SEAS/Physics/EPS Safety Committee

Meeting Minutes

Tuesday, October 10, 2007
Noon-1:00PM

1. Introductions

Lenny Solomon opened the meeting by asking new safety officers to introduce themselves to the committee. There have been several changes in safety officers this year. Attendance was excellent.

2. 2007/2008 Safety Program & Committee Member Duties

Lenny took a moment to explain some of the more important responsibilities of every safety officer on the Committee. The SEAS/Physics/EPS Safety Committee meets on the second Wednesday of each month from October through June, and the appointed Safety officers are expected to attend all meetings. Lenny encouraged everyone to visit the Committee's web site at http://safety.seas.harvard.edu. All safety reps should take the time to read the online Safety Manual and Chemical Hygiene Plan on the web site, as well as pages dealing with safety training, evacuation plans, and other emergency related items. New members can read some of last year's meeting minutes to get an idea of what we do from month to month.

The Safety Committee tries to be pro-active in identifying safety issues. Communication is very important--Lenny will send email messages to safety officers quite often. He is always available to answer questions regarding safety issues if you want to give him a phone call (5-4215). If you or your group need specific safety training (such as gas, Right-to-Know, RSI, etc.), you can schedule a training session with Lenny.

In addition to its monthly meetings, the Committee performs the following functions:

(a) Lab Inspections - One of the most important functions of this committee is the self-inspection of our labs during the fall and winter months. Safety officers inspect labs yearly. Lenny handed out a list of inspection team assignments for this year and told the Committee that all safety officers who are designated as "Chairs" of their inspection team must email him their lab inspection date as soon as possible. There are 18 inspection teams this year and several of them need to complete their inspections in November.

The inspection teams list can be found at this URL: http://safety.seas.harvard.edu/textonly/subcomm.html.

From November through April, the teams will inspect their pre-assigned labs and present their results to the Committee. The inspections will focus on equipment, work space, chemical storage, safety violations, and unsafe lab practices (such as evidence of food or drink in lab areas), etc. The local safety officer for each lab that has been inspected will need to address any issues discovered during the inspections and make a follow-up report to the Committee at the following meeting.

(b) Safety Training

• Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) offers several safety training courses. However, if you have a specific training need for your group, contact Lenny and he can schedule special training for you. Red Cross CPR training is offered in the spring.
• Lab Safety and Hazardous Waste Safety Training - In accordance with EPA regulations, anyone who works with chemicals must be trained by attending a live lecture on laboratory and hazardous waste safety. An instructor from EH&S provides these training lectures on the 2nd Wednesday of each month. See the schedule for time and location at the following web page:
  http://safety.seas.harvard.edu/services/seminars.html#hazardouswaste.
  All new staff and grad students MUST attend a Lab Safety Training lecture! Retraining is needed every year; this is accomplished by reading a short online retraining course and answering a few questions on the web site. Hazardous waste retraining can be found at: http://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehsapps/training/.

(c) Training Database

A database is maintained on the Committee's web site to keep an up-to-date record of the training needs of SEAS, Physics, and EPS personnel and students. All safety officers should create a username and log on to the online database. They should look for records pertaining to their specific group and notify Lenny Solomon or Rob Stanhope, if any new group members are not in the database, or if anyone in their group needs a particular kind of safety training. This is the only way we can keep the database up-to-date.

The Safety Training is located at http://safety.seas.harvard.edu/services/dbintro.html.

Public access outside of the SEAS/Physics/EPS Safety Committee is not permitted, since the information is considered confidential.

Because access is restricted, anyone using the database must first create a user's account (with username and password). This is a simple process which is done online at http://safety.seas.harvard.edu/services/dbintro.html.

An online Help/Guide explains how to sort and filter the database. These sorting and filtering features make the Safety Training database particularly useful to find out who has or has not been trained in a specific lab or group. The Guide provides a key to the abbreviations used in the database.

