Standard Operating Procedure

LOCAL SAFETY OFFICER: Ben Finio
ROOM: 60 Oxford St. Room 401
P.I.: Rob Wood

DATE: 9/6/07

TYPE OF RESEARCH: Microrobotics

PROTECTIVE CLOTHING THAT MUST BE USED FOR ALL WORK:

• Safety Glasses – Must be used when using any power tools or operation that could create flying chips or debris.  Also necessary for some vacuum and pressurized vessel applications, as labeled in lab.
• Face Shields – N/A
• Rubber Boots – N/A
• Safety Goggles – Must be employed when working with any chemicals that could cause eye damage, recommended for use with any application where there is a potential splash hazard.
• Lab Coats – Should be worn when working with any chemicals, must be worn when working with corrosives such as acids or bases.
• Gloves – Latex gloves supplied in the lab should be sufficient for most purposes.  They should be used when handling uncured composite prepregs and any chemical.  Larger rubber gloves that cover the forearm are available for chemical applications where splashing is a potential hazard.  Heat-resistant gloves (i.e. oven mitts) are supplied and must be used when removing any object from one of the ovens in order to avoid burns.  For further reference or if you are unsure if latex gloves are sufficient for a specific material, see http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu.  Under "Safety Committee Services" there is a listing of glove type vs. chemical. If there is any question, see Lenny Solomon.
• Steel-toed Shoes – N/A
• Respirators – N/A
• Laser Safety Goggles – Use protective goggles when servicing the laser systems or when interlocks are disabled.
• Other – N/A

GENERAL HOUSEKEEPING RULES:

Avoid excessive clutter.  This presents a fire hazard and some items can be dangerous when left out unnoticed.  This especially applies to Xacto knives, tweezers and other sharp tools.  Tools should be put in a drawer or sheathed when not in use.  Clean up spare/scrap pieces of carbon fiber, kapton, etc.

WASTE DISPOSAL RULES:

1. All glass should be disposed of in the appropriate container (broken glass/sharp objects box).
2. Everyone needs to take the training offered by EH&S pertaining to the disposal of hazardous waste, if applicable.
3. The satellite accumulation area is located under the fume hood in room 401.

FUME HOOD USE:

Do not obstruct the fume hood or use it for storage.  All chemicals should be stored properly in the chemical cabinet.  Fume hood should be inspected and certified once per year.

CHEMICAL STORAGE:

1. All chemicals should be stored in the chemical cabinet by the fume hood, not left out on the counter.
2. Do not store acids and bases together.
3. Do not store corrosive chemicals above eye level.
4. Every secondary container must be labelled.

SPECIAL TRAINING REQUIRED:

All lab personnel should be properly trained in the use of any potentially hazardous equipment (laser cutters, ovens, high voltage power supplies) before use.  Some equipment in the lab is not hazardous but fragile and expensive (i.e. microscopes, high speed cameras) and everyone should receive proper training/demonstrations before using the equipment.

CHEMICAL SPILL CLEAN-UP PROCEDURES:

1. Small spills should be cleaned up by those in the lab.  The spill kit is in the safety equipment cabinet.
2. For large spills, clear the area of personnel and call the University Operations Center (5-5560).

 OTHER RELEVANT COMMENTS:

1. Teosys laser cutter - The cutter should never be run without the protective cover in place as this presents an arcing hazard.
2. Versalaser – improper settings for the laser may present a fire hazard.  Make sure the cutter is always set to the appropriate material, thickness and power adjustment for what you are actually cutting.  Doing otherwise could result in the laser being out of focus or overpowered and could start a fire.  Always directly supervise the entire cut when using the Versalaser – it should never be left unattended during the cutting process.
3. No unaccompanied minors are permitted in the lab at any time, for safety and liability reasons.
4. The lab door should be kept closed when no one is in the lab.  It is ok to leave it unlocked as long as people are in the student offices – when everyone leaves for the night the last person should lock the door.
5. Always ask first before attempting to take any action that might be hazardous.