Chemical Hygiene Plan and Safety Manual - LP3002.5

Section II: General Laboratory Safety

1.0 Outline

This section outlines all the basic safety precautions as well as the general rules for working in the laboratory. These rules include but are not limited to: general laboratory conduct, hygiene policies, personnel training and workplace rules.

2.0 Housekeeping

2.1 Eating and drinking in the laboratory is strictly forbidden due to the potential crosscontamination of food to samples as well as the hazardous nature of various chemicals and microbiological standards used. All eating and drinking is to take place in the kitchen, lunch room or front office/ administrative area.

2 2 The kitchen and lunch room are to be kept clean and free of clutter All extra food will be stored in cabinets or labeled in the refrigerator The microwave and convection oven in the kitchen shall not be left unattended while actively in use The refrigerator in the kitchen is for personnel use only and no samples will be stored within Conversely, all sample refrigerators within the laboratory are for sample storage only

2 3 Employees are not to keep personal belongings in the laboratory area; this is to keep samples from getting contaminated from the outdoors and to keep personal belongings from getting damaged from the various chemicals and standards in the laboratory

2 3 1 Laboratory area includes but is not limited to: any and all areas where test methods are being conducted, sample storage, chemical storage and laboratory material storage

2.3.2 Personnel will be provided with a place to store their personal belongings that is not within the laboratory testing area.

2.4 The laboratory is to be kept neat and orderly. Chemicals and standards not being used will be stored in their proper location depending on nature of the substances. All instruments and equipment will be maintained according to their specifications and stored properly when not in use.

2.5 Laboratory personnel are responsible for cleaning up a work area subsequent its use. This includes but is not limited to: scales, smaller mobile equipment, glassware, countertops, sinks, hoods and other laboratory equipment

2 6 Finished samples will be disposed of and stored according to LP2005 Test Sample Storage, Dispersion, Retention, and Disposition When chemicals used within the laboratory are either exhausted or no longer in use, they will be disposed of according to LP3003 Chemical Hygiene Plan and Safety Manual Section III: Chemical Hazards