Safety

Emergency Info

  • Emergency Numbers: 100 or 617-253-1212
  • Emergency meeting place is in front of Building 68
  • Radioactivity records are in hallway
  • Emergency response contacts are in red & white flip charts near phones
  • Formal surprise safety inspections every 6 months

Safety Info

  • Hoods
  • Eyewash/eyewash bottles: Near every sink
  • Safety showers: In every room
  • Spill kits and fire extinguishers
  • No eating, drinking or applying cosmetics.
  • Four foot clearance in hallways at all times
  • Floor plans depicted in every room + evacuation route

Labeling and Storing Materials

  • Clear labels on all bottles
  • Caps on containers should be tight when not in use
  • No floor storage unless within secondary container (gray bins)
  • Avoid storing non-compatible containers together

Waste

Biohazard Waste

  • Solids (e.g. bacterial plates)
  • Biohazard waste containers
  • Fill out/attach yellow sticker when full
  • Tie up and leave in designated areas

Liquid Waste

  • Liquids (e.g. human cells, bacteria)
  • Small volumes – biohazard waste okay
  • Large volumes – sit in bleach 10 minutes → dispose in sink

Empty Bottles

  • Empty bottles (e.g. methanol)
  • Rinse with water, cross out label → dispose
  • No airing allowed

Liquid Chemical Waste

  • Store in designated containers in Satellite Accumulation Area (SAA)
  • Only one container per waste type permitted
  • Designate by filling out Red Card: Fill out date only when waste container is full. When full, see above for pick-up (w/in 3 days)
  • Must be kept in secondary container (gray bins)
  • Non-compatible waste must be kept separate

Radioactive Waste

  • Designated liquid and solid waste disposal areas
  • Fill out records by containers

Sharps

  • Sharps container labeled with red biohazard sticker
  • Pickup Thursday morning

Hazards

Biological Hazards

  • Tissue Culture: only BL2 facility in lab (all other rooms BL1)
  • Use of human cell lines
  • Use of ecotropic retroviruses and non-oncogenic lentiviruses
  • Lab equipment: Lab coats and gloves when working with human cells

Chemical Hazards

  • Flammable solvents
  • Nonflammable solvents
  • Permissible exposure limits (OSHA)/Threshold Limit Values (ACGIH) – see MSDS
  • Acids & Bases: Kept separate in secondary containers in acids/bases cabinet

Radioactive Hazards

  • Materials locked when not in use
  • Personal protective equipment – lab attire, shields
  • **Survey before and after procedure – Geiger counters (P32), wipe tests
  • Waste – see Waste Management Practices

Building/Equipment

Building, Equipment, or Temperature Issue

  • Call F-I-X-I-T, 617-253-4948
  • Start a work order on SAPweb. Under "Building Services" tab, click on "Repairs: Buildings" and cc abhughes@mit.edu
  • Contact Barry Hughes: 617-253-3168, abhughes@mit.edu

Glass Washers, Autoclaves, & Bio-Safety Cabinets

  • Contact Barry Hughes with room #, serial #, and description of the problem.
  • Barry's backup: Sarah Hufford, 617-324-2347, shufford@mit.edu

EHS

A/V or Computer Issues

Forms