Lab Safety Resources

CSHEMA Lab Safety Awareness Week Resources

Within labs, threats to worker and community safety are abundant. The first step to keeping safe is to know the hazards that exist and the precautions that can be utilized to better ensure safety.

This CSHEMA Lab Safety Awareness Week, we invite you to peruse a carefully curated selection of resources—each of which will help you better understand and combat different lab safety challenges. 

Monday: PPE and General Attire

Do you understand the different levels of personal protective equipment (PPE), know what is needed for your specific purposes, and have access to all the necessary gear? Explore the resources below to learn all about PPE in laboratory settings. 

• What Are the Levels of PPE Protection?
• 5 Ways to Ensure Your Radiation Exposure PPE Is up to Snuff
• Breathe Easy Over Respiratory Safety Compliance
• Webinar: Eye and Face Protection
  

Tuesday: Lab Housekeeping

Making sure your lab is clean and organized can help prevent waste disposal issues and contamination. As a result, you can ensure your lab stays efficient and safe. Read on for more information about lab housekeeping—including waste collection and disposal, fume hood contamination and decontamination, and equipment choices. 

• The Top Reasons to Trust the Pros With Hazardous Waste Disposal 
• 5 Consequences of Mismanaging Hazardous Waste
• Disposing of Sodium Azide Solutions: What You Need to Know  
• For Your Lab: Ducted of Ductless Fume Hoods?  
• Common Sources of BSC Contamination to Watch Out For 
• Best Practices for Changing VOCLok Filters
  
• Cutsheet: VOCLok HPLC/Solvent Waste Collection System 
• Webinar: Hazardous Waste Management in Higher Ed

Wednesday: Lab Safety Equipment

Maintaining eye wash stations, showers, first aid kits, and more can help you better respond in the case of an injurious event in the lab. Below, read about some of the best practices for maintaining your eyewash station and safety showers as well as smaller-scale lab safety equipment. 

• 4 Best Practices for Maintaining Your Eyewash and Safety Showers

Thursday: Hazard Identification System

Being able to identify the hazards associated with various lab materials is the first step to enabling safe use of these chemicals—and responding swiftly and efficiently in the event of an emergency.  The resources below discuss best safety practices for managing, storing, and working with hazardous chemicals within your lab. 

• 8 Key Components of Hazardous Materials SOPs
• 6 Safety Practices for Highly Hazardous Lab Chemicals 
• Is Chemical Inventory Management Your Safety Weak Spot? 
• Storing and Disposing of Flammable Liquids
• Making Sense of the Expiration or Retest Date on Your Lab's Chemical Bottles

Friday: We're All in This Together

Safe lab operations are the responsibility of each and every single person who works in, manages, supports, or even steps foot in a lab. From training, to compliance, to operational support—together, we can create a culture of safety. Read on to learn more. 

• Lab Safety: Creating a Policy for University Visitors
• Video: 10 Must-Know OSHA Standards for Colleges and Universities
• 3 Must-Have Topics to Cover in Lab Safety Training
• Lab Training for Faculty and Students at Colleges and Universities