Lab Manager Magazine®

Articles Authored by James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.

Encourage Caring About One’s Health and Safety

Published: May 8 2013

Employees, faculty, staff, and students need to be encouraged to develop a genuine concern about their own health and safety. It’s too easy to care less and become careless.

Develop a Safety Orientation Program

Published: April 8 2013

All new employees, students, faculty, and staff should receive

a specially designed introduction to your safety program.

Organize a Safety Committee

Published: March 7 2013

Your department should have a safety committee. Academic institutions and companies should all have safety committees. The committees should consist of employees, supervisors, faculty, staff, administration, and students.

Have a Written Safety Policy

Published: January 25 2013

This is the cornerstone of a good safety program. It’s a statement endorsed and supported by the administration that speaks to the fundamental responsibilities for health and safety in the academic institution or company.

Safety Tip: Learning How to Be Safe is an Integral and Important Part of Your Work

Published: December 6 2012

For too many years at academic institutions and some companies, health, safety and the environment have been something extra. It’s time that it becomes part of the process. At Dow, we were told that we were being paid to do three things: (1) work safely, (2) conduct active research programs, and (3) publish the reports and patent disclosures resulting from our research. Safety was part of the job—not something extra.

Maintain a Chemical Inventory to Avoid Purchasing Unnecessary Quantities

Published: November 9 2012

One school accumulated 20 five-pound bottles of mercury. Each year they ordered from the same list that they had used the year before! Not a good idea. You need to know what you have, where it’s located, and who’s responsible for it.

Develop a Program for Dating Stored Chemicals and for Recertifying or Discarding Them

Published: October 4 2012

Some chemicals have a short life expectancy. Others will remain good for a long time. Solvents that form peroxides are one example of substances requiring periodic testing. Ethers, vinyl compounds, alcohols, ketones, and aldehydes are some of the

Develop Plans and Conduct Drills for Dealing with Emergencies Poisoning, Release, and Personal Contamination

Published: July 9 2012

Add to that bleeding, burns, medical situations, electric shock, and weather emergencies. The only good way to prepare for an emergency situation is to think through how you should respond and then practice doing it correctly. Regular drills and

Provide Secure, Adequately Spaced, Well Ventilated Storage of Chemicals

Published: June 6 2012

In academic institutions, the most serious issue is the restriction of access to hazardous chemicals to appropriate personnel. Students and others will steal chemicals. Keep the door to the storeroom locked and only allow authorized people to get

Develop a System for the Legal, Safe and Ecologically Acceptable Disposal of Chemical Waste

Published: May 9 2012

We recommend the establishment of a chemical management system. This system provides for the safe procurement, storage, use and disposal of chemicals. The system begins with the assumption of responsibility. Management needs to have written

Remove All Electrical Connections From Inside Chemical Refrigerators and Require Magnetic Closures

Published: April 6 2012

Standard refrigerators should not be used for storage of flammable or reactive chemicals. Electrical connections within the refrigerator can be an ignition source for flammable vapors. In fact, it’s been reported that there are nearly a dozen

Require All Staff Members to Read Appropriate Safety Manuals, Sign a Rules Agreement and Keep Statements on File

Published: March 2 2012

Following this procedure does several things. It forces you to decide what the rules and policies are going to be, shows everyone that you are concerned about health and safety, and keeps a permanent record of your safety standards. This

Label All Chemicals

Published: January 19 2012

Label All Chemicals to Show the Name of the Material, the Nature and Degree of Hazard, the Appropriate Precautions, and the Name of the Person Responsible for the Container Don’t leave a booby trap for another person. Make sure that all con

Require Grounded Plugs on All Electrical Equipment

Published: December 9 2011

Require Grounded Plugs on All Electrical Equipment and Install Ground Fault Interrupters (Gfi’s) Where Appropriate The National Safety Council reports that about 1000 people are electrocuted each year in the United States. In 2005, a biology profe

