Post Penn's Emergency Phone Number "511" in your laboratory.
Familiarize yourself with the locations of exits, eyewashes, safey showers and spill kits. Keep the areas surrounding exits, eyewashes and safety showers free of storage.
Test the eyewash in your laboratory, if it drains into the sink or is plumbed to a drain, and continue to test it on a weekly basis. Contact your building administrator if you do not have an eyewash, if your eyewash is not functioning properly or if it drains to the floor.
Check the inspection tag on the safety shower to ensure that it has been tested within the past year. Contact your building administrator if the safety shower inspection is not current or if the inspection tag is missing.
If your laboratory uses hydrofluoric acid, mount a Hydrofluoric Acid First Aid Kit in an accessible location. Hydrofluoric Acid First Aid Kits are can be purchased from EHRS at: Hydroflouric Acid First Aid Kit Form.
Request and post revised room signs. Make certain all laboratory hazards are indicated on the sign. The Room Sign Request Form is available at: Room Sign Request Form.
Update and post the Chemical Hygiene Work Plan. The Chemical Hygiene Work Plan is available at: 2003 Work Plan [PDF].
Demarcate all designated areas. Refer to the Chemical Hygiene Plan for a list of chemicals that must be stored and used within a designated area: Chemical Hygiene Plan. Designated Area tape can be purchased from EHRS. The order form is available at: Chemcial Hygiene Designated Area Tape and Label Order Form.
Post the universal biohazard symbol on all equipment (centrifuges, water baths, cryogenic freezers, incubators, freezers, refrigerators, etc.) that comes in contact with biohazardous materials.
If you work with human source material, update your Exposure Control Plan. The Exposure Control Plan is available at: Exposure Control Plan.
Establish a chemical waste collection location in your laboratory and post the Satellite Accumulation Sign. The Satellite Accumulation sign is available at: Satellite Accumulation Area.
If you work with lasers, update your laser registry and laser warning signs. The Laser Registry Form is available at: Laser Registry and the Laser Warning Sign Request Form is available at: Laser Warning Sign Request Form.
Label all laboratory refrigerators, microwaves and ice machines. Household grade refrigerators should be labeled "No Food or Flammable Liquid Storage." Microwaves and ice machines should be labeled "Laboratory Use Only." Labels can be ordered at: Warning Sign and Label Request From.
Label areas where hydrofluoric acid is stored. Labels can be ordered at: Warning Sign and Label Request Form.
Check that the fume hood and fume hood alarm is working properly. Contact your building administrator if they are not.
Check that your biological safety cabinet has been certified within the past year. If you moved a biological safety cabinet into your new laboratory, it must be recertified prior to use. Contact EHRS at 215-898-4453 to request a certification.
Check that the internal gas connections in your incubators are intact.
Properly segregate liquid and solid chemicals into hazard classes (acids, caustics, flammables, oxidizers, water reactives, etc.) as described in the Chemical Hygiene Plan: Chemical Storage and Transportation.
Properly store all flammable liquids in fire rated cabinets. These cabinets are labeled "Flammable" and are typically found under the fume hood or can be free standing. No more than 10 gallons of flammable liquids may be stored outside of a fire rated cabinet.
Properly secure all compressed gas cylinders as described in the Chemical Hygiene Plan: Chemical Storage and Transportation.
Properly store and dispense hazardous gas cylinders as described in the following Hazardous Gas Guidelines: Handling and Dispensing of Hazardous Gas.
Familiarize yourself with the location of the autoclave(s) in your building.
Dispose of infectious waste according to your school's policy: Bilogical/ Infectious Waste Management.
Apply for a license to use radioactive materials as described in the following: Applications for RAM Licenses. Radiation Safety personnel will meet with you to go over requirements.
EHRS periodically inspects all research laboratories for compliance with Penn's Chemical Hygiene Plan and Biosafety Manual. Review the pre-audit checklist: Preaudit Questionnaire.
All laboratory personnel must complete initial Laboratory Safety training when hired and annual update training thereafter. All laboratory personnel who work with human source materials, HIV or Hepatitis B viruses must complete annual Bloodborne Pathogens training. Training information is available at: Training Program at EHRS.
Department of
Homeland Security's Chemical Facilities Anti-Terrorism Standards
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS)
recently promulgated an interim final rule that imposes comprehensive federal
security regulations for high-risk chemical facilities; the Chemical Facilities
Anti-Terrorism Standards require Penn to report possession of over 300 Chemicals
of Interest (COI) if any of the listed chemicals are possessed at or above a
specific regulatory limit called the Screening Threshold Quantity (STQ).
Penalties of up to $25,000/day are possible for violations of the rule. Because
of the very short timeline for compliance with the DHS mandate, February 29,
2008 is the deadline for reporting possession of any DHS listed chemicals to
Environmental Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS). The timely cooperation of
those who use or store chemicals is vital to achieving compliance with this
rule.
Process for
Compliance
In order to comply with the rule, a careful
review of chemicals used or stored throughout the university must be conducted,
except for School of Medicine
and School of Veterinary Medicine
buildings in Philadelphia. Faculty and other managers are
responsible for inventorying their labs/areas and reporting, to Environmental
Health and Radiation Safety (EHRS), the possession of DHS listed COIs in any
room or area for which they are responsible. To assure complete
inventories, rooms that do not have COIs must also be reported.
A two phase process was developed to gather and aggregate the information.
CFATS Inventory Form: List of Chemicals of Interest (COI)
[PDF]
(Use one
form for each building in which you use or store chemicals.)
Phase II -
Reporting
EHRS developed a website for entering COI
information for aggregation. This website must be used to report quantities, by
building and room(s), of any amount of COI’s. EHRS will aggregate the data and
submit any required reports to DHS.
Online submission website
[PennKey required]
If you need further assistance in setting up your new laboratory, please contact EHRS at 215-898-4453 or ehrs@ehrs.upenn.edu.