Lab Safety

Rules for Safety in 457 and 559 (as of Fall 2022)

Clean up your area:  at the end of each class make sure that you have returned all your equipment to its appropriate location. If you do not know where that is ASK! Your TA must approve your areas cleanliness before you may leave.

Use the green notebook:  Communicating between classes about equipment is a safety issue. Document any anomolies outside of the manuals.

All Safety Training can be found on the EHS Training website: https://ehs.psu.edu/training  to access the training you may have to create an LRN account (PSU students should do this to access the training)

Lasers: Any student using a laser other than a HeNe laser (Optics, Laser Tweezers, Raman, Absorption Spectroscopy) must complete the online laser safety training from EHS called “Laser fundamentals and Safety” include a copy of your certificate in the experiment folder.  The direct link to the LRN training is here. If you have problems with the training link, or receive a single-sign-on error, please go to the LRN webpage and follow the login directions. Then search   (EHS – Laser Fundamentals and Safety).  You are also required to obtain experiment specific training and sign the laser safety sheet in the back of the folder. Your TA/instructor will do the experiment specific training.

Students must wear the proper safety goggles at all times when the laser is on. If you have questions ask your instructor/TA.

Chemicals: Any student touching any chemicals (Raman, Optics, NMR and Laser Tweezers) must take the Initial Lab safety training  online through LRN. If you have problems with the training link, or receive a single-sign-on error, please go to the LRN webpage and follow the login directions. Then search for the class “EHS – Initial Laboratory and Research Safety Training – University Park.”

If you work in a research lab you may have already done this at which point you can bring your certificate to class for exemption.

  • All chemicals must be stored properly and returned to their proper storage location when not in use. If you find any improperly stored chemicals or waste containers notify the TA and they must rectify it
  • All chemical waste must be placed in properly labeled containers. TA’s are required to inspect waste area weekly.
  • All trash and/or sharps must be placed in the proper waste receptacle. Glass and sharp objects go in the red sharps box by the Raman experiment. Everything else does NOT go in the sharps box – there are trash cans located throughout the classroom, and chemical waste disposal sites in each classroom.
  • If you do not know what is correct or if the waste containers are full – notify your TA/instructor to rectify the situation.

Radiation:

There is NO food or beverages allowed in 310 Osmond due to the radioactive sources. Failure to follow this rule will result in failure of the class.

According to Penn State Policy students using the Mossbauer or Compton experiments must complete a 2-part radiation safety training to work on the experiment unsupervised (without a TA):

The online part is again on LRN . If you have problems with the training link, or receive a single-sign-on error, please go to the LRN webpage and follow the login directions. Then search for the class “Radionuclide Safety Education (Initial) – Part 1” After the online course is finished you must register for the in-person training “Radionuclide Safety Education (Initial) – Part 2”  through EHS  link 

Radioactive sources should never be left unlocked and unattended.

X-ray Safety and training.

Students using either of the x-ray sources should complete the online portion of the EHS safety training for radiation producing equipment. The online training is through LRN and is called (Radiation Safety Education for Radiation Producing Equipment (X-ray) – Part 1). The direct link to LRN is here (must be logged into PSU)

Before completing the training students must email Austin Olson azo2@ psu.edu) at EHS and let him know “I am taking the x-ray training for PHYSICS 457”. Students should also read the appropriate safety information available in the manual.

Students should also read the appropriate safety information available in the manual.

Other:

Failure to properly follow chemical, radiation and laser safety guidelines can result in a negative impact on your grade. You will only have limited warning before this will occur.

The responsibility to follow these rules is yours, if you ever feel you are unable to follow these rules because of the equipment available in the classroom, or if you have questions you must tell your TA and/or instructor and they will help rectify the situation.

Important numbers:

Call 911 for any Life-Threatening Emergency

  • Fires
  • Explosions
  • Serious Injuries
  • Any other incident which poses an immediate threat to life or the environment

If you have a chemical, biological, or radiological incident that does not pose a life-threatening emergency:

    • Call (814) 865-6391 Monday – Friday, 8 AM – 5 PM, on holidays or (814) 863-1111 (University Police) all other times. After hours, University Police will notify the appropriate EHS staff member to provide assistance.