Provide an Appropriate Supply of First Aid Equipment and Instruction on its Proper Use

Published: November 4 2011

There are some emergencies that can’t wait five minutes for EMTs to arrive. Severe bleeding is one of these. A person can bleed to death in three to five minutes depending on the severity. Employees need to be available to deal effectively with t

Maintain a Centrally Located Departmental Safety Library

Published: October 7 2011

One of the characteristics of an effective safety program is the availability of reference and resource materials. Employees need to have easy access to this information. Your chemical hygiene plan, your material safety data sheets, and other refe

Provide Fire Extinguishers, Safety Showers, Eye Wash Fountains, First Aid Kits, Fire Blankets and Fume Hoods

Published: September 2 2011

Fire extinguishers need to be appropriate to the type of fire. Type A fires form an ash. A water extinguisher is for fires involving burning wood or paper. Type B fires consist of boiling liquids like oil and grease. Carbon dioxide is an extinguisher

Safety Tip: Allocate a Portion of the Departmental Budget to Safety

Published: July 15 2011

The establishment of a separate accounting line for environmental, health and safety related purchases is essential. This allows you to clearly track monies expended for this purpose. It also reduces the likelihood that budget reductions in other are

Safety Tip: Develop Specific Work Practices for Individual Experiments

Published: June 7 2011

This simple idea preceded by 15 years the requirements of the OSHA Lab Standard for “Standard Operating Procedures,” “Control Measures” and “Special Provisions for Working with Particularly Hazardous Substances.” T

Safety Tip: Use Warning Signs to Designate Particular Hazards

Published: May 9 2011

The use of warning signs to designate particular hazards is not just a good idea. It’s the law. The OSHA Laboratory Standard 29CFR1910.1450 requires that those areas in which particularly hazardous substances

Forbid Smoking, Eating and Drinking in the Laboratory

Published: April 28 2011

The practice of forbidding smoking, eating, and drinking in laboratories is one of the basic good hygiene practices. Unfortunately, it is often one of the most frequently disregarded. Too many people seem to have a "good reason" for continuing...

Precautions for Unattended Experiments

Published: February 2 2011

There are surely going to be times when experiments must continue running on their own while you do other things (go to lunch, or go home to sleep).

Lab Safety Audits Exposed

Published: January 11 2011

A summary of recommendations based on audit and inspection reports, along with some general lab safety recommendations, provide a broad overview of the types of issues raised during safety consultations.

What are the Worst Possible Things that Could go Wrong?

Published: June 25 2009

What kinds of emergency situations can you anticipate? Answering these four questions can help you identify problems before beginning an experiment.

Develop a System for the Legal, Safe, and Ecologically Acceptable Disposal of Chemical Wastes

Published: January 12 2009

We recommend the establishment of a chemical management system. This system provides for the safe procurement, storage, use, and disposal of chemicals. The system begins with the assumption of responsibility. Management needs to have written policies

Require Grounded Plugs on All Electrical Equipment and Install Ground Fault Interrupters (GFI'S) Where Appropriate

Published: November 21 2008

OSHA specifies that all equipment in the workplace be grounded to avoid shock and possible electrocution.

Provide an Appropriate Supply of First Aid Equipment and Instruction on its Proper Use

Published: November 9 2008

There are some emergencies which can't wait five minutes for EMT's to arrive.

Label All Chemicals

Published: October 28 2008

Chemicals should be labeled to show the name of the material, the nature and degree of hazard, the appropriate precautions, and the name of the person responsible for the container.

Remove All Electrical Connections from Inside Chemical Refrigerators and Require Magnetic Closures

Published: October 13 2008

Standard refrigerators should not be used for storage of flammable or reactive chemicals.

Provide Guards on All Vacuum Pumps and Secure All Compressed Gas Cylinders

Published: September 29 2008

Compressed gas cylinders need to be chained in place during storage, transportation, and use.

