Meeting Minutes - DEAS/Physics Department Safety

Committee Meeting - March 11, 1998

1. Video - "Lock Out/Tag out Update" (10 minutes)

Lenny said that the video does relate to those of you who use circuit breaker boxes to directly connect to equipment such as vacuum pumps.

2. Lab Inspection Reports:

In general all the labs are practicing good safety procedures. What follows is a summary of a few of the problems that need correcting:

A. Cruft and Pierce Halls - Jennifer Mullin - ON HOLD UNTIL THE NEXT MEETING,

(Jennifer could not attend the meeting.)

B. McKay Lab - Carla Levy

Most lab door signs were out of date. For example the toxic compressed gases and the emergency contact lists were not updated on these signs.

In labs where HF is in use, a sign needs to be posted stating that fact.

Goggles need to be accessible in all labs with classes III or IV lasers.

Sinks should be marked "potable" or "non-potable".

Regarding tags and signs in general, the advice is to put yourself in the shoes of a fireman and imagine what items he/she should know about in an emergency situation.

3. Follow-Up Lab Inspection Reports

A. Lyman & Jefferson Lab

1. Lyman

Cylinders are now tied down.

Corroding metal container with alcohol in it has been moved to the satellite area.

Lyman first floor - no representative from this area was present to give a follow-up report

2. Jefferson

All signs on lab doors now note when HF is in use.

All labs now have updated signs.

Discussion about tagging bottles of waste was resolved with the conclusion that they must be tagged as soon as the first drop of waste is put in them and that tag must remain affixed.

B. ESL

2nd Floor

The vacuum pump exhaust on the second floor is not considered a hazard. The pump just exhausts air.

Cylinders were strapped down.

The Safety Representative made an appointment to have hood inspected.

Bulletin boards have been updated.

All signs regarding lasers, etc. were updated.

Tags will be printed for HCl bottle.

ESL 3^rd floor

Room 305 ESL has not been updated yet.

Room 319 ESL will get contact sheets off the Web and update the bulletin board.

C. Link/Hoffman Labs - BOTH ON HOLD

4. Safety Seminar Series - Lenny

The Shoe truck will be present on Monday, May 4th from 11am. - 12pm in back of Pierce Hall.

Lenny will e-mail members of the safety committee telling them who in their area still needs to get trained in hazardous waste disposal.

5. Report from Environmental Health and Safety - Peter Bochnak/Henry Little boy

The EPA is coming to Boston May 1, 1998 to inspect 200 companies. They will be focusing on Charles River Watershed and concentrating on auto body shops, service station facilities and institutions along the river such as BU, MIT and Harvard. Harvard's boat houses and sail house will be closely checked as they are along the water.

The EPA will also be inspecting Harvard laboratories with a focus on hazardous waste disposal: main accumulation areas, satellite accumulation areas, record keeping.

Do not have any bottles lying around on the floor, empty or full. No cardboard boxes on the floors either.

Make sure all chemicals are labeled, capped and contained.

If you have a room generating chemicals you need a satellite area right there, not down the hall, or you need main accumulation areas on every floor.

If the labs look clean the inspectors are less likely to inspect any further.

The faculty are responsible for ensuring the training of all people working under them.

There will be signs put on every drain in the parking lots saying "You can't dump…. in this drain." Those drains should have oil/water separators, but don't. The Business School parking lot is especially bad.

6. Old Business

Peter Bochnak, Garrett Burke, Mary Fenney and Lenny Solomon will be having a meeting on the venting of toxic compressed gas cylinders.

The new mouse pads with information about RSI are being produced. The library system has bought 100, TPC is sending them out with their new computer systems, the Registrar bought 500 and the Science Center is setting them out at their public PCs hoping students will take notice.

Lenny is relying on faculty and local safety representatives to tell him about new employees in Harvard labs.

7. New Business

none

Next Meeting, Wednesday, April 8, 1998, 12:00 - 1:00PM, Pierce 100F