Meeting Minutes - DEAS/Physics Department Safety

Committee Meeting -November 12, 1997

1. The video "Hazard Alert: Laboratory Spills" was shown. It was a good video pertaining to the plans that should be established in the event of a small laboratory chemical spill. At the conclusion of the video, Lenny Solomon asked if everyone knew where their local lab spill kits were located. Everyone answered in the affirmative.

2. It was announced that Patty Waldvogel is the new rep for Professor Ralph Mitchell's group.

3. Peter Bochnak gave the Environmental Health and Safety monthly report on university-wide activities in the areas of safety and regulatory compliance. He reported that Harvard has identified all of its underground oil storage facilities and transformers (they contain PCBs) and has a plan in place in the event of any hazardous leaks. He pointed out that Boston University had been fined several hundreds of thousands for

non-compliance in this area. Harvard is in much better shape.

4. Lenny brought up the subject of record keeping pertaining to our hazardous waste disposal training program. It was pointed out that there are real problems in first developing a list of who should be trained. In addition, although the current on-line refresher course tallies when an individual should be retrained, there isn't an automated way of contacting that person or policing our compliance with the state regulations. Peter and Lenny will work together to develop a better system, and will report any

progress at the next meeting.

5. Lenny handed out the subcommittee assignments and explained the expectations for each group. Jennifer Mullin reported that Li Huang had graduated and thus could not head up one of the lab inspection teams. Jennifer volunteered to chair the Cruft/Pierce lab inspectors team if Lenny could assign another person to that team. Lenny promised to do so.

6. Lenny again pointed out the URL change to the Safety Committee's Web site. The new URL is http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu

7. Lenny related a minor accident in his lab that occurred because of a jury rigged vacuum exhaust line and the use of an incorrect gas regulator. Although no one was injured, it pointed out the need to be ever vigilant.

The meeting was adjourned at 1:00 PM. The next meeting will be held

on Wednesday, December 10, 1997, 12:00-1:00 PM, Pierce 100F

http://www-safety.deas.harvard.edu