby)
& September 19 (Surrey).
|
Online via Canvas
One-hour in-person sessions in Shrum Chemistry C8055 (Burnaby)
and SRYC 2780 (Surrey).
|
|
Biosafety Training
|
Online modules covering administrative and
practical aspects of the SFU Biosafety Program + Canvas quiz
|
Anyone working with biohazardous materials
|
Online self-paced
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
Radiation Safety Training
*Registration deadline: 12 PM on
Friday September 16
|
·
online lectures
on SFU Canvas
·
online tutorial
via SFU Zoom
·
one hour
in-person practical training in a lab
Written quiz + canvas quiz
Attendance to all 3 sessions are mandatory to pass
the course.
|
Anyone using open or sealed sources of
radioactivity
|
Lecture + Laboratory modules on Canvas open from
September 5, 2022
Tutorial session on Friday September 23 at 11 AM
via Zoom
|
Lecture is Online via Canvas
Tutorial is Online via Zoom
|
|
Radiation Safety
Practical Training
on Wednesday September 21; sessions at 10 AM and 1 PM
|
One-hour in-person session in
Shrum Biology B7249
|
|
Radiation Safety Refresher Training
|
Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link )
|
Anyone using open or sealed sources of
radioactivity and
has previously taken the SFU Radiation Safety Training Course
listed above.
|
Open enrollment year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
Radiation Safety Training for Sealed Sources and
Portable Gauges
|
Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link )
|
Anyone using sealed sources of radioactivity and
portable gauges
|
Open enrollment year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
X-ray Safety Training
|
Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link )
|
Anyone using X-ray generating equipment (e.g.
X-ray diffractometers, X-ray fluorescence guns, X-ray imaging
equipment)
|
Open enrollment year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
Laser Safety Training
|
Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link here)
|
Anyone working with or near lasers
|
Online self-paced
Practical session via Zoom (dates TBA)
|
Online via Canvas
|
LABORATORY SAFETY
TRAININGS- SUPERVISORS AND PI'S
|
Course
|
Description
|
Who is this course for?
|
Date(s) & Time(s)
|
Location
|
|
Biosafety Training for PIs
|
Online training module + quiz on canvas
(self-enroll link )
|
SFU Biosafety permit holders
|
Open-enrollment, year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
Radiation Safety Training for PIs
|
Online training module + quiz on canvas
(self-enroll link )
|
Radiation Safety permit holders
|
Open-enrollment, year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
Supervisor Safety Training
|
Online training module + quiz on canvas
(self-enroll link )
|
Supervisors, managers, PIs
|
Open-enrollment, year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
Respectful Working and Learning Environment
|
Online training module + quiz on canvas
(self-enroll link )
|
Supervisors, managers, PIs
|
Open-enrollment, year-round
|
Online via Canvas
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
2.
Safety News & Updates
New and Updated Training Modules and Resource
Documents from EHS
'High Hazard' Tag Feature in the SFU Online Hazard
Inventory System
Following the Chemical Round-up campaign earlier this year, wherein
over 200 expired, unknown, and/or potentially explosive chemicals
were identified and disposed, a new feature has been added to the. Chemicals in the online
inventory can now be tagged as explosive, peroxides,
peroxide-formers, and pyrophoric.
A change to the Laboratory Safety Practical Training has also been
made to highlight the importance of following safe chemical storage
guidelines and awareness of peroxide-forming compounds.
Exposure
Control Plan (ECP) and SOP template for Carcinogens, Reproductive
Toxins, and Sensitizers
EHS is pleased to announce two new resources in
support of working safely with carcinogens, reproductive toxins and
sensitizers. Examples of these classes of substances which
are common in campus laboratories include: acrylamide, chloroform,
dichloromethane, formaldehyde, tetrahydrofuran and toluene.
The Exposure
Control Plan for carcinogens, reproductive toxins and sensitizers provides
the key requirements for working with these substances and the
accompanying Safe
Operating Procedure template can be customized with
laboratory-specific content to support safe practices in the
laboratory.
An excellent tool that can assist with identifying
carcinogens, reproductive toxins and sensitizers is the new . Use it to search for chemicals by chemical name,
CAS number, by formula or by synonym. It works well on mobile
devices.
Mercury Thermometer Swap Initiative
Following multiple incidents of mercury thermometers breaking and
the subsequent mercury spill cleanups, EHS has launched a campaign
to identify the remaining mercury thermometers in SFU and to swap
them with mercury-free thermometers free of charge.
To date, over 50 mercury thermometers have been identified and
removed from labs. The campaign is ongoing. To participate, please
visit this link.
Reminder: If a mercury spill occurs, please contact EHS. A mercury
spill kit is available with EHS.
See here for info on mercury thermometer spill
cleanups.
|
|
3. Safety
Reminders
Double check that your Fume hood is actually
working
If you plan on working with a highly hazardous
substance in the fume hood, where you are completely reliant on
the fume hood functioning properly for safety, do double-check to
ensure that the fume hood is fully functional with sufficient air
flow. This is especially applicable to older fume hoods that do
not have modern air flow alarms.
- Review the electronic air flow monitor on
your fume hood.
- In addition, a visual test can be
performed with a small piece of lightweight material (e.g.,
Kim wipe) affixed to the bottom of the fume hood sash.
Visually check for sufficient inward directional air flow.
- If you notice any issues with your fume
hood, close the sash, report the issue to Facilities Services, and post a sign stating that the fume
hood is awaiting repairs.
- See the guidelines for safe fume hood operation.
Keep Lab Doors Closed and Locked, if unoccupied
Laboratory doors are to be kept closed (do not prop them
open) and locked, if unoccupied. Unlocked and
unoccupied labs are considered a serious security concern. Not
only is there a possibility of biological agents,
radioactive substances, and hazardous chemicals being
removed from the lab, but personal items and lab equipment
could be stolen.
Do not
disassemble lab equipment
- Laboratory equipment must not be
disassembled or otherwise taken part. Equipment components
may include highly toxic substances, radiation sources, etc.
- Only skilled and trained professionals
are authorized to disassemble laboratory equipment.
- Contact EHS if you are considering
decommissioning and/or disassembling laboratory equipment.
See the Decommissioning web page for more info.
Tap water in laboratories and shop areas is not
potable
- Machine shop water sources, laboratory
water sources, and deionized laboratory water are considered
non-potable and should not be used as drinking water.
|
|
|
About EHS
The
Environmental Health & Safety department provides
educational, technical and advisory services to the SFU community
by working collaboratively with academic, research and service
units to minimize and mitigate safety, health and environmental
risks.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
