EHRS at Penn

Sign up NOW for Penn's first ever FREEZER CHALLENGE 2021! Learn about cold storage best practices, clean out old unwanted samples, and help the environment by using less energy. SIGN UP NOW AT: bit.ly/pennfreezer21

Check out the September 2020 edition of Applied Biosafety for best practices on working with COVID-19 samples and decontamination procedures.

Calling all lab members! Join us at the Green Labs Working Group Meeting on Monday, November 2 @ 2pm via zoom UPENN.ZOOM.US/J/92893895149

How well do you understand CRISPR technology? Check out A Capella explanation by Tim Blais. https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=672703473660902

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTIONS: Where can I find Biosafety guidance for research with COVID-19 samples or SARS-CoV-2? ANSWER: Visit Biosafety Guidance for COVID-19 Research Projects for information about appropriate practices, containment, and precautions that must be in place when conducting research involving COVID-19 patient samples and SARS-CoV-2. https://ehrs.upenn.edu//biosafety-guidance-covid-19-resear

The University has updated it's Research Resumption Plan for Fall 2020. Please stay informed with the latest information and requirements for your lab.

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: I have a large number of expired or unneeded chemicals; must I submit an individual waste request for each container? ANSWER: No. Submit one Waste Request Form and indicate approximately how many containers need to be picked-up. Someone from EHRS will contact you soon to provide additional guidance and to coordinate the pickup https://ehrs.upenn.edu//chemica/chemical-waste-pickup-form

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: I have a large number of expired or unneeded chemicals; must I submit an individual waste request for each container? ANSWER: No. Submit one Waste Request Form and indicate approximately how many containers need to be picked-up. Someone from EHRS will contact you soon to provide additional guidance and to coordinate the pickup https://ehrs.upenn.edu//chemica/chemical-waste-pickup-form

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: I think my fume hood is malfunctioning. What should I do? ANSWER: Close the hood sash and do not use the hood until EHRS confirms it is functioning properly. Contact your building administrator to open a work order. If the hood is not put back into service within 5 days of contacting your building administrator, contact EHRS. Building Administrator List: https://ehrs.upenn.edu//Science%20%20Art%20Building%20Admi

All of us at EHRS wish you a peaceful and safe holiday season.

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: Should I wear my lab coat and gloves when transporting chemical or biological samples outside my lab? ANSWER: No. PPE (including lab coat and gloves) must not be worn in public (non-lab) spaces or outside of the building. Instead of wearing PPE, package your materials so that everything is appropriately contained. Use secondary containment to protect not only yourself, but also the rest of the University and the community at large.

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTIONS: Who do I contact to have my Biosafety Cabinet serviced? ANSWER: Technical Safety Services (TSS) is a new BSC vendor available on campus that provides certification and repair services. See the BSC Certification & Repair section of the Biosafety Cabinet page on the EHRS website (https://ehrs.upenn.edu//biosafe/biological-safety-cabinets) for more information about how to contact TSS and how to prepare your cabinet for service.

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: I have some unwanted or empty compressed gas cylinders; who do I contact to have them removed? ANSWER: Whenever possible, gas cylinders should be returned to the manufacturer or supplier that owns them. Contact information can generally be found printed on the cylinder label or hang tag. For lecture bottles, disposable propane/MAPP gas or other cylinders that cannot be returned, submit an online Waste Request Form (https://ehrs.upenn.edu//chemica/chemical-waste-pickup-form) to schedule a pickup with EHRS.

Do you reuse boxes to ship you packages? That's great! But did you know that strange sticker on the side of your box may be a hazard label? Remember to coverup or remove ALL hazard labels prior to reusing a shipping box. Use BLACKOUT LABELS to make this an easy task. Find details on hazard shipping labels at https://ehrs.upenn.edu//notice-penn-shipping-community-haz

Does your lab work with Peroxide-Forming Chemicals (PFCs)? Do you know what the hazards are working iwth and storing PFCs in your lab? Check out University of Minisota's informative FACT SHEET: https://dehs.umn.edu//gd_peroxide_forming_chemicals_aug_20 What are PFCs? Here are some commonly used ones: Isopropyl ether, Diethyl ether, Tetrahydrofuran (THF), Acrylic Acid, Methyl methacrylate

We are moving the Chemical Inventory into the BioRaft platform over the next few months. What does that mean for your lab? Click on the link below to answer your questions.

A published article shows the effects of flames on containment within a Biosafety Cabinet. "Large flamed Bunsen burners were found to have the most detrimental effects on the ability of the BSC to maintain containment..." All good reasons to keep flames out of the Biosafety Cabinet!

Summer Student Lab Safety Training dates are now posted on the EHRS website and students can register at https://ehrs.upenn.edu//summer-student-training-registrati. This hour-long training is for students that work in a Penn research lab ONLY during the summer months. Students that work in Penn research labs year round must complete Penn Profiler and all lab safety training requirements.