Lab Safety Regulations
I. Safety Rules and Laboratory Regulations for Undergraduate Students
a. Teaching Assistant(s) will be responsible to give the undergraduate students a theoretical and practical training on the Laboratory Safety and to ensure that all students become aware about the Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), how to use safety equipment (eye washer, safety shower and fire extinguisher) and where the safe assembling point is in a case of emergency.
b. Teaching Assistant(s) shall give the undergraduate students a copy of “Guide to Emergency Procedures” prepared by BOD either as a soft copy or hard copy.
c. All undergraduate students shall sign the “Undergraduate Student Safety Declaration Form” before working in the laboratory.
d. It’s not allowed for any undergraduate student to work in the laboratory without wearing the PPE.
e. It’s not allowed for any undergraduate student to work in the laboratory alone.
f. Students shall notify the Teaching Assistant(s) or the Laboratory Technician(s) or the Laboratory Coordinator in case of any safety related issues.
II. Safety Rules and Laboratory Regulations for Researchers
g. Researchers (Post Docs, Research Assistants, Graduate Students, Undergraduate Students as Researchers) will not be allowed to work in the chemical engineering laboratories without reading the “Guide to Emergency Procedures prepared by BOD”, taking a safety training from a laboratory personnel under the coordination of the ChE Laboratories Coordinator and signing the Safety Declaration Form available in the ChE Office and getting it approved by the Head of the Department.
h. Researchers should avoid working in the laboratory alone. As much as possible a laboratory personnel or a TA will be present in the laboratories during the working hours. The sign boards on the laboratory doors show who is currently in charge in the laboratory.
i. Laboratories will be closed after working hours. However, a prior arrangement can be made for a laboratory personnel or a TA who is trained on safety rules and procedures to accompany a researcher in need of staying beyond the regular working hours until 3:30 pm.
j. If performing work or experiments in the absence of a laboratory personnel cannot be avoided (especially outside of working hours), it should be done by arranging the presence of another researcher allowed to work in ChE laboratories (or at least by arranging with individuals working in a separate laboratory to cross check periodically according to the Laboratory Safety Guidelines prepared by the Business Operations Department (BOD)). They should also arrange with University Security (Tel: 4403-3566 / 3564 / 6161 / 6999) to check laboratory workers. However, in any case no hazardous experiment should be undertaken when alone in a laboratory. It should also be checked with the ChE Laboratories Coordinator to see whether the work requires special safety precautions, such as having two persons in the same room during a particular operation.
k. Keys will be issued only for full time employed post-docs/RAs. No keys will be issued for other researchers.
l. Undergraduate students who work as a part time research assistant or have a UREP or Senior Project shall fill the “Undergraduate Laboratory Work Permission Form” before working in the laboratory.
m. Researchers shall notify the Laboratory Coordinator or the Laboratory Technician(s) in case of any safety related issues.
III. Safety Rules and Laboratory Regulations for TAs and Laboratory Staff.
n. Teaching Assistants and Laboratory Technicians have the responsibility for ensuring safe working area for undergraduate students.
o. Teaching Assistants and Laboratory Technicians havethe responsibility for ensuring the safety rules and laboratory regulations.
p. Teaching Assistants and Laboratory Technicians havethe responsibility to warn and correct the researcher(s) and/or students in case of any violation for the safety rules in the laboratory.
q. Teaching Assistants and Laboratory Technicians shall notify the Laboratory Coordinator in case of any safety related issues.
r. A periodic safety auditing is conducted by one of the trained lab staff using a safety checklist in the first week of each academic semester.
s. Teaching Assistants who work in laboratories and Laboratory Technicians shall receive a laboratory safety training each June. The Lab Coordinator shall manage the training.
t. In case of incident, accident or occupational disease, Teaching Assistant(s) and/or Laboratory Technician(s) shall fill “Laboratory Incident, Accident & Occupational Disease Report Form” and submit it to the coordinator.
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