Might want to add some reminders here for common problems as well as some general safety tips.
From: Steven Lee
Sent: Thursday, January 15, 2009 4:59 PM
To: Seunghwan Lee
We found a few SAA issues again. We found some containers dated 1/6/09 on our 1/13/09 pick up. We did not see those containers on our previous pick ups on 1/6/09 and 1/8/09. Please note that we only allowed three days from the full date to move full container of hazardous waste from SAA to Main Accumulations Area, this means that your group members will need to promptly date the full containers in order for us to comply with Federal and State hazardous waste regulations.
Also please pay particular attention to filling out the yellow hazardous waste stickers. We found a few stickers without its "Hazards" marked on the sticker and please remember that abbreviation or chemical formulas are not allowed on the yellow hazardous waste stickers. All yellow hazardous waste stickers must be have completed chemical name and all items on the stickers must be completed by the generator.
If you need me to go over proper SAA set up, please let me know and I will come up and talk with you about SAA requirements. It is also essential for you to talk about this at your next laboratory staff meeting.
It is absolutely essential for the lab to adhere to these requirements closely, since stiff fines have been levied to labs that do not follow these strict requirements. Thanks.
Sent: Jan 9, 2009 5:01 PM
Subject: Safety Issues
From Steve
I have observed a few very serious safety issues in laboratory 252. One of the issues is the crowded entrance/exit to laboratory area 252. Since this laboratory has only one exit and entrance, we need to keep the area open in case of an emergency. I observed two additional large liquid nitrogen tanks that not only narrowed the entrance/exit area, but also blocked the emergency equipment area for emergency eye wash and shower as well as fire extinguisher. Please move the two large liquid nitrogen tanks out of that area ASAP. Thanks.
Few other issues I saw is that I have observed a few overfilled 8 gallon sharps containers (benches G and E). Please remember we do not want to have anything sticking out of the sharps container and secondly, sharps container should have the top cover closed after use. Please note that we will no longer carry any 8 gallon sharps containers in favor of the large 17 gallon reusable sharps containers due to recent regulatory changes. I will forward the e-mail I sent not so long ago. I would suggest passing my e-mail (which I will forward after this e-mail) out to everyone who will be packing and organizing sharps containers and biohazardous waste boxes. Please also note that I observed one overfilled biohazardous waste box at bench I. Please seal and request to have that box removed ASAP.
Below are items that are considered sharps:
-Hypodermic needles
-Pasteur pipettes -glass or plastic
-Scalpel blades/razor blades
-Microtome knives
-Suture needles
-Contaminated broken glass
-Razor blades
-Syringes
-Glass pipettes like serological pipettes
-Serological pipettes - plastic - not really consider sharps, but we want
you to dispose of it as sharps.