The use of hazardous biological materials at CHESS is rare. If however, your experiment involves a biohazard, the CHESS Safety Committee will have outlined a set of necessary safety protocols that must be followed.
New hazards related to a proposal require a minimum of 4 weeks advance notice to provide sufficient time for a thorough review.
In addition to the specific safety measures you will be asked to implement, the following are important general laboratory guidelines for working with
biohazard materials at CHESS:
For your personal safety:
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Be up-to-date on any specialized training required to work with your particular biohazard, e.g. OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Training.
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Familiarize yourself with the locations of emergency showers and eyewash stations BEFORE starting work.
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Wear appropriate personal protective equipment - at least lab coat and gloves. Remove gloves and wash hands thoroughly after handling hazardous material.
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No eating, drinking, smoking, application of cosmetics, or pipetting by mouth in the work area.
To keep biohazards safely contained:
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Check in all hazardous materials with the Cognizant Safety Officer.
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Store and use biohazards in a restricted area (usually the F1 station). Use the Biological Safety Cabinet in F1 if there is a potential for creating aerosols containing infectious material.
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Restrict access to the biohazard storage and use area.
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Use double-sealed containers when transporting biohazards. This applies when bringing material from one location to another within the facility.
At the end of your visit:
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Dispose of hazardous material properly. For sharps, place in the appropriate container in F1 or the chem room. For contaminated gloves, capillaries, etc., label and place in the biohazard wasted container in F1.
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Disinfect all surfaces which may have been contaminated.
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Check out with the Safety Officer.
In case of emergency:
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Report the problem to the CHESS Operator.
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Clean up the spill according to the CHESS Virus Emergency Procedures (posted outside the cold room or in the safety binder at the Operators desk) or special procedures for your biohazard, if you can do so safely. If not, the Safety Officer and Cornell EH&S will help.
For more information:
If working with BL-2 Viruses, please see the BL-2 Virus Page. For other biohazards, contact the CHESS Safety Committee.