Maintain a Centrally Located Departmental Safety Library

Published: September 10 2008

One of the characteristics of an effective safety program is the availability of reference and resource materials.

Provide Fire Extinguishers, Safety Showers, Eye Wash Fountains, First Aid Kits, Fire Blankets, and Fume Hoods in each Lab

Published: August 29 2008

Not only should these items be provided but they should be test or checked monthly.

Provide Adequate Supplies of Personal Protective Equipment

Published: August 18 2008

Employers are responsible for providing personal protective equipment (PPE) such as safety glasses, goggles, face shields, gloves, lab coats, and bench top shields. Employees are responsible for using these devices.

Require the Use of Appropriate Eye Protection at All Times in Labs and Areas where Chemicals are Transported

Published: July 21 2008

Appropriate eye protection is defined by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Z-87.1 standard. The most current edition is 1989.

Allocate a Portion of the Departmental Budget to Safety

Published: July 9 2008

The establishment of a separate accounting line for safety and health related purchases is essential. This allows you to clearly track monies expended for this purpose.

Develop Specific Work Practices for Individual Experiments

Published: June 25 2008

While the Lab Standard does not require specific work practices for individual experiments, it does stipulate that employers generate a list of recognized good practices which lab workers are expected to follow,

Require Good Housekeeping Practices in all Areas

Published: June 11 2008

Good housekeeping is one of the foundations of good safety practice.

Use Warning Signs to Designate Particular Hazards

Published: May 28 2008

The use of warning signs to designate particular hazards is not just a good idea it's the law.

Avoid Purchasing Unnecessary Quantities of Chemicals

Published: May 14 2008

One school accumulated 20 five-pound bottles of mercury. Each year they ordered from the same list used the year before! Not a good idea.

Store Incompatible Chemicals Separately

Published: April 30 2008

The proper storage of chemicals has become a focal point of laboratory safety. We need to keep chemicals which are incompatible separated some reasonable distance from each other.

Keep Emergency Phone Numbers Next to Every Phone

Published: April 16 2008

In an emergency, you tend to forget even the most common things. Having emergency phone numbers for the fire, police, and local ambulance by every phone is a very important reminder.

Planning for Emergencies

Published: April 2 2008

It's important to develop plans and conduct drills for dealing with emergencies such as fire, explosion, poisoning, chemical spill, vapor release, and personal contamination.

Do Not Store Food in Chemical Refrigerators

Published: March 19 2008

Prohibiting the storage of food in chemical refrigerators is one of the basic rules of good practice.

Forbid Smoking, Eating, and Drinking in the Laboratory

Published: March 5 2008

The practice of forbidding smoking, eating, and drinking in laboratories is one of the basic good hygiene practices.

Limit Amounts of Flammable Liquids

Published: February 20 2008

There seems to be a special law of nature that leads to the accumulation of chemicals in laboratories.

Extend the Safety Program Beyond the Lab

Published: February 6 2008

The effectiveness of safety programs depends on their ability to motivate people to care about their health and safety.

Require that all Accidents be Reported

Published: January 23 2008

Not only should it be required that all accidents or incidents be reported, they should also be evaluated by the departmental safety committee and discussed at departmental safety meetings.

What are the worst possible things that could go wrong?

Published: January 16 2008

When conducting experiments with hazards or potential hazards, ask yourself these four questions...

Forbid Working Alone in the Lab

Published: December 19 2007

Working alone is a bad idea. It's an open invitation to tragedy. The legal consequences can be equally serious.

Discuss Health and Safety When Teaching

Published: December 5 2007

Providing instruction in the safety hazards, appropriate precautions, and potential emergency procedures is a faculty duty under the law.

Schedule Regular Departmental Safety Meetings to Discuss the Results of Inspections and other Aspects of Laboratory Safety

Published: November 7 2007

Safety meetings are an integral part of a good safety program. You need to have a time when you and your colleagues can get together and focus on safety issues.