- (upbeat music)
- Welcome to the Biotechnology Program
and your first day of laboratory class.
My name is Sarah Leonard,
and I'm the Laboratory Manager in the BIT Program.
It's my responsibility to go over
all the safety protocols every semester
to make sure that everyone's on the same page
about how to handle our microorganisms
and biological agents in a safe manner.
You have been given an informed consent sheet
that outlines the specific biological agents
that you will be working with,
how to handle them, and what to do
in case of infection or contamination.
Here in BIT we have four lab spaces
which are each rated up to a biosafety level two.
That rating comes with specific requirements
for personal protective equipment,
lab features, and decontamination.
Personal protective equipment is the first defense
against anything that you might
come in contact with while in the laboratory.
In our labs you're required to wear
safety glasses, gloves, lab coats,
closed-toed shoes, and long pants.
Safety glasses protect your eyes against splashes.
They also keep you from accidentally rubbing your eyes
with unwashed or gloved hands.
Safety glasses should be worn at all times
while in the laboratory.
Do you wear eyeglasses?
Try a wide pair.
Please make sure to find a pair of safety glasses
that work for you.
If you can't let me know and we'll help you
find a pair that fits.
There are gloves in every lab in at least two places.
Make sure to wear gloves whenever
you are touching your experiments or equipment
in the lab, but remember to take them off
and wash your hands before leaving the room.
If your gloves are contaminated or torn
dispose of them right away in the biohazard bins
and get a new pair.
Don't try to wash them.
Gloves are not as expensive as your safety.
Lab coats are worn during all activities in the lab.
We use disposable lab coats which are replaced
every eight weeks of class.
They come in a wide range of sizes.
Try to find a size that fits for you.
Do not wear gloves or lab coats in common areas
like the kitchen or the bathroom.
The one exception is going in between the labs
or getting ice for ice baths.
Lab coats are stored in designated drawers
at your assigned station.
At the end of each lab take off your lab coat
and store it in your drawer
so that it's there for you to use the next class.
If your lab coat is torn or contaminated
make sure to dispose of it and get a clean one
to use the next time.
It is absolutely essential to wear proper shoes in the lab.
This means shoes that cover the front
and back of your foot.
Sneakers are ideal.
If you do not wear the right shoes to lab
you will be asked to leave.
If you have long hair
or if you have dangling jewelry or loose clothing,
please make sure to tie them back out of the way.
This is for your protection
as well as your experiment's protection.
You don't want to contaminate your experiment
or accidentally take your work home with you.
There is no food, gum, candy, or drinks in the lab,
including water.
This also includes snacks that you may have
stored in your book bag.
Don't let them go through the doorway.
We have carts outside the labs
where you may store your food during the lab period,
or down the hallway there's a kitchen area.
You are welcome to store your food
in the refrigerator or on the shelves in the kitchen.
Cell phones and other personal items
are the most common vectors for contamination.
We encourage you to use your cell phone
to take pictures of your experiments
for documentation in your lab reports.
But, if you're going to handle a personal item,
please take off your gloves and wash your hands.
That way you eliminate that possibility of accidentally
transferring some sort of contaminant
to your cell phone, which you might later
transfer to yourself when you go to use your cell phone.
You also want to avoid touching your face,
and that also includes not messing
with your contacts or biting your fingernails.
Please make sure to store your bags
either in the provided cubbies or in the kick-outs
up underneath your bench tops.
This ensures that no one trips
over a loose backpack strap.
We don't want anyone ending up on the floor.
Take a look around you.
Familiarize yourself with where things are in the lab.
Make note of where to find the eye wash,
safety shower, the hand-washing sinks,
fire extinguisher, and emergency exits.
Every lab is equipped with an eye wash
and a safety shower.
This is case you should have a splash in your eye
or in the case of the safety shower, on your body.
They are tested weekly to ensure
that they run properly and that there is nothing
caught up in the water lines.
The showers are for large spills on the person
and the eye washes are to rinse out small
spills or particulates in your eyes.
Please note, though, there are no drains
around these, so they are for emergency use only.
