Recommended Procedures for Donning and Doffing PPE for Cleanrooms and Containment Labs
Good Neighbors: Avoiding chemical incompatibility issues
Here is a statistic that jumped out at us recently: improper storage of chemicals account for nearly 25% of all chemical accidents.
Healthy Habitats: Indoor Environmental Quality considerations for construction or renovation
A number of months ago we wrote about parameters to consider during the design of new facilities.
Computers have revolutionized our lives. How many hours a day do you average sitting in front of one?
Too Hot to Handle: A basic autoclave safety program
By following our simple three step program of training, testing/monitoring/maintenance, and recordkeeping, you can avoid mishaps and potential significant damage or injury.
Disinfection Dilemma: Safe use of liquid sporicidal sterilants
A popular product of non-bleach disinfectants used for cleanrooms and biosafety cabinets is the class of liquid sporicidal disinfectants.
Breathing Easy: Keeping tabs on indoor air quality
Even with a wealth of information and today’s sophisticated HVAC systems, indoor air quality issues arise due to many different reasons.
Sterilize Safely: EtO Sterilization Concerns
The focus of this article is ethylene oxide (abbreviated as EtO or less commonly EO), a frequently used and potentially dangerous sterilizing agent.
Breathing Room: Design considerations for indoor environmental quality
The following recommendations have been culled from years of dealing with IEQ complaints. More often than not the problem is traced back to poor design and ends up costing lots of money for renovations.
Spine Tingling: Avoid Back Injuries Through Proper Lifting
There are some things that make your spine tingle that are exciting and good for you, but more often than not, if you experience a tingling in your back it is a sign of something bad.
Nothing to Sneeze About: Laboratory Animal Allergens
If you work with laboratory research animals you probably know that animal allergies are still one of the most common health hazards faced each day.
Fired Up! Safely Storing Flammables
Some tips and rules of thumb for safe storage of flammables in the lab.
All Hands on Deck: a primer on protective gloves
Given the myriad of glove types and materials it is imperative that both employees and supervisors know which gloves are suitable for the task at hand (no pun intended).
Get a Whiff: Recognizing, evaluating, and controlling potential exposures to anesthetic gases
Anesthetic agents pose a potential exposure concern. In this article, we discuss who is at risk, the most commonly used agents and their health effects, signs and symptoms of exposure, how to determine if your anesthesia operations present exposure concerns, and, finally, what to do to minimize or eliminate exposures.
Discussion on the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) hazard diamond, sometimes referred to as the fire diamond, and how to decipher the information it contains.
Making Sense of MSDS – the Foundation of Safe Chemical Management
A few months ago an entirely preventable tragedy occurred when a UCLA research assistant was burned over 43% of her body and died eighteen days later in a hospital burn unit.
The Safety Guys offer a few basic tips on safe use of cutting instruments and preventing accidents and close calls.
Stay Cool, No Pressure: Safe Use of Cryogenic Materials
Cryogens are similar to other broad classes of chemicals. As with other chemicals in the lab, it should go without saying that the MSDS should be reviewed and SOPs developed for inclusion in your chemical hygiene plan.
Tidy Up! Managing Chemicals in the Animal Laboratory
This column will provide fundamental information on managing chemicals in animal research facilities and offer initial suggestions and guidance for proper chemical handling.
Seeing Red? UV Exposures in the Workplace
Hazards of UV do not distinguish between work and home, and the exposure guidelines for the general public for sun exposure are certainly applicable to the workplace as well.
Take the LEED®: Prevent Indoor Air Quality Issues After New Construction or Renovations
Indoor air quality, and in a broader sense and perhaps more accurately, indoor environmental quality, IEQ, has risen to the top of the list for worker complaints over the last decade.