• Academic Programs

  • Undergraduate Program
  • Graduate Program
• People
  • Faculty & Staff
  • Students
  • Board of Advisors
• Research
• Alumni
• Intra-Departmental

  • Current Students
  • Employment Resources
  • Purchasing
  • Safety

Evironmental Health & Safety

Welcome to the environmental health and safety section of Tulane's Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering website. This section provides links and information addressing the health and safety concerns of the department. Please contact the safety representative for any additions, omissions or questions relation to this section.

Links: Tulane's Office of Environmental Health and Safety

Training: Fire Safety (.ppt file) EMERGENCY PREPAREDNESS (.ppt file)

Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering

General Standard Operating Procedures

The purpose of this document is establishing a guideline of practices for the laboratories. Common sense is expected to prevail as the standard operating procedure, a few simple examples are given, and many specific procedures are not included. Specific operating procedures are to be used and provided for specific instruments (owners manual).

The principal investigator is the individual responsible for the practices and procedures of each laboratory and experiments conducted. Tulane's Office of Environmental Health and Safety is a resource to be used whenever there is a health, safety or chemical waste question. Their useful website has links to many references and information, its URL is http://www.som.tulane.edu/oehs.

Safety is the crucial factor in laboratories.

1. All individuals are to be trained in the safe use of instruments, chemicals, and tools as needed. (XRD, gas cylinders, fume hoods)
2. All individuals are required to know where the safety equipment is located (eye wash, shower, fire alarm & extinguisher), what is available (gloves, eye protection, lab coats), and appropriate use of the equipment (fire extinguisher).
3. All individuals are required to know the appropriate emergency responses to both general emergencies and laboratory or device specific emergencies in the laboratories that they work in. (How do you exit? The phone number to report an emergency is 865-5200. How do you turn "it" off and stop "it" quickly?)
4. All individuals are to dress appropriately for working in a laboratory. (closed toe shoes)
5. Keep the floors and passageways clear of power cords, cables and other objects. (Bicycles)
6. No food or beverages are to be stored, prepared, or consumed in the laboratories. (Ice cream)

Chemicals and Supplies are to be stored appropriately.

1. All individuals must understand what chemicals they are using. MSDS information must be available to all personnel. (http://www.som.tulane.edu/oehs)
2. All chemicals and containers must have completely understandable labels. ("Salt and Water" not just "NaCl/H2O")
3. Chemicals are to be segregated when stored. Acids not stored with bases. Liquids not stored with solids. Flammables are to be stored in fire resistant storage.
4. Consideration of height in storage relating to lifting, dropping, and spilling chemicals. (Don't store acid above your head.)
5. Chemicals are not to be stored in large quantities, no more than five gallons of a flammable liquid.

Cleanup and dispose of your samples and waste appropriately, keep the laboratory organized.

1. Minimize the waste you produce. (Adding a liter of water to a liter of hazardous waste makes two liters of hazardous waste.)
2. Do not put anything dangerous or hazardous in the dumpster. (You and Tulane could be held responsible for damages and fines.)
3. Hazardous materials require special treatment. Hazardous chemicals are picked-up and disposed of by OEHS.
4. Completely label your waste as to the contents with terms that are understandable and specific. ("Salt and Water" not just "NaCl/H2O")
5. Some broken glass and other sharp objects may be sealed in a safe container labeled with appropriate warnings (SHARP, GLASS) and put in the dumpster.

Respect other researchers work and document your own.

1. Label or document your workspace and samples. ("Brine Research" with "Salt and Water" or "NaCl/H2O)
2. Give notice and leave notes on instruments or devices that are shared or used by other researchers. (Using furnace 10AM- 2 PM 10/9/03, John Jones)
3. Laboratory computers are vulnerable to failure as all computers are. Anti-virus software must be used and kept up to date if the computer is connected to the network. Files, folders, or hard disks are not to be shared over the network without passwords or write protection. Regularly backup work to removable media (CDR) and or another computer. Use incremental names when saving files as the work or data progresses to protect against file corruption of past work.

There will always be exceptions and omissions in a "Standard Operating Procedure"; those topics not covered are to be intelligently dealt with by common sense.

Addition procedural information is available from the principal investigator, laboratory coordinator, and the department chairman or they will suggest resources for standards and practices.

<< Return to Previous Page