DEAS/Physics Safety Committee

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, May 10, 2000
Noon-1:00PM

1. Video - "Carpal Tunnel Syndrome" (14 minutes)

2. Lab Inspection Follow-up Reports

McKay Laboratories - (Steve Shepard, Bivash Dasgupta, Andrea Santoro, Nan Shen)

• Rm 227 - postdoc is leaving; room will be cleaned up.
• Signs in Tinkham group were updated.
• Rm 213 - room will be under construction.
• Rm 513 - There are no bio hazards.
• Rm 519 - Sign has been updated with laser class.
• Rm 525 - Group members have been instructed to fill out tags correctly; signs updated.
• Rm 502 - Will install fire extinguisher. All signs updated. Tanks will be mounted.
• Rm 503 - Chemicals have been removed from the flammable metal cabinet.
• Rm 512 - Will evaluate for interlocks.
• Rm 427 - Tanks are ok.
• Rm 322 - Room has been cleaned up.
• Rm 329 - Label updated; sign added; SAA cleaned up.

ESL/HEPL Laboratories - (Bivash Dasgupta)

• Signs have been installed in HEPL; emergency exit signs have been posted.
• ESL 215 - SAA sticker is in correct place.
• ESL 214 - Power cord will be protected.
• ESL 213 - Warning lights not needed.

Cruft & Pierce Laboratories - (Yuki Sugimura)

• Report was not presented. Will be emailed to Lenny at a later date.

3. Spring Safety Seminars

• Lenny reported the attendance for the following seminars: Compressed Gas, 13 people; Shipping Hazmats, 2 people; Chemical Safety, 4 people; RSI; 4 people. CPR/First Aid training is not yet completed.
• Safety Shoe Truck - will be at Harvard on May 11, 2000, at 11:00am-2:00pm in back of Pierce Hall.
• Eric Mazur will present Laser Safety training on May 18th at 1:30-2:30pm in Cruft 318.

4. Hazardous Waste Training Report

Rob Stanhope read the names of people needing retraining.

5. Old Business

• Training for summer students - Everyone should give Lenny the names of students who will be working this summer. He will set up a time to train them.

6. EH&S Report - Henry Littleboy

• Mary Burl, a new Industrial Hygienist, was introduced.
• Summer lab inspections will probably take place in July and August.
• Compressed Gas Cylinder Committee - now working with AirGas.
• There were no accidents in the last month.

7. New Business

• David Norcross was introduced. He is the new Physics Director.
• Jim McCarthy introduced himself. He is the new director of the DEAS/Physics Electronics Shop in Jefferson 158. He wanted to remind everyone that their services are available to both DEAS and Physics, although Physics people seemed to be utilizing the shop more. He encouraged everyone to consider their services.
• Building Evacuation! - There was a fire alarm incident in ESL and several people did not leave the building. The Fire Department was extremely upset. Lenny and Dean Gold stressed that EVERYONE must leave a building immediately during alarms, even if you know it is a false alarm. As safety reps, we must make sure people working in our lab areas leave during alarms.
• Eye accident in ESL - A student had an eye accident because he was not wearing goggles! He was sent to the hospital. Fortunately there was no permanent damage.
• Safety training for the Weitz Group - Lenny will be in touch with Bivash Dasgupta about training his group.
• Asbestos tile in Pierce Hall - Tile was repaired and the asbestos will be abated this summer.
• Phosphine in Thaddeus Lab - Lenny will talk with Vernita Gordon and Henry Littleboy about this.
• Spill Kits - New kits were placed in McKay and ESL. The location of the kits will be posted on the web site.
• McKay elevator - a new sensor was installed and it works much better now. Door does not close on people.

Next Meeting: Wednesday, June 14, 2000, 12:00 noon, LEGAL SEAFOODS RESTAURANT
at the Kendall Square/MIT T-Stop in Cambridge.
RSVP needed.