What are the Safety Requirements for my Course?

All Laboratory students are required to read and agree to abide by the following general safety requirements. The USU Department of Biology is committed to providing a safe and healthy environment for students, staff and faculty, as well as teaching appropriate respect for safety while engaged in scientific pursuits. Personal safety of each individual associated with the department is of primary importance. Through the Department faculty and the Department Safety Committee, every effort is made to ensure the availability and maintenance of all physical, chemical, biological, mechanical, radiological facilities, and equipment required for safety as per federal, state, local, and University policy. All individuals, including volunteers, working in research settings should be aware of the safety requirement (refer to University policy 337 - https://rgs.usu.edu/ehs/safety-policy/) and they should have received the necessary training.General Requirements

General Requirements

Shoes - Shoes worn in class must cover the entire foot. Sandals, clogs, and other open-toed or open-heeled shoes do not cover enough foot and are not allowed.

Pants – Pants or long skirts must be worn in all class sessions and must cover the entire leg.

Eye protection - Goggles or safety glasses are required when working with or in the presence of chemicals in the laboratory.

Lab coat - Lab coats are required when working with or in the presence of chemicals in the laboratory.

Gloves - Proper gloves are required when working with or in the presence of chemicals in the laboratory. Check the compatibility of the gloves with the chemicals to be used. Take off the gloves before stepping out of the lab.

Food and drinks - Food and drinks are not allowed in laboratory. Food and drink containers must be disposed outside the laboratory.

Hair - Hair should not be worn in a style such as may impair vision, cause distractions during job functions, or come in contact with work surfaces or moving equipment.

Safety equipment - Your TA will inform you of the locations of the fire extinguisher, eye-washer, safety shower, first aid box and chemical spill kits the first day of class. If you miss the first day of class, it is your responsibility to see your TA outside of class to get caught up before you start.

Fume hood - Always make sure the fume hood is operational before use. Open the sash to proper height when operating a procedure. Avoid opening the sash too high that may reduce the effectiveness of air flow. Avoid over accumulation of items in the fume hood that may obstruct the air flow. Lower the sash when the operation is complete.

Transfer of chemicals - For transporting chemicals within the laboratory, always wear personal protective equipment including gloves, goggles and lab coat and carry the chemicals with caution. Never grab the container by the cap.

Glassware - Glassware must be cleaned after completion of the experiment. Pieces of broken glass must be placed in the designated broken glass containers.

Reporting of accidents - All students are to immediately report any accident, no matter how minor, to the TA. Your TA will fill out an incident report and give it to the Lab Coordinator.

Chemical spills – In the case of a chemical spill, you must work with your TA on the relevant Spill Prevention and Response procedure.

Chemical disposal – Your TA will inform you of the proper disposal of the chemicals we use; many chemicals may not be poured down the drain.

Emergency exit - Exits and aisles must not be obstructed by equipment, chairs, supplies, or trash.

House keeping - Good housekeeping is an essential aspect of laboratory safety. Reagents and equipment must be stored in an organized fashion and returned to their designated locations whenever they are not in active use. The work area must be cleaned up at the end of each procedure and prior to the start of a new procedure.

Hand washing – Hand washing is necessary before eating, drinking, smoking, before leaving the laboratory, and after taking off gloves.

Personal conduct - All students are never to work alone in the lab. A TA must physically be present in the lab before students may begin preparation and working on a project. All students must follow safety precautions given by the TA in the pre-lab lecture and during the lab. Students missing any of the pre-lab lecture will not be allowed to attend the rest of the class session.

Specific procedures - All students are required to follow the specific procedures developed for the individual lab projects.

Any violation will result in disciplinary action. The seriousness of the violation will be determined by the department. The disciplinary actions may include, but are not limited to, re-take of all the necessary training related to the infraction of the incident, suspension from lab work, suspension of your enrollment in the course. Notices of violation will be reported and corrective actions and date completed will be filed with the TA.