DEAS/Physics Safety Committee

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, April 14, 2004
Noon-1:00PM

1. Video - "Handling Nitrogen and Argon Safely" (15 minutes)

Ed Jackson asked whether we have a way to measure oxygen in a confined space that has no ventilation. Lenny said that anyone who has such a space should let him know--he will have it inspected and test to make sure it is safe.

2. Winter Lab Inspection Reports 2004:

Lyman Labs (Andrew Howard)

• Prentiss Group:
  • L137 - ok
  • L138 - ok
• Horowitz Group:
  • L135 - potential falling hazard; CD's stacked on cabinet
  • L134 - power to center stand is multiple extension cords
• Silvera Group:
  • L126 - ok
  • L127 - ok
  • L128 - ok
  • L130 - check fume hood, flow is ok, but it didn't stay open
  • L131 - secondary containment needed for chemicals (acetone + others?) in clean room
  • L132 - ok
• Doyle Group:
  • L024C - hot air gun plugged in and on the floor; could turn on easily by stepping on it
  • L024D - check laser light. it was on, but laser was apparently off.
  • L027 - coffee cups in lab area
  • L029 - trip hazard; a few cords by optics table
• Lukin Group:
  • L230 - food in and around what appears to be a laboratory sink

3. Lab Inspection Follow-up Reports

A. Jefferson Labs (Steve Cronin)

• Prentiss Lab - Safety Rep. was not present at meeting.
  • Jeff 150 - They have a spill kit for solvents only. They need one for acids.
• Golovechenko - All of the following issues are being taken care of.
  • Jeff 164 - There is a screen box that has many unlabeled jars with chemicals and test tubes and many syringes with needles lying around the room. This should be cleaned up.
  • Jeff 158 - CD power supply is sitting precariously on a stool.
• Gabrielse - Safety Rep. was not present at meeting.
  • Jeff 160-162 Solvents are stored on shelf rather than in a cabinet. Gold plating solutions stored in hood.

B. A.R.T. (Lenny Solomon) - All issues have been taken care of or are currently being solved.

C. McKay 1st floor hall - the Microscope lab - All issues are now ok; emergency power shut-off will be set up.

D. Pierce G7A - All issues listed below have been taken care of.

• Separate space for satellite accumulation needed.
• Separate cabinets for acid and solvents needed
• Chemical spill kit not available. - Need to order spill kit. There is a spill kit in G11
• The circuit breaker was blocked by a toolkit.

E. Pierce G6 - All issues listed below have been taken care of.

• Refrigerator needs to be labeled.
• Lab in the process of being built.
• There is no emergency shutoff or breaker box

F. McKay 329 (Mazur Group) - failed fume hood - This has been recertified.

G. McKay 304 (Venky Group) - Roberto Martinez was not present to give follow-up report.

H. McKay 513-531 (Weitz Group) - every issue has been fixed.

I. Cruft 219 (Electronics Shop) - all issues are now ok.

J. Pierce B2-B7 - all power supplies are now labelled. Need eyewash station.

4. Spring Safety Seminars 2004

Lenny presented the following schedule of up-coming safety seminars:

NOTE: Seminars are held in Pierce Hall (P), Maxwell/Dworkin (MD) or Fairchild (F).

Apr 14	Laboratory Safety (includes Hazardous Waste Disposal, Right-to-Know Law, Chemical Safety)	1:30-3:00pm	MD 323	Charles Lichtenwalner
Apr 15	Compressed Gas Safety	2:00-3:00pm	MD 319	Lenny Solomon
May 3	Shipping of Hazardous Materials	2:00-3:00pm	P 223	Lenny Solomon
May 11	Avoiding Repetitive Strain Injury	1:00-2:00pm	MD 319	Lenny Solomon
May 12	Laboratory Safety (includes Hazardous Waste Disposal, Right-to-Know Law, Chemical Safety)	1:30-3:00pm	MD 323	Charles Lichtenwalner
May 20	Laser Safety	1:00-3:00pm	F 133	Bill Irwin (EH&S)
May 25	Hazards in the Lab - Training For Custodial Staff	12:00-1:00pm	MD 221	Lenny Solomon
Apr 22	CPR Review- pre-registration required!	9:30-11:30am	Pierce 100F	Red Cross
Apr 29	CPR Review- pre-registration required!	9:30-11:30am	Pierce 100F	Red Cross
May 3	Adult Standard CPR - pre-registration required!	9:00-Noon	Pierce 100F	Red Cross
May 10	Adult First Aid - pre-registration required!	9:00-1:00pm	Pierce 100F	Red Cross

5. Select Agents - Lenny Solomon

Lenny reminded the group that he sent an email to everyone about Select Agents--he did not get many responses, so he assumes we do not have any Select Agents. He asked who is working with biochemicals. Iva Maxwell said they use bovine cells and wanted to know if that counted as a Select Agent. Lenny said she should fill out the Select Agent form. Perhaps it should be refered to Ron Morales (EH&S), even though it isn't a Select Agent.

Haz Mat Shipping - Lenny also wanted to remind the committee of Federal laws on shipping hazardous materials. The FAA wants us to be aware that when we fly, there are many things we cannot take along in our luggage. The FAA gave Lenny a poster which illustrates these items: Lenny said we should all post it in our lab areas as a reminder. You can view a PDF file of the poster by clicking on an icon that is on the homepage of our website or by clicking on this link: http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu/services/hazmatFED.pdf

6. EH&S report - Mike Labosky

• EH&S will be sending out a survey to ask everyone what types of things they normally ship, how they ship them, etc.
• Recently the FAA visited Harvard and surveyed our shipping policies. Harvard did very well.
• There was an accident at the Observatory in which a worker hurt his finger on a machine. OSHA was notified and came to Harvard. The worker had not been trained in safety procedures, but was given permission by a professor to work anyway. Mike reminded us that whenever OSHA appears (which is often unannounced), you should call EH&S immediately to have someone accompany them. It is important that we have an observer with them while they are here.

7. Hazardous Waste Training - Rob Stanhope

Rob read a list of names that need retraining.

8. Old Business - none

9. New Business

Ed Jackson reminded us that there is now a new construction area behind McKay which has taken up space that had been designated as an emergency evacuation meeting area. We need a new emergency assembly space for the McKay labs.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, May 12, 2004 @ 12:00 noon, Maxwell/Dworkin 119