Laboratory Safety Matters to You
1. Laboratory Safety Handbook
Personnel are the core of safety management. If new students have a good safety literacy before starting their experiments, it can effectively reduce the probability of laboratory safety accidents/incidents. The Environmental Health and Safety Department (EHS) has compiled a well-illustrated and detailed Laboratory Safety Manual. In addition to introducing the basic rules of laboratory safety, the manual provides basic safety guidance on the safe use of instruments and equipment, as well as the safe operation specifications for hazardous chemicals and pathogenic microorganisms.
New students can each receive a copy of the manual at the beginning of their enrollment. We hope that new students and laboratory personnel will use this manual properly and welcome any valuable suggestions and opinions.
2.Lab Training System
The Laboratory Safety Management System established by the EHS Department integrates a Laboratory Safety Training module. All teachers and students can learn laboratory safety-related courses within the training system, take online course tests and safety exams, and after passing, they can download and print their certificates of qualification!
The university-level training course content covers a series of basic laboratory safety courses that are coordinated with the Laboratory Safety Manual, advanced laboratory safety courses, and other special safety courses. The secondary-level training courses are established by each institute/center according to safety management requirements and precautions, and will be organized by each institute/center for personnel to participate in the learning. The tertiary-level training content is specific to the safety standards and standard operating procedures of each laboratory, with the course materials provided by each laboratory, and EHS assists in uploading and promoting to the relevant personnel.
3.Laboratory Test
The training system has established a Laboratory Safety Examination module. New students will receive system push notifications and can take the 2023 Laboratory Safety Examination after attending the new student orientation (EHS University-level Safety Training Lecture). Examination notices will be published separately by each institute/center.
When using the Laboratory Safety Management System for the first time, students are required to click and sign the ShanghaiTech University Laboratory Safety Commitment Letter.
4.Laboratory Safety Protection
EHS prepares brand new lab coats for all undergraduate freshmen each year. You can receive them by passing a short quiz on laboratory safety knowledge. The notice for collection will be announced later.
Upon arriving at the laboratory, you should locate the eyewash stations, emergency showers, first aid kits, and fire safety equipment in the lab and building, and learn how to use them. At the same time, you should become familiar with the escape routes, emergency exits, and emergency assembly points in the laboratory and building.
Please wear the necessary personal protective equipment such as lab coats, safety goggles, gloves, and face shields. Wearing shorts and open-toed sandals is strictly prohibited.
5. Hazardous Materials
When entering the laboratory, it is important to understand the potential hazards present: hazardous chemicals, laboratory animals and pathogenic microorganisms, radioactive isotopes, radiation devices, mechanical and electrical equipment, special equipment, etc. Before entering, you should be aware of the risks indicated on the safety information signs posted at the laboratory entrance.
Chemicals should be stored in chemical safety cabinets and should not be left on countertops or inside fume hoods for extended periods. Controlled chemicals (such as precursors for drug manufacturing, explosives, highly toxic chemicals, narcotics, psychotropic substances, radioactive materials, and their chemical synthesis raw materials, etc.) require dual custody and dual lock storage.
Operations that generate aerosols or splashes should be conducted inside a biosafety cabinet, and personal protective equipment should be used. Animal husbandry must be carried out in the school's SPF (Specific Pathogen Free) animal facility and should not be conducted inside a biosafety cabinet.
6.Laboratory Instruments and Equipment, Standard Operating Procedures for Experiments(SOP)
Before starting an experimental project and when using laboratory instruments and equipment, it is necessary to be familiar with the experimental procedures and to master the operating standards and SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for each piece of equipment. Conducting experiments without following the SOPs can create safety hazards, and in severe cases, can lead to personal injury or fatalities.
7. Lab Inspection
The laboratory duty system can help maintain the cleanliness and tidiness of the laboratory environment.
8.Hazardous Waste
Waste generated in the laboratory that is corrosive, toxic, flammable, reactive, or infectious falls under the category of hazardous waste in the National Hazardous Waste List (2016 edition). These hazardous wastes are strictly prohibited from being discarded carelessly. They should be properly classified, packaged, and labeled with hazardous waste labels on the containers, and stored in designated areas. The school entrusts qualified suppliers to handle the transportation and disposal.
