Harmer/Maloof Lab Safety Guidelines

1. No eating or drinking in the lab. Food and beverages are not allowed in lab refrigerators, freezers, or microwaves. Always wash your hands after working in the laboratory, especially before eating.
2. Remove your gloves before opening doors, answering the phone, or handling anything that would reasonably be assumed to be clean. Your gloves may be clean, but no one else knows that.
3. When using a chemical or reagent, check the label for information and about health hazards.
4. Additional information about the safety of particular chemicals can be found by looking at the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS). Safety guidelines or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the use of specific chemicals can be found here.
5. Before working with a hazardous material for the first time ask about lab safety protocols for that material and consult SOPs and/or MSDSs.
6. Protective goggles, lab coats, gloves, and closed toed shoes should be worn when working with hazardous material such as (but not limited to):
   • Strong Acids
   • Strong Bases
   • Radioactive material (currently not applicable, see below)
   • Phenol
   • Ethidum Bromide
   • Trichloroacetic acid
   • Protease inhibitors
   • Acrylamide
   • 2-mercaptoethanol (2-ME)
   • Hygromycin B
7. Volatile organics (such as phenol, chloroform, acetone, beta-mercaptoethanol) should be used in the fume hood.
8. We are not currently licensed for radioactive work, but can renew our license if your research requires it. [All radioactive work is to be done in room 2123B and may only be done by users that have completed the EH&S radiation safety training class.]
9. If you spill hazardous material on yourself: immediately rinse the area with water and have a colleague call 911 (530-752 1230 from a cell phone) for assistance.
   • Eye wash stations are located at the sinks by the hall doors in rooms 2111, 2115, and 2123.
   • Two safety showers and additional eye wash stations are in the hall; one to the left of room 2111, near the restrooms, and one to the right of room 2119, near the stairwell.
   • Remove contaminated clothing immediately
10. If hazardous material is spilled in the lab: notify your co-workers and:
    • If it is one pint or more, or if it is extremely toxic, call 911 (530-752 1230 from a cell phone).
    • Otherwise refer to “Safety Nets #13 and #127“ in the lab safety webpage and posted by the sink in room 2115.
    • There are spill kits yellow duffel bags underneath the sink by the deli fridge and -20 freezer in room 2115 and under the sink next to the hood in room 2123.
11. First aid kits are located in the Harmer/Maloof labs lunch/break room and near the doorway between rooms 2119 and 2115.
12. A fire extinguisher is located next to the hall doors in rooms 2111, 2115, and 2123. Two more fire-extinguishers are in the hall; one to the left of room 2111, near the restrooms, and one to the right of room 2119, near the stairwell. Only attempt to put out small fires. If a fire is uncontrollable, notify your co-workers to evacuate, close the door behind you, and call 911 (530-752 1230 from a cell phone).
13. Flammable materials are to be stored in the flammable cabinet under the fume hoods in rooms 2115 and 2119. A special freezer, in room 2119 is available for cold storage of flammable materials. Corrosives are stored in the corrosive cabinet under the fume hood in room 2115. Acids are stored under the fume hood in room 2119.