Safety in CHMS

PART 1: Safety in CHMS
PART 2: Awards
PART 3: Committee Minutes

The Department of Chemical Engineering & Materials Science is dedicated to maximizing the safety of all students and employees. On this page please find forms and information related to laboratory safety within the Department. For any safety related issues or questions, please don't hesitate to contact:

Jim Gage, Departmental Safety Coordinator
Spyros Tseregounis, Chair, Departmental Safety Committee
Tarit Nimmanwudipong, Graduate Student Representative, Departmental Safety Committee

In addition, each faculty research group has one member who serves as Laboratory Safety Coordinator for that group.

Safety Training

All students and employees working in experimental laboratories within the department are required to take the following safety training:

Departmental Safety Training, conducted by Jim Gage. Please note the Department Safety Training must be retaken annually.
Chemical Laboratory Safety, conducted by Environmental Health and Safety.
In addition, all new students or employees who would like access to specific laboratories must meet with the appropriate Laboratory Safety Coordinator for a lab orientation.

A Laboratory Orientation and Key Authorization Form must by signed by your Professor (PI) for you to receive a key and/or access code to the lab. Furthermore, your Lab Safety Coordinator will inform you of any additional safety training or standard operating procedures that are required specifically for your lab. All training designated as required for your lab must be completed before you are allowed to work unsupervised in the laboratory.

Safety Records

Every lab is required to maintain up-to-date records of the following:

Chemical Hygiene Plan
Chemical Inventory Note that you must conduct the CUPA lab self-inspection in order to complete the on-line chemical inventory process.
Hard copies of the MSDS forms for each chemical in the lab
Emergency Eyewash and Shower testing record, if applicable

Moreover, the department strongly recommends that the Lab Safety Coordinator periodically perform a "self-audit" of their laboratory, using the CUPA checklist:

CUPA Self Audit Checklist

Another useful self-inspection form is the:

Worksite Inspection Form

Audits can also be performed on request by Jim Gage; please contact him to set up an appointment.