Has anyone ever suggested ordering N95 respirators just in case they want to use them for a particular process or procedure? Have you ever found a box of N95 respirators sitting on a bench while walking through the labs? Try to avoid these scenarios and ensure the use of all respiratory protection is reviewed and approved.
When was the last time you walked through your labs paying close attention to the available disinfectants? And how long has it been since your Institutional Biosafety Committee or safety committee reviewed the disinfection procedures in place?
The Emergency Planning and Community Right-to-Know Act of 1986 (EPCRA), was developed to provide communities with important information about the hazardous substances in use at facilities in the area. Emergency planning is critical, and this act is intended to inform everyone involved so they can plan for possible emergencies involving hazardous substances.
The BMBL, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, and the NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines) establish four risk groups for biological agents. These four risk groups address the risk to the laboratory worker, the environment, and the community.
There are many moving parts involved with the launch of the e-Manifest system, which occurred over the summer. Under the new regulations, receiving facilities must submit paper manifests to EPA within 30 days of receipt.
OSHA stipulates recording and reporting criteria for work-related injuries and illnesses in 29 CFR 1904.0-1904.11. There are various considerations to take into account when determining if an incident, injury, or illness is considered work-related and therefore needs to be evaluated for recording and reporting criteria.
Ensure your industrial discharge volumes are monitored on a regular basis to verify regulatory compliance. If you are the holder of a Low Flow/Low Pollutant wastewater discharge permit with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority (MWRA), be sure to keep an eye on the average daily discharge volume to confirm that this permit remains applicable to your facility.
Have you conveyed the importance of accurate hazardous waste labels to all employees working in your labs? Waste labels should be used to create waste stream information profiles, which are used to generate hazardous waste manifests when waste is removed for off-site disposal.
October is ABSA’s 2018 Biosafety Month! The theme of this year is “Promoting a Culture of Biosafety and Responsibility”, and institutions are encouraged to take the opportunity to promote their biosafety and biosecurity programs.
The second annual OSHA Safe + Sound week has arrived! It is not too late to participate in this fun event. Take a moment to check out who else is participating and what activities they are holding.
When evaluating expansion space or entirely new space, be sure to evaluate the control areas. The Maximum Allowable Quantity (MAQ) of Hazardous Material per Control Area table in 527 CMR 1 establishes the limits for hazardous materials storage.
It started with pipet tip boxes, which were piling up in labs with many hoping to find a way of recycling them. Recycling was fully implemented for homes, but there were limited options for labs. The demand for implementing a recycling program for cardboard boxes and styrofoam was also high based on the high generation of these waste materials as well.
