Lab Safety
Safety Training
All persons, including volunteers, working in a laboratory at the University of Alaska Museum of the North (UAMN) must take a set of lab safety training courses. These lab safety training courses are available through a variety of websites. To help UAMN staff and volunteers complete these lab safety training courses, a series of training checklists have been created. All persons working or volunteering for the UAMN are required to complete and sign an appropriate training checklist. This checklist also needs to be signed by a Department Head and turned in to Operations. Download the appropriate training checklist by visiting the Training Page.
Incident Reporting Procedures and Emergency Action Plan (EAP)
All laboratory personnel at the UAMN must be familiar with the various University of Alaska, University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), and Environmental Health, Safety, and Risk Management (EHSRM) incident reporting procedures. Additionally, all laboratory personnel must be familiar with the procedures outlined in the Museum's EAP. Please visit the Policies, Procedures, and Protocols Page to review the various incident reporting procedures and to download a copy of the Museum's EAP.
Note: Becoming familiar with the Museum's EAP is a required training course for all UAMN staff members and volunteers. This training must be retaken annually.
Standard Operating Procedures (SOP)
SOP's provide step-by-step instructions to help laboratory personnel complete complex or routine jobs. A well-written SOP should have clear step-by-step instructions, reduce the potential for miscommunication between laboratory personnel, and make sure that each job is complying with all safety regulations. Each laboratory should have a series of SOPs for each job that is performed in that laboratory. If you are unable to locate these documents, request them from your Supervisor.
Department not have SOP's? EHSRM has created a template laboratories can use to create their own SOP's. Visit EHSRM's Chemical Hygiene Plan Page to learn how to create a SOP for the lab.
Job Hazard Analysis (JHA)
JHAs are similar to SOPs in that they both detail the steps required to complete a job. The difference is, instead of providing detailed instructions on how to complete a job, a JHA details the safety hazards associated with completing each step of a job and what the person performing the job should do to mitigate those safety hazards. Things such as training that should be taken, what personal protective equipment (PPE) should be worn, and where the job should be completed (i.e in a fume hood or on a work bench) are all detailed in a JHA. Each laboratory should have a series of JHAs for each job that is performed in that laboratory. If you are unable to locate these documents, request them from your Supervisor.
Department not have JHAs? EHSRM has created a template laboratories can use to create their own JHAs. Visit EHSRM's JHA Page to learn how to create a JHA for the lab.
Chemical Inventories and Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
Many laboratories at the UAMN use hazardous chemicals to complete various jobs. Each laboratory at the UAMN should have a current and up-to-date inventory of all the chemicals used. EHSRM provides access to the Environmental Health and Safety Assistant program to help laboratories compile and keep their chemical inventories up to date. Please visit EHSRM's Chemical Inventory Page to learn how to use this program.
Each hazardous chemical found in the inventory must be accompanied by a corresponding SDS (formally called MSDS). A SDS contains important safety information regarding a hazardous chemical, such as: first-aid measures, proper handling and storage of the chemical, accidental release and firefighting measures, and other useful regulatory information. All laboratory personnel should be familiar with the SDS for each hazardous chemical they are using to complete a job. Most SDS's are shipped with the chemical when they are purchased. If a SDS was not provided, request it from the company or search for it online. EHSRM also provides some additional SDS resources on their Safety Data Sheets Page.
Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP)
The CHP outlines the purpose of each hazardous chemical found in the laboratory, as well as what laboratory procedures they are used in and how they should be handled and stored. The CHP is a department-specific document, meaning that each department at the UAMN will have a different CHP. All UAMN laboratory personnel must be familiar with the CHP for the department they work or volunteer for. If you are unable to locate this document, request it from your Supervisor.
Department not have a CHP? EHSRM has created a template laboratories can use to create their own CHP. Visit EHSRM's CHP Page to learn how to create a CHP for the lab.
Department have hazardous waste that needs to be disposed of? Use the Environmental Health and Safety Assistant program found on EHSRM's Waste Pickup Request Page to properly dispose of any hazardous waste.
Additional Resources
EHSRM Hearing Conservation Page
EHSRM Occupational Health Services Page
EHSRM Personal Protective Equipment Page
EHSRM Hazard Communication GHS Page