DEAS/Physics/EPS Safety Committee

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, February 14, 2007
Noon-1:00PM

1. Video - "Electrical Safety in the Lab " (11 minutes)

2. 2006/2007 Lab Inspection Schedules - Still missing schedules!

Lenny reported we are still missing the inspection schedules for the following lab areas:

1. High Energy Physics - Carl Gottlieb will schedule the inspection by the end of the week
2. 60 Oxford Street - Lenny scheduled the inspection for March 15th at 2:00pm

3. Lab Inspection Results - no reports were given this month for the following reasons:

A. McKay 1st Floor - John Budney said he needs to reschedule the inspection. His team members haven't been responding to his calls/emails.

B. McKay 2nd Floor - Anthony O'Brien said the inspection will take place on Friday.

C. Lyman Lab - Bob Graham - the inspection will be later this month.

4. Follow-Up Reports (responses to previous lab inspections)

A. McKay 3rd Floor - ROOMS 329A - 330 - the follow-up report was tabled until next month. - Eric Diebold

• ROOM 329A  -Laser setup did not have a curtain barrier around setup.
• ROOM 329  -Emergency Access Sheet needs to be updated. Last done 2/03.
                       -Emergency Guide Sheet not filled out at all.
                       -Waste accumulation area needs to be cleaned up.
• ROOM 328  -No Emergency Access Sheet on door.
• ROOM 330  -Emergency Access Sheet needs to be updated. Last done 2/03.
                       -Laser goggles need to be placed in a central location. Scattered over lab
                        area.

B. Cruft/Maxwell Dworkin - Brocket Lab: Jason Adaska - Jason was not present to give a follow-up report

1. Maxwell Dworkin
   • MD-315
     There is a class IIIb Cascade Microtech Microchamber laser in the Lab, but no sign on the door and no curtain. The same issue was raised during our past inspection.
   • MD-316
     There was some paper on the desk touching the oven in. A sign on the oven says "beware hot surfaces." This potential fire hazard was also noticed and mentioned in the past inspection.
   • MD-B133
     It is a lab that is currently being set up. Should have MSDS sheets clearly available for hazardous materials used in the room.
2. Cruft
   • Cruft 109
     There is a class 4 laser at use in this room. The class 4 laser should be automatically interlocked to the "laser on" light at the door. At the time of the inspection team was there, the laser was on but the "laser on" light at door was not on.
   • Cruft 116
     The Chemical Preparation Room, wasn’t tidy. A bottle of flammable and skin irritant Pyralin was left on a countertop without secondary containment.
   • Cruft 312
     The Fire extinguisher in the lab was marked last inspected in 2003.
     Question: What class should "home-made" lasers (50 to 100 mw) be classified to? (according to its power told by the people working in the lab at the time of inspection -- range 50-100mw, it should be classified as class IIIb). Is there a standard procedure to register and official classification of these devices? Should they be interlocked to the "laser on" light at the door?

C. McKay Cleanrooms - John Tsakirgis/Steve Shepard

1. Upstairs cleanroom:
   • All issues taken care of.
   • Need to deal with the labels on two hoods.
2. Downstairs:
   • All issues dealt with and all is now ok.

5. EH&S Report - Chuck Lichtenwalner

• XEB and OEB lab inspections were completed
• Provided lab training for the Crozier lab.
• Check your lab gloves to make sure they are not too old. Months ago a lab worker suffered a cryogenic burn even though the person was wearing gloves. The gloves were 10 years old and the insulation was gone. Replace old gloves in your labs.
• Berkeley, California is composing an ordinance to address issues with nano-technology. Cambridge is considering doing the same thing.
• Lenny read an email from Alan Aloise (the Science Safety Officer for CCB) about a recent bromine accident. The following text is taken from the CCB Safety Committee meeting minutes:
  • Bromine chemical burn to the hand
    On February 1, 2007 a graduate student researcher was scaling up a bromination reaction that employed neat bromine (Br2). The researcher did not observe any spills, splashes, or exposures to the skin while setting up, working up, or purifying the reaction. Over the next 48 hours the researcher experienced progressively more intense burning sensations, pain, discoloration, and blistering on the left hand (thumb and index finger predominantly). The delayed onset of pain, skin discoloration, and blistering are all consistent with skin exposure to bromine.
    
    Disposable nitrile gloves and cotton glove liners were being worn for these operations. Nitrile does not provide adequate protection against bromine. If bromine did penetrate the nitrile gloves and contaminate the glove liners, the skin exposure was likely exacerbated by the continued use of the liners.
    
    Guidance
    1) When working with bromine, nitrile gloves do not provide adequate protection. Neoprene (polychloroprene) gloves should be worn instead. The following information was collected directly from the respective glove manufacturer:
    
    Best Manufacturing (bestgloves.com)
    Chloroflex 723 and Chloroflex 1823: thicker, reusable gloves with a 4 hour breakthrough time against bromine.
    
    Ansell (www.ansellpro.com)
    Micro-Touch Affinity (style 73-377) and NeoTouch (style 25-101): disposable neoprene gloves suitable for bromine splash protection.
    
    2) Data on the chemical resistance of gloves should be consulted before laboratory operations begin to ensure that the gloves being worn are compatible with the substances being used. Data can be found from the glove manufacturer’s website or from the following links:
    A general compatibility chart: www.pp.okstate.edu/ehs/hazmat/GLOVES5.HTM
    Various glove manufacturer’s compatibility charts: www.ehs.ufl.edu/Lab/CHP/gloves.htm
    
    3) Researchers experiencing a chemical burn must immediately seek medical attention. [Lenny Solomon] must be informed as soon as practicably possible.
    
    4) When working with particularly corrosive or toxic substances, the use of cotton glove liners should be carefully considered. If chemicals permeate the glove, the glove liner could become contaminated and continue the exposure for as long as the liners are worn. If glove liners are used when handling particularly corrosive or toxic substances, they should be disposed of afterwards.
    
    5) Researchers should wash their hands before leaving lab and frequently while they are in lab.
    

6. Hazardous Waste Training Report - Rob Stanhope

Rob reported on several people needing retraining.

7. Cleanroom - Lenny Solomon

Lenny brought up the fact that the cleanrooms continually have a problem with properly tagging and disposing of hazardous waste. Steve Shepard said the room is open 24 hours which makes it very difficult to monitor the situation. They are trying to have a staff person present in the cleanrooms at all times to keep students in line with regulations. It was also noted that the cleanrooms will move over to the new building in about a year.

8. Old Business

• Lenny said there has been no word on the laser eye exams, so people do not need to get one before using a laser.
• He has received more lists of lab alarms.
• SOPs on this website still need to be updated.

9. New Business - none

Next Meeting: Wednesday, March 14, 2007, 12:00 noon, Maxwell/Dworkin 119