Department Safety Seminar and Discussion

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• Department Safety Seminar and Discussion
• Bill Stefura
• Tech IV,
• Department of Immunology Safety Coordinator
• Oct 20, 2005

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Goals of this mini-safety course

• Outline of importance of safety proceduresWhat
  is your role as a PI or Student or Tech?
• Overview of chemical and biohazard safety
  resources available for independent study
• Discussion of safety or housekeeping issues with
  your supervisor in the followup to this course.
  Mandatory for you to arrange.

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Hazards in the immunology workplace

• What are the main hazards do you face in your day
  to day work? Identify three.
• When chemical X spills on your pants, you stick
  yourself with a needle, or blood sample Y leaks
  in the centrifuge, do you know what to do?

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Major Types of Hazards

• Chemicals
• Biologicals
• Some radioactivity
• Each other
• Less of a concern about lifting, fallingdangers
  common to other workplaces

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Hazards

• We work with them every day so it is easy to
  become too relaxed, until...
• A hazard is not a concern when it is properly
  controlled
• Proper control
• What exactly am I working with?
• What can it do to me and my co-workers?
• How do I work with it safely?
• What should I NOT do?
• What do I do if exposed in an uncontrolled way
  (ie an accident). Contingency plans

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W H M I S

• orkplace
• azardous
• aterials
• nformation
• ystem

W H M I S
Chemical safety
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W H M I SGoal

• To reduce
• injury and illness from exposure to hazardous
  materials in the workplace

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How does this affect You?

• The impacts are personal
• It may involve short term or long term health
  effects
• It is your and our health

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WHMIS MR 52/88is regulated in Manitoba under
theWorkplace Safety and Health Act

• Key Elements -
• LABELS
• Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) (Contain more
  detailed information than in labels)
• Worker EDUCATION AND TRAINING

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LABELS (Continued)
You must ensure that all controlled products are
labeled (including working solutions)

• The Purpose of the label is to
• Identify the product as controlled
• Indicate the hazard and associated risk
• Provide basic safe handling instructions

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WORKPLACE LABELS

• Workplace Labels must contain

• Product Identifier
• Safe Handling Information
• Reference to the MSDS

Labels available free from Bill Stefura Rm 626
BMSB
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Material Safety Data Sheets

• Provide more detailed information about
• Health Effects of Exposure
• Hazard Evaluation
• Protective Measures
• Emergency Procedures
• Must be
• Current (Validity- 3 years from the date of
  Preparation/revision)
• Readily available
• Physical Copy

It is against the law to use a chemical without
the presence of an MSDS in the Workplace. If you
have synthesized a product you must prepare an
MSDS
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Material Safety Data Sheets

• Departmental MSDS are located in the RED BINDERS
  on top of blue cabinets next to 603A
• near the water cooler
• It is each workers personal responsibility to
  read and understand the MSDS before beginning
  work
• Developing an action plan after something
  splashes in your eyes or on the floor is not
  acceptable. You need an effective plan in advance
• 
  
  

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WHMIS MSDS Mandatory Procedure for new product
acquisition

• -When you obtain a NEW chemicalgt You must
  confirm if its MSDS is present in the collection
  before working with it
• -If not attached, then contact the supplier to
  send you the MSDS
• -Some suppliers ie. Sigma , have their MSDS on
  their web site
• -Remember the MSDS must be reviewed and
  understood before the chemical is used in any
  experiment

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Biohazards

• Our most frequently encountered hazards.
• No problem-- if worked with knowledgably and
  safely.
• Big communal problem, with long term
  implications, if not worked with properly by
  everyone.
• Individual and Shared responsibility

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Biohazards include

• Known threats (you paid for them them) and
• Unknown threats (silently in the samples you
  work with HIV, HepB).
• You need to be aware of how to implement Health
  Canada Biosafety guidelines-- Copy in Immunology
  library, on our web page
• Ask for help, in advance, if at all uncertain
• Evelyn Froese, Safety Office, Chown Bldg Contact
  info on web

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From the dept web siteSafety training link

• Laboratory Biosafety Guidelines
• Excerpts from pages 19-23, Laboratory Biosafety
  Guidelines, 3rd edition, 2004. Published by the
  authority of the Minister of Health Population
  and Public Health Branch, Centre for Emergency
  Preparedness and Response, Government of Canada
• (Immunology Department specific additions made
  September 2004).
• 3.1 Operational Practices for Laboratories
• 3.1.1 General Practices
• The following general practices are required for
  all laboratories handling infectious substances.
• A documented, laboratory-specific procedural
  (safety) manual must be available for all staff,
  and its requirements followed it must be
  reviewed and updated regularly. It should be
  posted in the culture area and signed by all
  workers.
• Personnel must receive training on the potential
  hazards associated with the work involved and the
  necessary precautions to prevent exposure to
  infectious agents and release of contained
  material personnel must show evidence that they
  understood the training provided training must
  be documented and signed by both the employee and
  supervisor retraining programs should also be
  implemented.
• Items key to most of our projects highlighted.
• Complete document on web in dept library.

