Environment, Health & Safet y
No. 90
LabNotes
SAFE T Y NEWS FOR UC SAN DIEGO RESEARCHERS
Does Your Lab Use Controlled Substances?
Updated Self-Assessment Audit Sheet for CS Labs
http://www-ehs.ucsd.edu/lab/CS/Self_Assessment_Audit_Sheet.pdf
Ensure uninterrupted work with CS by using the updated
Self-Assessment Audit Sheet to check your lab’s compliance before scheduled inspections. Recommended
frequency is based on usage:
• Labs using 0–5 vials of CS per year, perform selfassessment once per quarter.
• Labs using more than 5 vials of CS per year,
perform self-assessment monthly.
Note: Expect an audit of your lab twice per year to evaluate compliance with UC San
Diego’s DEA registration. Unannounced inspections may be performed.
continued on back ... see Does Your Lab Use CS?
Use Hydrogen Safely
Hydrogen is a widely used research gas at UC San Diego.
Generally purchased in large compressed gas cylinders,
hydrogen is relatively inexpensive and readily available.
Hydrogen can be used safely. Review these guidelines before storing or using hydrogen:
•
•
•
•
Ethidium bromide (EB) is
an inexpensive, sensitive,
and stable dye for staining
nucleic acid.
However, EB has 3 significant disadvantages that make the use of safe and effective alternatives attractive. EB (1) is a potent mutagen and a possible carcinogen
and reproductive toxin with significant
health risks for researchers, (2) accounts
for a lot of decontamination and cleanup
efforts by research and EH&S staff, and
(3) is an expensive dye for the campus
to use since the ~16,000 pounds of solid
EB waste and ~1,300 gallons of liquid EB
waste generated annually must be managed as hazardous waste.
Consider replacing EB with a safer,
“greener” alternative. Rigorous testing has
determined GelRed™ and GelGreen™ from
Biotium, Inc. and EZ-Vision™ by Amresco
are safe for both the researcher and the
environment.
Jean-François Pilâtre de
Rozier, French balloonist,
blowing hydrogen gas
into a flame.
Image from U.S. Library of
Congress Prints and Photographs Division Washington,
D.C. LC-DIG-ppmsca-02228.
Provide thorough and effective training on the use and storage of hydrogen.
Review your research and safety protocols before using or storing hydrogen.
Review the Material Safety Data Sheet and other safety information prior to use.
Purchase dilute concentrations when possible.
continued on back ... see Using Hydrogen Safely
University of California, San Diego-Environment, Health & Safety
Alternatives to
Ethidium Bromide
EB Alternatives
Hydrogen has a wide flammability range (4%-74%), is lighter than air, and diffuses rapidly when released. Because
hydrogen is an odorless, colorless, and tasteless gas, it’s
difficult for humans to detect. To ensure safe use and storage, hydrogen, like all compressed gases, falls within the
purview of the UCSD Compressed Gas Policy at all times
(http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/cg).
A serious accident involving a hydrogen gas explosion
occurred recently at another university, injuring several
individuals and seriously damaging the laboratory. This
incident reminds us to be vigilant about careful use of hydrogen on our campus.
FA L L 2 010
If these products are acceptable alternatives in your research, phase out EB. You’ll
reduce risk, reduce hazardous waste
costs, and eliminate an expensive hazardous waste stream, making UC San Diego
a safer and more sustainable campus.
Power Failure
Preparedness
Learn what to do before, during, and
after a power failure in a lab. See ‘How
to Prepare for a Power Failure in a Lab’
on Blink at http://blink.ucsd.edu/safety/
research-lab/laboratory/power-failure.
html/.
) (858) 534-1954 - 0920 : [email protected] : http://blink.ucsd.edu/ehs
New Emergency Contact Requirement for
Shipping Hazardous Materials
Effective October 1, 2010, the U.S. Dept. of Transportation Pipeline
& Hazardous Materials Safety Administration is requiring a contact
name or contract number to be included with the emergency
response information listed on shipping papers. This information
must be located by the shipper’s address, or above/below/in the
emergency response information.
Questions? Contact UCSD Shipping, (858) 536-3225, Ext. 244.
Does Your Lab Use Controlled Substances?
... continued
Maintaining Your CS Log Book
Avoid a common audit violation by keeping a current copy of your Controlled Substance Use Authorization (CSUA) in your CS log book. It’s easy to print a CSUA Summary from the online CS Application.
How to print a copy of your CSUA Summary:
Note: Only current and approved items will be displayed in the Summary.
1. Go to http://ehs.ucsd.edu/myresearchsafety.
2. Under the Authorizations tab at the top of the screen, click on Controlled
Substances Use Authorization.
3. Log in with your Single Sign On account.
4. Follow the My CSUA tab at the top of the page to My CSUA List.
5. After you’ve clicked the bubble next to the appropriate CSUA, click the CSUA
Report button at the bottom of the screen (circled in red in the image below).
Use
Hydrogen
Safely
... continued
• Purchase the least
amount of hydrogen possible to meet
your research needs. Do not stockpile
hydrogen!
• Have a Restrictive Flow Orifice (RFO)
installed by the vendor on every cylinder of hydrogen you purchase. An RFO
reduces risk by limiting the amount of
hydrogen released should there be an
uncontrolled flow of material. It’s an inexpensive and effective safety device.
• Never leave a hydrogen cylinder valve
in the “on” position unless it’s in use.
• Check connections regularly for leaks.
• Store hydrogen (and all flammable
gases) at least 20 feet from oxidizing
gas, or separate them by an appropriate non-combustible barrier (contact
EH&S for more information).
• Install hydrogen detectors when appropriate (contact the Chemical Hygiene
Officer for consultation).
• Never store flammable gas near ignition
or heat sources, or unprotected electrical connections.
• Only use or store in fire sprinkled areas.
When gas cabinets are used they too
must be sprinkled.
• Promptly send unused or unneeded
cylinders back to the vendor.
• Be familiar with the UCSD Emergency
Guide.
Thank you for making UC San Diego a
safer place for all of us.
Learn more about the CS Program on Blink at http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/cs/.
Questions? Contact Doug Harvey, Chemical Hygiene Officer, at (858) 822-1579 or
[email protected].
Ergonomic Relief for Researchers
Researchers who are experiencing tension or discomfort related to repetitive motion activities (such as
pipetting or prolonged microscope sessions) should contact the EH&S ergonomics specialist at ehsih@
ucsd.edu to inquire about pain relief options.
Find self-help with the online slide-show “Laboratory Ergonomics: A Practical Approach for Improving Comfort in Research Environments” at http://www-ehs.ucsd.edu/ergo/training/labergo/ErgoLabSlide1.htm/.
University of California, San Diego-Environment, Health & Safety
) (858) 534-1954 - 0920 : [email protected] : http://blink.ucsd.edu/ehs