Safety policies laboratory application

Incorporate Safety Topics into the Curriculum. An effective academic safety culture will extend safety issues beyond their elementary application in the general chemistry laboratory. Elementary safety vocabulary, elementary toxicology should be incorporated into the general chemistry course. Applicable safety policies should be continued and expanded in advanced courses, including graduate courses. 

In general, the design policy to be followed is to utilize as much laboratory and pilot plant information as possible, to work it into whatever theoretical pattern is applicable, and to finish off with a comfortable safety factor. There may be people who know how they should be consulted. 

This chapter describes the hazardous material protection program at Sandia National Laboratories/New Mexico (SNL7NM) and its implementation at the Technical Area V Hot Cell Facility (HCF). The hazardous materials within the facility are identified and the types of hazards they might pose to workers, the public, and the environment are discussed. The applicable safety requirements, controls, and administrative policies and programs instituted at SNL/NM and within the HCF with respect to hazardous materials are also discussed. 

The cornerstone of a sound program for prudent laboratory practices is a process designed to comprehensively review the operations and potential hazards associated with each experiment over its life cycle. This review should take place before any work is conducted. The diverse nature of research and development activities makes it advisable to have such a process in place as part of the scientific method of experimentation. In laboratories where this preliminary survey is routinely practiced, it has proved to be useful in both the maintenance of safe laboratory operations and the minimization of chemical exposure and waste generation. Because of the diversity of types of researchers and laboratory work, such processes— both formal and informal—can help individuals associated with new, modified, or unfamiliar experiments or procedures to plan and work safely, responsibly, and productively. By first evaluating the work area, materials, equipment, and procedures in depth, hidden hazards may be identified and addressed. The pre-experiment review process can also help to ensure that every experiment and laboratory operation complies with all applicable laws, regulations, and other policies. Moreover, by addressing all relevant health, safety, and environmental issues when an experiment is first conceived, further research, scale-up, or development based on it can be made safer and more effective. 

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