Annual Research Laboratory Safety Survey

Eyewash stations are important pieces of equipment in a lab environment, intended to provide water directly to exposed areas in case of a splash of hazardous materials. They must be easily accessible and functional.  

Since these stations are not used frequently, any issue may not be noticed until the eyewash station is activated in the event of an incident. It is important to test the eyewash station on a regular weekly schedule to ensure that it is functioning appropriately. An eyewash testing log must be posted near the eyewash station to document testing.  

Resolution: Eyewashes need to be checked weekly – engage and run for 3 minutes.  Record checks in a weekly log.  Logs need to be saved for 2 years. Labs are free to make up their own log as long as it includes this info. If the log you use is not waterproof, it is recommended that you put it in a plastic page protector.

All chemicals, solutions, and containers in use must be labeled with the full name of the materials, in English, and legible, if there are any contents inside; even for common materials like water, PBS, or soap.  Abbreviations, lab-specific codes, or symbols that cannot be understood by outside responders are not acceptable labeling methods. Faded or illegible labels must be replaced as soon as noticed.   

Chemical waste containers must have Hazardous Waste tags listing the contents and ownership of the container, as soon as waste is first put into the container, or when the container is deemed to no longer be wanted, usable, or contents are expired. 

Resolution: Walk through your lab and make sure every container is properly labeled, replace ones that are no longer identifiable, and label all Hazardous Waste.

Proper hand washing and hygiene is important in the general environment, but even more so in a laboratory environment, where you may work with particularly hazardous materials. Even if you wore gloves while working, there may have been a pinhole leak or tear, or you may have contaminated your hands inadvertently while doffing your personal protective equipment. 

Resolution: Request additional soap and or paper towels through your usual custodial services method; whether that is talking to your custodian or submitting a work request. Keep an eye on your supplies at every sink.

Poorly maintained, cluttered, and disorganized areas can lead to unsafe conditions, increasing the likelihood of spills, making any incident response more complicated, and potentially blocking egress routes. This finding may also be applied to non-experimental biological growth, such as mold in temperature-controlled rooms, fungal growths in vacuum flasks, and keeping of household plants in lab areas. 

Resolution: Keep benchtops, walkways, and egress routes clear. Put away hazardous materials that are not in active use. Clearly label and organize ongoing experiments. Remove tripping hazards, including removing or securing cords. Pick up trash/ discarded gloves/ lab supplies from the floor.  

All paper products/ cardboard should be removed from cold rooms – these are food sources for mold spores and facilitate mold growth.  Add bleach to vacuum flasks to eliminate fungal growth.  Vacuum flasks should be cleaned regularly to prevent media crystallization/ solidification.  Plants not involved in experiments are not allowed in the lab (see CDC BMBL).

Compressed gas cylinders present physical hazards due to the energy contained within as well as the physical weight of each cylinder. They may also be hazardous due to their contents. They may contain flammable gases, oxidizers, oxygen displacers, and cryogens. It is very important that they are properly secured, stored only with other compatible materials, and care taken with transport and usage. 

Resolution: Secure all gas cylinders with proper chains/ straps.  Loose chains need to be tightened.  Do not secure tanks around their necks.  No more than 6 tanks allowed per chain.  Cap all tanks when not in use. Cylinders must be transported on appropriate cylinder carts and appropriately secured in the cart. 

Chemical storage can be complicated; each lab has a different inventory and different storage capabilities. Many research labs find it easiest to store chemicals alphabetically, but this often results in incompatible chemicals being stored too close to each other. In the event of a spill or accident, storage of incompatible chemicals can result in undesirable and hazardous reactions.  

Your research personnel are often the subject matter experts on using these chemicals, but you can reach out to your safety office for more guidance on chemical storage.  

Resolution: A good starting place is any pictograms or safety information on your chemical containers. Whether the current GHS pictograms or older pictograms, they can help you start sorting your chemicals. It is important to review any safety information provided with your chemical containers, as well as their safety data sheet (SDS).  

All containers labeled as corrosives should be stored in corrosives storage cabinets (not metal). Corrosives may be acids or bases; if you have both, make sure they are separated from each other by appropriate secondary containers. If you have multiple acids or multiple bases, separate the organics (generally containing carbon) from the inorganics (generally not containing carbon).  

All flammables (represented by a flame pictogram) should be stored in flammable storage cabinets, away from corrosives, and certainly away from oxidizers, which are represented by a flame over a circle.  

Containers that display multiple pictograms (for example flammable, corrosive, oxidizer all together) should be stored on their own away from other chemicals or materials they can react with. Look up safety information individually for these materials and store accordingly.  

Any containers that have the explosive pictogram should be stored separately from other containers; consult the SDS or the safety office for guidance. Pay attention to any special storage considerations written on the label or SDS, such as a specific storage temperature, whether the material must be kept wet, as well as any expiration dates.  

Do not store corrosives or flammables under the sink with bleach.  

Oxidizing and flammable gas cylinders must be segregated from each other and only kept in limited quantities.  

Chemical waste needs to be placed in appropriate secondary containment and placed in your satellite accumulation area (SAA).

This finding generally refers to how the chemical containers are managed. See the incompatible chemical finding for guidance on what containers may be stored in proximity to each other. Chemical containers must not be stacked on each other, tilted, or stored in such a way that breakage or a spill may occur.   

Resolution: Ensure that chemical containers are not stacked on top of each other, tilted, on their sides, or at risk of a fall or breakage.

It is best practice to elevate electrical equipment, power supplies, and surge protectors above the floor, to mitigate risk in the event of a flood or other water damage.  

Resolution: Review all surge protectors and power supplies. Elevate off the floor, at least 12”. 

Biological or chemical spills cannot be cleaned from cloth chairs – if a spill occurs, the chairs will need to be discarded.  Vinyl-covered chairs are easy to wipe down and clean as needed (see CDC BMBL). 

Resolution: Replace cloth chairs at the benchtop and at any biosafety cabinet locations.

Resolution: Dispose of all sharps in an appropriate, labeled sharps container. Any razors, needles, or scalpels not yet intended for disposal must be secured in a hard plastic or metal container and be visible and conspicuous. For example, do not store exposed razors blades at the edges of wall shelving.