Category: EHSO
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Changes to the NIH Guidelines & Biosafety Training
On September 12th, 2012, the National Institutes of Health (NIH) published a revision to the NIH Guidelines that will go into effect on March 5th, 2013. The most significant change to the Guidelines was the incorporation of research involving synthetic nucleic acid molecules. Due to the inclusion of these experiments to the document, the NIH…
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Hazardous Waste Compliance for Laboratories
Federal regulations governing management of chemical waste are written and enforced with the goal of protecting our environment. EHSO interprets these very complex regulations and implements programs, such as the Laboratory Self-Inspection Program, that assist laboratories with compliance. The lab inspection process is a tool researchers should use to evaluate compliance with laboratory waste management.…
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Alternatives to Traditional Thermal Distillation
Distillation of organic solvents is a necessary part of academic research. Typically, researchers use the distillation process to remove water, oxygen, and other contaminants from organic solvents. This process can be hazardous for several reasons: Reactive metals are used as drying agents Many organic solvents are flammable, and the heat required in the distillation process…
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Holiday Hazardous Waste Collection Schedule
The Environmental Health and Safety Office will suspend the normal hazardous waste collection schedule from Friday December 21, until Wednesday, January 2. If there is a critical need for waste collection during this time period please call at (404) 727-5922 or e-mail at chemwaste@emory.edu. This suspension will not impact Emory University Hospital. The normal hazardous…
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Top Ten Findings from EHSO Laboratory Inspections
In the spring of this year, EHSO conducted beta-testing of the Scorecard Inspection Process. The Scorecard is a document that identifies the strengths and areas for improvement from an individual lab’s perspective and a overall department perspective. The process is designed to give the PI and the Department Chair a depiction of the safety culture…
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Is Your Lab Leaving Emory or Relocating to Another Location?
If so, prior to departing from your research space, all labs are requested to contact EHSO to schedule a Lab Decommissioning meeting. During this meeting, our office provides a comprehensive overview of the decommissioning process to discuss the safety requirements that apply to your lab move. Additionally, at the meeting, we assist with identifying the various waste streams…
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Hepatitis B Vaccination: What’s the big deal?
Hepatitis B is a viral infection of the liver. Being in research, I wager most readers know that. However, what many may not know is that Hepatitis B virus (HBV) can result in a chronic infection. People with chronic infections are more likely to pass the infection on to others. Also, some patients with chronic…