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EPA AUDIT LINKS & LAB CERTIFICATION FORM

LABORATORY REGISTRATION FORM

COLLEGE SAFETY PROGRAMS

RADIATION SAFETY PROGRAMS                              

MSDS’ SITE                                        

EMERGENCY NUMBERS                                             

TRAINING PROGRAMS                                                

LINKS TO FED. LAB SAFETY LAWS                        

HUNTER COLLEGE HOMEPAGE

                                 

 

HUNTER COLLEGE WASTE DISPOSAL RULES
Category Examples Container(s) & packaging Removal Procedures &  Notes
Trash. Uncontaminated paper towels, kimwipes. Trash bag. Do not discard as regulated waste.
Glass. Uncontaminated (triple rinsed) glass. Pending. Try to recycle the glass by using it to store chemical waste.
Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) like bio-hazardous & infectious waste. Materials contaminated or potentially contaminated with animal or human body-fluids, vaccines.  Glassware and contaminated items from medical labs. Place in RMW box lined with red bag. Place RMW and sharp containers in it. Do not overfill. Tie liner, close box and tape it.  Write PI name and lab # on it. Do not exceed 50 Lbs. per box. Lab RMW pickups take place on Wednesdays. Place labeled and taped RMW box in corridor outside your lab. RMW supplies can be ordered at X-4136. Do not use boxes for liquid RMW. 
Sharps. Syringes, needles, scalpels, glassware contaminated with live samples or specimens are regulated medical waste (RMW). Radioactive sharps & animal carcasses are not RMW and must be treated as radioactive waste. Red sharps container. Don't overfill. Place red container in RMW cardboard box. Write PI name and lab # on it.  Lab RMW pickups take place on Wednesdays. Place labeled and taped RMW box in corridor outside your lab. RMW supplies can be ordered at X-4136. Do not use boxes for liquid RMW. 
Laboratory animals & animal bedding. Animal carcasses, used bedding from animals known or suspected to have been exposed to infectious agents. Red bag and place in an infectious waste box and tape it. Write PI name and lab # on it. Lab RMW pickups take place on Wednesdays. Place labeled and taped RMW box in corridor outside your lab. RMW supplies can be ordered at X-4136. Do not use boxes for liquid RMW. 
Radioactive Materials. All sources of ionizing radiation: alpha, beta and gamma emitters. Collect radioactive wastes in separate approved radioactive waste containers only. Bring radioactive waste on the scheduled pickup date (2x/week) to the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO) in HN-928. 
Preserved lab animals & organs. Preserved animal carcasses, organs & tissues in preserving solutions. Plastic leak-tight drum labeled for infectious waste. Write PI name and lab # on it. When full call X-4136 to inform us about your waste. Leave a clear message.
Mercury Metal and salts, broken thermometer bulbs. Screw-capped glass jar. Label as hazardous waste. Place container in your labs Hazardous Waste Accumulation Area (HWAA). Do NOT store waste outside your labs HWAA. Call EHS office when the waste container is full. 
Hazardous chemicals. All miscellaneous chemical waste including spent solvents, mineral oils, organic and inorganic reagents, photographic developers, flammable solids.  Use containers that are appropriate for the waste. Do not mix wastes. Always keep container closed.  Label with EPA "Hazardous Waste" tag. Place in it your lab's HWAA.  Do NOT store waste outside your labs HWAA. Call EHS office when waste container is full. 
Unknown Chemicals. Unknown chemicals. Bottles or other chemicals containers without labels. Try to characterize the waste. Keep container closed & label it as un-known. Use the Hazardous waste tag. Place it in your lab's HWAA.  Call EHS for removal of waste. A charge may apply to cover the cost of characterization.
Used toner & ink cartridges. Printer cartridges. Use bag and box that came with your replacement cartridge. Return to manufacturer using their prepaid return service label.
Universal waste. Mercury gages, thermometers, mercury vapor light bulbs, pesticides, PCB oils, batteries, electronic equipment made with  compounds containing mercury, cadmium, chromium. Label as universal waste. Labels are available through EHS. Call EHS for removal of waste. 
Gas cylinders.  Lecture bottles, compressed gas cylinders. Keep cylinder upright and secured. Return to manufacturer.
IMPORTANT TELEPHONE NUMBERS
Environ. Health & Safety (EHS)                                                            (212) 772-4462. For after hours emergencies dial Public Safety at (212) 772-4444. Public Safety/Fire Safety, Emergency line. (212) 772-4444
Radiation Safety                                                                                                          Write to radiation.safety@hunter.cuny.edu or call (212) 772-4462. Public Safety, Non emergencies (212) 772-4444
