¶¡ÏãÔ°AV

From:                              Environmental Health and Safety

Sent:                               Tuesday, September 6, 2022 10:19 AM

Cc:                                   'lab_safe@sfu.ca'

Subject:                          Fall 2022 Lab Safety Training Schedule & EHS Research & Laboratory Safety Bulletin

 

This email has been sent to various ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV laboratory management and safety contacts. Please share this email with your respective department and lab contacts.

 

EHS RESEARCH & LABORATORY SAFETY BULLETIN

Fall 2022

 

 

TABLE OF CONTENTS

1. Fall 2022 Laboratory Safety Training
2. Safety News and Updates
3. Research & Laboratory Safety Resources
 

 

1. Fall 2022 Laboratory Safety Training

Register online for lab safety training. Courses available include safety essentials, laboratory safety, biosafety, radiation safety training, and laser safety training. Find also EHS refresher training courses and courses for principal investigators that are available year round.
 

 

 

FALL 2022 SAFETY TRAINING

 

Course

Description

Who is this course for?

Date(s) & Time(s)

Location

Safety Essentials Training

 

Three online modules (¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Safety Orientation, Electrical Safety & Fire Safety) + Canvas quiz + an in-person fire extinguisher training session (approx. 45 minutes).

Everyone working in a lab

Online self-paced

Fire extinguisher training date TBA - provincial fire ban still in effect

Online via Canvas

Fire extinguisher training location stated in Canvas.

Laboratory Safety Training

Online modules covering WHMIS, safety responsibilities, laboratory hazards, emergency response, exposure routes and control, hazardous waste disposal, ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV hazardous inventory system, chemical storage, laboratory apparatus safety, cryogenics & compressed gas safety, and laboratory glass safety + an in-person practical lab safety training session (approx. 1 hour).

Anyone working in a lab area that has chemicals

(including bleach, ethanol, compressed gas, etc.)

Online self- paced





Practical In-person component

(60-minute 
 session).

Offered September 12 to 15 (Burnaby) &  September 19 (Surrey).

Online via Canvas


One-hour in-person sessions in Shrum Chemistry C8055 (Burnaby) and SRYC 2780 (Surrey).



 

 

Biosafety Training

Online modules covering administrative and practical aspects of the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Biosafety Program + Canvas quiz

Anyone working with biohazardous materials

Online self-paced

 

Online via Canvas

Radiation Safety Training

 

 

 

 

 

*Registration deadline: 12 PM on Friday September 16 
 

·         online lectures on ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Canvas

·         online tutorial via ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Zoom

·         one hour in-person practical training in a lab

 

Written quiz + canvas quiz

 

Attendance to all 3 sessions are mandatory to pass the course.

Anyone using open or sealed sources of radioactivity

Lecture + Laboratory modules on Canvas open from September 5, 2022

 

Tutorial session on Friday September 23 at 11 AM via Zoom

Lecture is Online via Canvas






Tutorial is Online via Zoom

Radiation Safety Practical Training
on Wednesday September 21; sessions at 10 AM and 1 PM

One-hour in-person session in Shrum Biology B7249

Radiation Safety Refresher Training

Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link )

Anyone using open or sealed sources of radioactivity and has previously taken the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Radiation Safety Training Course listed above.

Open enrollment year-round

Online via Canvas

Radiation Safety Training for Sealed Sources and Portable Gauges

Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link )

Anyone using sealed sources of radioactivity and portable gauges

Open enrollment year-round

Online via Canvas

X-ray Safety Training

Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link )

 

Anyone using X-ray generating equipment (e.g. X-ray diffractometers, X-ray fluorescence guns, X-ray imaging equipment)

Open enrollment year-round

 

Online via Canvas

Laser Safety Training

Online module + Canvas quiz (self-enroll link here)

Anyone working with or near lasers

Online self-paced 

Practical session via Zoom (dates TBA)

Online via Canvas



 


LABORATORY SAFETY TRAININGS- SUPERVISORS AND PI'S
 

Course

Description

Who is this course for?

