DEAS/Physics Safety Committee

Meeting Minutes

Wednesday, December 12, 2001
Noon-1:00PM

1. Video - "Lab: Bio Hazard Hoods" (13 minutes)

Lenny emphasized that all hoods should be inspected yearly.

2. 2001/2002 Lab Inspection Schedules - Team Chairs

Team chairs reported the following lab inspection schedules:

1. Team # 1 -- Jeff Miller (McKay 1-3) - February 7 @ 11:00am
2. Team # 2 -- Frank Molea (McKay 4-5) - January 15 @ 10:00am
3. Team # 3 -- Alex Soldotov (Cruft/Pierce) - unscheduled
4. Team # 4 -- Chair TBD (Lyman) - unscheduled
5. Team # 5 -- Bob Michniak (Jefferson) - January 14 @ 10:00am
6. Team # 6 -- John Chervinsky (ESL/HEPL) - February 15 @ 3:00pm
7. Team # 7 -- Nan Shen (Link) - February 13 @ 11:00am
8. Team # 8 -- Tanya Zelevinsky (Maxwell/Dworkin) - January 28, time not determined
9. Team # 9 -- Lenny Solomon (ART Shop) - January 22 @ 2:00pm

3. On-line Laser Training - Rob Stanhope

We have a problem exporting the laser video from the editing software (Adobe Premiere). Much of the text contains small gray blocky artifacts. Rob has been looking for a solution to the problem and has ordered an upgrade to Premiere.

4. EH&S Report

• Select Agents - in 1996 Congress passed a law requiring labs to maintain a list of select agents. These agents can be purchased only if your lab is registered with the CDC. The USA Patriot Law of 2001 expanded the select agent restrictions. Labs need to fill out the Select Agent forms and return them to Lenny.
• Emergency Response Activities - this is university-wide. Faculty will be asked to make local emergency plans. In the future there will be formal training on emergency management.
• Since September 11, there have been 85 suspicious mail events at Harvard. Now there are "Suspicious Mail Bins" located around the campus. If people receive something suspicious, they can simple drop it in the bin and it will be sterilized. The mail can be returned afterwards if needed. Locations will be announced.

5. Hazardous Waste Training Report - Rob Stanhope

Rob read the names of several people who need retraining.

6. Select Bio Agent Forms

Lenny reported we have received only 14 completed select agent forms from safety reps. We must have the remainder by Monday, December 17th.

7. Evacuation Forms

Lenny has received 22 completed evacuation forms. He asked everyone to turn their forms in by Monday.

8. Old Business

• Lenny contacted the Control Center regarding their emergency contact database. Physics and DEAS were up to date, but HEPL was not. This has been corrected.
• 16 new user accounts were created for our Safety Training database since our last meeting; however, only 6 users actually logged on and used the database. Lenny encouraged people to check the database to make sure their group is listed properly.
• Perchloric Acid was picked up in DEAS & Physics and removed.
• Ed Jackson is getting a quote to address the exhaust issue in Mazur's lab.

9. New Business - none

Next Meeting: Wednesday, January 9, 2002, 12:00 noon, Maxwell/Dworkin 119