Health Services (212) 772-4800 Physical Plant Services (PPS) (212) 772-4422
EHS website-- http://www.hunter.cuny.edu/ehs
 LABORATORY SAFETY 
Employee protection Emphasize work practices that reduce worker exposure to lab hazards including engineering controls, hygiene practices & personal protective equipment. Establish a designated work area when working with acutely toxic agents, carcinogens, reproductive toxins, etc., (only authorized personnel should enter this area). Use containment devices, like fume hoods and biosafety cabinets, when working with those substances. Check them before work to ensure that they work properly.
Hazards & training Identify hazards & risk levels in your laboratory. Become acquainted with all chemical, physical & other hazards present. Participate in laboratory safety programs & refresher programs offered by The College. Establish standard operating procedures (SOPs) for handling hazardous materials.
Fire safety Make sure that your laboratory that your lab is equipped with fire extinguishers. Know the evacuation routes & practice evacuation procedures. Do not let combustibles accumulate in your lab. Do not store flammable substances in non-explosion proof refrigerators. Avoid storing flammables in your laboratory. Have a list of emergency numbers posted near your lab telephone.
Housekeeping & laboratory spills Do not use laboratory aisles or fume hoods to store chemicals or any other items. Maintain your lab clean. Remove all tripping hazards from floors. Know the location of the spill control kit for your floor/laboratory, & clean all spills immediately. Make sure that appropriate spill kits are available for hazardous substances. Custodians are not allowed to clean chemical & biomedical spills. 
Chemical waste management & disposal Designate & label an area of your lab for chemical waste (with the Hazardous Waste Accumulation Area, HWAA, decal) an area of your lab for chemical waste. Separate all incompatible wastes from each other. Label EACH waste container with the EPA decals which must include the words "Hazardous Waste", name of the chemical(s) (do not use chemical formulas) & your lab number. Place the containers in a secondary containment spill tray. Never store waste containers near sinks & keep them closed at all times. DO NOT use your sink for disposal of chemicals or any other hazardous wastes. Call EHS  to order HWAA & EPA Hazardous Waste tags or to schedule a chemical waste pickup. 
Care & use of sinks/drains Never use sinks or drains for disposing of chemicals. Occasionally fill up with water your floor, bench, hood & sink drains to maintain the drain-traps sealed thus preventing odors from getting into your laboratory.
Chemical storage & inventories Store chemicals according to their compatibility and avoid storing chemicals, especially corrosive liquids, above eye level. Do not store chemicals next to or above sinks. Keep all containers, especially those that are not in use, closed. Date chemicals that decompose with time. Remove chemical containers that are leaking, degrading, rusting, or expired. Maintain a current inventory of the chemicals in your lab. 
Lecture bottles and compressed gases.  Maintain all compressed gas cylinders upright and secured. Do not accept gas cylinders which have an expired hydrostatic pressure test date on it. Ship empty cylinders back to the vendor.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) Maintain a MSDSs file for the chemicals that you use in your lab and make your employees aware of  its location. Know the location and availability of reference material on hazardous chemicals found in your laboratory including, but not limited to, MSDS. MSDS website:  www.hunter.cuny.edu/ehs.
Personal protection Use engineering control equipment, like fume hoods, to control exposures. Check your fume hood to ensure that it works properly before you use it. Wear the personal protective equipment required for the exposures or hazards encountered in your lab.
Equipment disposal  Call Facilities for removal and disposal of large equipment and furniture. Make sure that those items are not contaminated.
Safety and Hygiene Do not store food, eat or drink in laboratory work areas (only in designated food areas). Never store food or drinks in chemical/biomedical refrigerators. Do not wear shorts or open shoes in your lab.
Inventory minimization Reduce the chemical inventories in your lab. Keep to a minimum all chemical stock. As a general rule, no more than one week supply of carcinogens and other highly toxic materials should be stored in the laboratory.  
Safety equipment.  Maintain your eyewash and safety showers unobstructed. Occasionally run that equipment, if possible, to ensure it is in working order. 
Lab Permits Keep your laboratory and personal permits up to date. Maintain copies of your lab and any other permits posted in a conspicuous location. As a minimum, one person in your lab must obtain the FDNY laboratory operator Certificate of Fitness.