Date(s) & Time(s)

Location

 

Biosafety Training for PIs

 

Online training module + quiz on canvas (self-enroll link )

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Biosafety permit holders

Open-enrollment, year-round

Online via Canvas

 

Radiation Safety Training for PIs

 

Online training module + quiz on canvas (self-enroll link )

Radiation Safety permit holders

Open-enrollment, year-round

Online via Canvas

 

Supervisor Safety Training

 

Online training module + quiz on canvas (self-enroll link )

Supervisors, managers, PIs

Open-enrollment, year-round

Online via Canvas

 

Respectful Working and Learning Environment

Online training module + quiz on canvas (self-enroll link )

Supervisors, managers, PIs

Open-enrollment, year-round

Online via Canvas

 

 

 

2. Safety News & Updates

New and Updated Training Modules and Resource Documents from EHS

'High Hazard' Tag Feature in the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Online Hazard Inventory System
Following the Chemical Round-up campaign earlier this year, wherein over 200 expired, unknown, and/or potentially explosive chemicals were identified and disposed, a new feature has been added to the
. Chemicals in the online inventory can now be tagged as explosive, peroxides, peroxide-formers, and pyrophoric. 
A change to the Laboratory Safety Practical Training has also been made to highlight the importance of following safe chemical storage guidelines and awareness of peroxide-forming compounds.

Exposure Control Plan (ECP) and SOP template for Carcinogens, Reproductive Toxins, and Sensitizers

EHS is pleased to announce two new resources in support of working safely with carcinogens, reproductive toxins and sensitizers.  Examples of these classes of substances which are common in campus laboratories include: acrylamide, chloroform, dichloromethane, formaldehyde, tetrahydrofuran and toluene.

The Exposure Control Plan for carcinogens, reproductive toxins and sensitizers provides the key requirements for working with these substances and the accompanying Safe Operating Procedure template can be customized with laboratory-specific content to support safe practices in the laboratory.

An excellent tool that can assist with identifying carcinogens, reproductive toxins and sensitizers is the new . Use it to search for chemicals by chemical name, CAS number, by formula or by synonym. It works well on mobile devices.

Mercury Thermometer Swap Initiative
Following multiple incidents of mercury thermometers breaking and the subsequent mercury spill cleanups, EHS has launched a campaign to identify the remaining mercury thermometers in ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV and to swap them with mercury-free thermometers free of charge.
To date, over 50 mercury thermometers have been identified and removed from labs. The campaign is ongoing. To participate, please visit
this link.

Reminder: If a mercury spill occurs, please contact EHS. A mercury spill kit is available with EHS.
See
here for info on mercury thermometer spill cleanups.

 

 

 

 

3. Safety Reminders

 

Double check that your Fume hood is actually working

If you plan on working with a highly hazardous substance in the fume hood, where you are completely reliant on the fume hood functioning properly for safety, do double-check to ensure that the fume hood is fully functional with sufficient air flow. This is especially applicable to older fume hoods that do not have modern air flow alarms.

  • Review the electronic air flow monitor on your fume hood.
  • In addition, a visual test can be performed with a small piece of lightweight material (e.g., Kim wipe) affixed to the bottom of the fume hood sash. Visually check for sufficient inward directional air flow.
  • If you notice any issues with your fume hood, close the sash, report the issue to Facilities Services, and post a sign stating that the fume hood is awaiting repairs.
  • See the guidelines for safe fume hood operation.

Keep Lab Doors Closed and Locked, if unoccupied
Laboratory doors are to be kept closed (do not prop them open) and locked, if unoccupied. Unlocked and unoccupied labs are considered a serious security concern. Not only is there a possibility of biological agents, radioactive substances, and hazardous chemicals being removed from the lab, but personal items and lab equipment could be stolen.

Do not disassemble lab equipment

  • Laboratory equipment must not be disassembled or otherwise taken part. Equipment components may include highly toxic substances, radiation sources, etc.
  • Only skilled and trained professionals are authorized to disassemble laboratory equipment.
  • Contact EHS if you are considering decommissioning and/or disassembling laboratory equipment. See the Decommissioning web page for more info.

Tap water in laboratories and shop areas is not potable

  • Machine shop water sources, laboratory water sources, and deionized laboratory water are considered non-potable and should not be used as drinking water.

 

 

About EHS

The Environmental Health & Safety department provides educational, technical and advisory services to the ¶¡ÏãÔ°AV community by working collaboratively with academic, research and service units to minimize and mitigate safety, health and environmental risks.
 

 

 

 

 

¶¡ÏãÔ°AV Environmental Health and Safety

8888 University Drive

Burnaby, B.C. V5A 1S6