(d) Safety Equipment Testing - Safety showers, hoods, fire extinguishers, etc. are tested annually. Showers are flowed quarterly--Ed Jackson, Stuart McNeil and Paul Kelley are in charge of this. Eyewash stations should be flowed weekly for 3-5 minutes by the safety officers. However, at 60 Oxford Street, the Operations Center should be notified before flushing an eye wash station, because at this location such a procedure will set off an alarm.

(e) Fire Drills / Fire Marshals

• The Safety Committee tries to provide fire drills at least once per year.
• Lenny said we need to redefine evacuation locations.

(f) Hazardous Waste Disposal and SAAs - Certain safety officers are assigned the task of inspecting their Satellite Accumulation Areas (SAAs). These SAA Monitors need to inspect their SAAs weekly to make sure there are no violations, specifically looking for problems with the hazardous waste labels and containers. SAA Monitors should view this EH&S web page for help with the hazardous waste labels:
http://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehs/env_hw_label_tool.shtml.

3. Summer Lab Inspections by EH&S

• Cathy Thomas and Amy Johnson reported they completed the summer lab inspections.
• They are compiling a report which will be distributed to the labs in a week or so. A master report containing all lab inspection resultys will be sent to Lenny.
• One common problem they noticed were out-of-date "Emergency Response Guides." EH&S has printed a new version of these guides (with a spiral binding) and you can pick one up from Lenny. Several were passed around at the meeting.

4. Summer Activities:

• Lenny reported that eye wash stations were tested over the summer. Jim Garrety will check them once every three months in SEAS. All safety officers should continue to run their eye wash stations once a week for about 3-5 minutes. If an eye wash station doesn't work, contact your Facilities Manager. NOTE: Eye wash stations at 60 Oxford Street set off an alarm when they are operated. Anyone testing these stations should call the Operations Center first so they will know the alarm is not an emergency.
• New Laser Classifications -- laser classifications have changed and the yearly refresher training in laser safety is now required. Eye exams are now "recommended," not mandatory.
• Controlled Substances - SEAS has only two labs with these substances. It is required that the substances be kept in a secure locked area.
• There was a Lab Safety Audit over the summer and Lenny has the report if anyone wants to see it.
• Lenny gave a safety talk to G1 students.
• Lenny distributed three HF spill kits; however, he can't remember which labs he gave them to. If you have one, please contact Lenny by email and tell him where the spill kit is stored.

5. Accident - Mike Labosky

• Mike mentioned there had been an accident at CFA in the Berkin Lab. A fire was started that hurt a student and burned out a fume hood. Lots of water damage. Mike reminded everyone that working late or after hours with dangerous substances or on dangerous experiments should not happen. Such things should be done during normal work hours when there are people around who can assist in the case of an accident.
• 911 - Calling 911 on a cell phone gets you the State Police. This is ok to do; however, it is also helpful to call the Harvard Police and the Operation Center immediately afterwards. They would eventually pick up on the emergency call by monitoring the State police radio, but the Harvard police can respond more quickly if you call them as well.
• Prof. Pershan suggested that Harvard should implement a keycard system to gain access to buildings after hours, so it is known who is in a building.

6. ChemTracker - Miriam Weil

• Miriam Weil from EH&S gave a presentation on ChemTracker. She said every lab in Cambridge will have access to this application. They can use ChemTracker to make detailed emergency door signs, update their emergency contacts, and even manage their chemical inventory. FAS is funding the system.
• Miriam is offering training sessions at 1:00pm on October 10, 15 and 17, in Room 323 Maxwell/Dworkin. 35 people have been trained so far. This is required for all labs.

7. Hazardous Waste Procedures

• Rob handed out a list of people who are due for hazardous waste retraining this month. Lenny asked the safety officers to remind anyone in their lab who needs training to go to the Lab Safety Training session at 1:30pm right after the Safety Meeting. People who need hazardous waste retraining can complete it online at http://www.uos.harvard.edu/ehsapps/training/

8. Old Business - none

9. New Business - none

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

ACTION ITEMS:

1. Safety officers will send Lenny an email with the date of their lab inspection.
2. Lenny will look into establishing new evacuation locations.
3. Lenny will get a lsit of HF spill kit locations.