Laboratory Standard Operating Procedure
Laboratory Safety
All students must read and understand the information in this document with regard to laboratory safety and emergency procedures prior to the first laboratory session. Your personal laboratory safety depends mostly on YOU. Effort has been made to address situations that may pose a hazard in the lab but the information and instructions provided cannot be considered all-inclusive.
Students must adhere to written and verbal safety instructions throughout the academic term. Since additional instructions may be given at the beginning of laboratory sessions, it is important that all students arrive at each session on time.
With good judgement, the chance of an accident in this course is very small. Nevertheless, research and teaching workplaces (labs, shops, etc.) are full of potential hazards that can cause serious injury and or damage to the equipment. Working alone and unsupervised in laboratories is forbidden if you are working with hazardous substances or equipment. With prior approval, at least two people should be present so that one can shut down equipment and call for help in the event of an emergency.
Safety training and/or information should be provided by a faculty member, teaching assistant, lab safety contact, or staff member at the beginning of a new assignment or when a new hazard is introduced into the workplace.
Common Sense
Good common sense is needed for safety in a laboratory. It is expected that each student will work in a responsible manner and exercise good judgement and common sense. If at any time you are not sure how to handle a particular situation, ask your Teaching Assistant or Instructor for advice. DO NOT TOUCH ANYTHING WITH WHICH YOU ARE NOT COMPLETELY FAMILIAR!!! It is always better to ask questions than to risk harm to yourself or damage to the equipment.
Personal and General Laboratory Safety
1) Never eat, drink, or smoke while working in the laboratory
2) Smoking is prohibited in all laboratories at all times
3) Read labels carefully
4) When entering a laboratory, do not touch any equipment, chemicals, or other materials in the laboratory area until you are instructed to do so
5) KNOW where the fire extinguishers are located, what kinds of fires they can be used on, and how to operate them
6) Be prepared for your work in the laboratory. Read all procedures thoroughly before entering the laboratory. Never fool around in the laboratory. Horseplay, practical jokes, and pranks are dangerous and prohibited
7) BE AWARE of what others are doing. If you think someone is acting in an unsafe manner, talk to them. If you are still unhappy, speak to his/her supervisor.
8) Wear safety glasses or face shields when working with hazardous materials and/or equipment
9) Wear gloves when using any hazardous or toxic agent
10) Clothing: When handling dangerous substances, wear gloves, laboratory coats, and safety shield or glasses. Shorts and sandals should not be worn in the lab at any time. Shoes are required when working in the machine shops
11) If you have long hair or loose clothes, make sure it is tied back or confined
12) Keep the work area clear of all materials except those needed for your work. Coats should be hung in the hall or placed in a locker. Extra books, purses, etc. should be kept away from equipment, that requires air flow or ventilation to prevent overheating
13) KNOW where the fire extinguishers are located, what kinds of fires they can be used on, and how to operate them
14) Equipment Failure - If a piece of equipment fails while being used, report it immediately to your lab assistant or tutor. Never try to fix the problem yourself because you could harm yourself and others
15) Computer games are strictly prohibited in the computer laboratory.
16) Software installation in any computer laboratory is not allowed without the permission from the Laboratory Staff or the Instructor
17) If leaving a lab unattended, turn off all ignition sources and lock the doors
18) Never pipette anything by mouth
19) Clean up your work area before leaving
20) Wash hands before leaving the lab and before eating.
Soldering
Soldering electrical components is an every day activity to the electrical or electronics engineer but it is not without its risks. The most obvious one is that of a burn from the hot iron or solder. There is also the risk of electric shock if the soldering equipment has a damaged lead or defective wiring. Always check the mains lead and plug for damage before starting work and take care not to rest the iron on the lead and burn it.
A less obvious risk is from the flux fumes. These contain formaldehyde, which can cause an asthma attack. While the risk is small, soldering should as far as possible, always be carry out in a well ventilated area and care taken to minimize the inhalation of the fumes. If you feel at all unwell stop work immediately and try and get some fresh air.
Remember too that solder contains lead so avoid contact between hands and mouth and wash your hands thoroughly before handling food.
Projects
1)DO NOT work on your power project in an unsupervised laboratory
2)DO ensure you know the additional rules that apply if you are working in a research laboratory. It is your responsibility to ask your supervisor about this, and his or hers to train you
3)DO NOT work with unprotected live mains. All electronic equipment should be fused with the correct rating of fuse. Projects on motors etc using mains MUST be conducted on a bench which has mains protection. All project benches have this. MAINS PROTECTION SYSTEMS ARE NOT FOOL PROOF. MAKE SURE YOU KNOW WHICH TYPES OF FAULTS ARE NOT COVERED
4) DO NOT use the PCB room or the workshop without prior training. Ask the faculty to arrange this.
Inspection and testing of portable electrical equipment in the laboratory
1) Remember that the visual inspection is the most important part of the inspection and test. The HSE say that around 95% of faults with electrical equipment can be found just by looking at the equipment
2) Make sure that you understand the difference between earthed (or Class 1) equipment and equipment which is not earthed (Class 2 equipment). Class 1 equipment needs both visual inspection and testing for a continuous earth. Class 2 equipment needs only a visual inspection
3) Extension leads should also be inspected and tested
4) After inspection/testing, both Class 1 and Class 2 items of equipment should be marked with a green sticker to show that they have passed. The date of inspection/test and the initials of the person carrying it out should be written on the sticker. Old stickers should be removed or defaced before new stickers are applied
5) Equipment which fails inspection/test should be labelled as faulty and taken out of use until it can be repaired
6) Inspection and testing should always be carried out by arrangements with those in charge of the laboratories concerned. Lab managers (or their equivalents) may have concerns about the testing of certain items of complex or high-value equipment. In such cases a visual inspection may be sufficient or advice on testing can be sought from those who maintain the equipment when they next visit
7) Supervisors should ensure that those carrying out inspection and testing have been shown how to do it and have demonstrated that that they understand how to it. This should be no different to the way in which technicians are shown how to operate any item of lab equipment, i.e. they have to demonstrate that they know how to do the task before being allowed to do it unsupervised
8) Equipment used for testing should be checked for calibration periodically (every 2 to 3 years is the suggested frequency for the simple testers which indicate just Pass/Fail). This should be done by an organisation which can issue a calibration certificate for the equipment. The manufacturers or suppliers of the equipment usually offer this service. Advice and assistance with inspection and testing should be sought from supervisors and line managers who can, if necessary, seek advice from the University Safety.