Tag: research safety
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Flammable Chemicals and Refrigerator Storage
Recently, there was a refrigerator explosion on Emory’s main campus that was caused by storing flammables in a conventional refrigerator. Luckily, no one was around during the time of the explosion, but this incident serves as a reminder that flammables should never be stored in non-approved refrigerators or freezers. A flammable liquid is defined by OSHA as “having…
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Hazardous Materials Shipping Label Changes
Per DOT regulations, the Class 6 Infectious Substance label and the Class 9 Miscellaneous Hazard label have been updated. Effective October 1, 2014, commercial carriers have switched to new labels. Only trained personnel are permitted to ship hazardous materials, including dry ice. CLASS 6 INFECTIOUS SUBSTANCE LABEL For Class 6 Infectious Substance labels, the text “In U.S.A.…
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EPA and Georgia EPD Inspections
Hazardous materials that result from laboratory operations must be managed safely and in compliance with State of Georgia rules and regulations. EHSO has recently been notified that the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and Georgia Environmental Protection Division (GA EPD) are conducting unannounced inspections of universities and other entities in our area to ensure compliance with…
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Do You Know How to Use a Fire Extinguisher?
Fire extinguishers are provided to the labs in the event that a small fire develops. A small fire can be defined as “trash can-sized” or an incipient stage fire. All Emory-owned buildings are equipped with ABC-Combination extinguishers. ABC-rated, multipurpose, dry powder extinguishers are the most common on campus, particularly in the corridors of the academic…
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Sharps Safety Reminder for Working in DAR
Each year EHSO conducts inspections of the Animal Facilities on campus. While conducting inspections within DAR, we observed recapped needles within the sharps containers. We also observed syringes inside of the regular trash cans. EHSO requires lab personnel to properly dispose of sharps in the laboratory and also within the animal facility. The purpose of this practice is…
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GA Department of Natural Resources (GA DNR) Inspection Update
In June of this year, GA DNR visited Emory’s campus for an inspection regarding our Radioactive Materials License. The recent inspection of Emory by GA DNR identified one deficiency in our practices. GA DNR requires those who supervise radioactivity users to have documentation of completed refresher training in order to maintain compliance with the Radiation…
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Laboratory Self-Inspection Corrective Action Plan
Each year, the Environmental Health and Safety Office (EHSO) requires all Emory labs to conduct a laboratory self inspection. The Self-Inspection is a method we use to enable labs to become more familiar with safety requirements. We also want to improve the labs’ ability to proactively address common safety issues. Labs in each research building…