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Departmental Emergency Information

• INCIDENT REPORTING
• Location 603A Immunology Department Office
• Procedure documentation detailed description of
  the incident (the records are used for evaluating
  safety procedures and purposes only)
• Contacts Department of Immunology
• Administrative Assistant
• Karen Morrow

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Summary of Key Points

• Plan everything before beginning expts
• Plan for the worst and how you will handle that
  situation
• Ask questions (in advance!) about how to deal
  with situations
• There is a great amount of information available
  on chemical and biological safetylocate, read
  and understand the information that is relevant
  to your work
• Errors affect us all, not just yourself.

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Departmental Emergency Information

• EMERGENCY CONTACTS
• Fire / Medical / Safety / Security
• from any departmental
  phone 555
• from any cell phone 555
• this will connect to the U of M Ft. Garry campus
  main security dispatcher , who is in radio
  contact with
• the Bannatyne staff

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Departmental, investigator and worker safety
responsibilities
Kent HayGlass

• Who is responsible for what?

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The PI

• Responsible for developing safe work practices
  (SOPs are a tool to ensure both exptl quality
  and safety )
• Ensuring that workers/trainees are made aware of
  them do your best to ensure they comply. You
  are not running a daycareshared responsibility.
  
• ACTION Best if SOPs , esp for safety, posted
  and signed. (both functional and evidence)
• Creating a safety oriented culture in their
  group. Openness, willingness to address
  questions, criticism, suggestions, concerns of
  other workers/trainees.

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Trainees, Professional Staff

• Responsible for self education. Who has the most
  to lose? YOU do, so find out.
• Responsible for day to day maintenance of safe
  work procedures by yourself gtgtand by other
  members of your group.
• If safety concerns arise, its good to discuss
  them immediately in a friendly but persistent
  manner
• (i) speak to the person involved and ask them if
  what they are doing is being done the proper way
• (ii) talk to your Supervisor or the head lab tech
  for clarification
• (iii) chat with the Head or Evelyn Froese in EHSO
  (confidential if you wish)

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How to resolve a problem Outcomes

• Friendly Conversation / (re-)education
• oral warning,
• written warning,
• termination if suitable action not taken. (n2)

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Our Bad Habits-2004 (and 2005)

• Autoclave. Personalized garbage bagsby lab now
  instituted so we can identify those with bad
  habits. Biological waste must be treated
  appropriately and promptly. SOP posted in
  autoclave room or ask Mercedes for advice. Do
  your ownmaid service not available. gtgt rarer
• Babies/children. The lab or your office is not
  the place for them. gtgt no longer occurs
• Lab coats in library. Food/coffee and lab coats
  dont mix. gtgtno longer occurs
• Lab coats in the lab. Some people choose to take
  home the lab dirt on their clothes rather than
  wear a lab coat. Do you really want to do this?
  Mandatory for all work in hoods.

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• Is it real? Are they aware of it?
• Talk with person directly about the concern.
  Education.
• They dont care?
• Talk with your supervisor or the safety rep (Bill
  Stefura) or the Head in confidence
• Friendly Conversation, written warning,
  termination.
• Questions??

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Self assessment Implementation

• Web Self Study Course developed by Bill with
  input from Safety Committee
• (30 minutes). Mandatory as of 2005
• Test afterwards (30 minutes)
• Marked by your supervisor (discussion, further
  education required?) then hard copy forwarded to
  Bill Stefura for departmental records.
• Distributed in October, Must be completed for
  department by Nov 30.

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Personalized safety questionnaire

• Mandatory for all new and returning trainees,
  techs this year.
• Focus is on your own personal research
  experience
• Evaluation is Discussion with your supervisor
  (11, in lab meeting)
• How it works
• Deadline for completion (signed) to Bill
  November 30 (future 60d)
• Future new trainees employees only