We try to minimize the use of sharps
in our classes, but you may still
come across some broken glass or plastic.
If you do have a sharp, your TA will help you
dispose of it in the red biohazard containers
that say "Sharps" on them.
Do not throw away sharp objects in the normal trash cans.
If there is a spill please notify your TA
or myself or one of your instructors,
so that we can help you clean it up properly.
If it's just a small spill you can clean that up
with some paper towels and disinfectant,
but still let your TA or instructor know
so that we can make sure everything
is cleaned up as it should be.
All contaminated materials, including anything
biological, should be disposed of
in a biohazard waste container.
Every lab has a large red biohazard waste container
for larger materials.
This includes things like agar plates.
On every benchtop is a smaller orange biohazard container.
This can be used to dispose of small objects
like your pipette tips,
micro-centrifuge tubes or chem wipes.
You can use this during your lab
and at the end of lab you can close the lid
and leave it there as long as your bag
is less than half full.
If your bag is more than half full,
please take the inner plastic bag out,
throw it in the big red biohazard container,
and replace it with a clean bag
that your TA can help you find.
You're expected to use the provided pens
for marking things and taking notes.
These pens are recognizable because
they have the same color scheme
as the TA and Lab Instructor coats of tie-dye.
If you are wearing gloves and touching
your experiment only use these pens.
Writing utensils are a personal item
just like your cell phone,
and pens are also common vectors for contamination.
So while you're in the lab use the provided pens
and please leave them here at the end of the day.
Labeling might seem like an odd topic
for a safety presentation but over the course
of your class you're gonna be creating
samples that you don't wanna lose.
Be mindful that we have up to six sections
of one lab running at any time,
so if you do not label your containers properly
it could get mixed up with someone else's and be lost.
Your whole semester's worth of work will be gone with it.
So when you store your experiments
in containers, label them carefully.
Make sure to include your initials,
the date, your lab section, and any other descriptive
information you can give about the contents.
In many of our classes we use the UV light
to see tagged proteins.
Exposure to UV light can cause skin cancer.
You can protect yourself by covering up
exposed skin and wearing your safety glasses
whenever using the UV light.
Each machine has a UV shield that should be used
when the light is turned on.
As an option we also have full face masks
available for students, although they are not required.
There are seven steps you need to take
before you leave lab at the end of the day.
First, disinfect your bench.
Each lab has a disinfectant called Decon Conflikt.
Spray it on your benchtop and let it sit there
for three to five minutes.
Then spray ethanol over the same area
and use a paper towel to wipe off
the disinfectant residue.
Turn off all equipment and unplug
everything but the laptops.
Unplugging equipment reduces their potential
as fire hazards.
Empty your benchtop biohazard bag
if it's over half full.
If it's less than half full
you may leave it there for the next person
to come in and use.
Take off your lab coat and store it
in your designated drawer, or, if it's contaminated
or torn, you may dispose of it
and get a new one for the next lab.
Remove your gloves, dispose of them
in the biohazard bins, and thoroughly wash your hands
before leaving the laboratory.
If there is an emergency during one of our labs,
stay calm and make your way
to the nearest exit.
There are two evacuation exits on this floor,
one on each end of the hallway.
There is one stairwell next to the autoclave room
which leads out to the back of the building.
Consider this the secondary exit.
If you are able, we prefer that you use
the front stairwell by the elevators
and rest rooms.
We will use the front exit for meeting purposes.
If a fire alarm sounds, stop your work
and remove your PPE.
Leave your gloves and lab coat
at your station, exit the building
using one of the two evacuation routes,
and meet in front of Jordan Hall.
Try to find your instructor or TA
so that they can take roll and ensure
that everyone made it out of the building safely.
If you are concerned about your physical ability
to leave the building during an emergency,
please come see me and we will discuss
a personal safety plan for you.
If you have any questions about your safety
in the lab, please come see me in my office
in room 6119.
Or ask your TA or instructor and we will make sure
to get your questions answered.
Thanks for watching, and from all of us
here at BIT we hope you guys have
a fun and safe semester.