Injury and Accident Reporting
Any BU work-related injury or illness should be reported to Conduent at 833-951-2415. Other contacts are listed below by campus. On the Charles River Campus For emergency medical assistance, contact the BUPD at 617-353-2121. For non-emergency medical attention, go to the Occupational Health Center at 930 Commonwealth Ave. Monday – Friday, 9 – 5 or Student […]
Hazard Communication
Every person who works with chemicals has a right to know the identities and hazards of those chemicals. The Laboratory Supervisor/Principal Investigator should make laboratory workers aware of the chemical hazards present in the laboratory. Environmental Health and Safety can offer additional advice and training. When working with chemicals, there are two important questions to ask: […]
Extended Leave From Laboratories
It is important that laboratories using hazardous materials plan accordingly prior to any type of extended leave. This procedure outlines basic precautions that labs should take prior to expected university closures or times of limited resources. Laboratory Experiments: Complete all running experiments and do not begin any new experiments that would require attention during an […]
Lab Equipment Dryer/Oven/Washer Safety Guidelines
Boston University Environmental Health & Safety Lab Equipment Dryer/Oven/Washer Safety Guidelines Laboratory dryers, ovens and washers are primarily used for the washing and drying of glassware and plastic and for removing water or other solvents from chemical samples. They can pose fire and health hazards to the user and the area around it. Fire Hazard- […]
Door Placarding
The Boston Fire Department requires the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) 704 Diamond be posted on all laboratory doors. These diamonds are also displayed on most chemical labels. The laboratory must inform EHS if the lab acquires different chemicals or gases so the door sign can be updated. Other hazards may be identified on the […]
Autoclave Safety Guidelines
An autoclave is a common piece of lab equipment used to sterilize equipment and supplies, which poses several hazards to the user. Burn Hazards: pressurized heat and steam Explosion Hazards: failure of door to seal while in operation Heavy Lifting Hazards: loading and unloading of autoclave The following general guidelines, in combination with the instructions […]
Chapter 7: Decontamination and Sterilization
Definitions Decontamination is a process or treatment that renders a device, instrument, or work surface safe to handle. A decontamination procedure can range from sterilization by autoclave or ethylene oxide to simple cleaning with soap and water. Sterilization, disinfection, and antisepsis are all forms of decontamination. Sterilization is the use of a physical or chemical […]
Biosafety Bulletin Vol 2 Issue 1 – April 2015
A quarterly newsletter from the BU Office of Institutional Biosafety Committee See the PDF of the April 2015 Biosafety Bulletin Boston University Biosafety Manual BU Biosafety Manual defines the biological safety policies and procedures pertaining to research operations at Boston University and Boston Medical Center. Annual updated manual is available online. IBC Policies & Procedures […]
Biosafety Bulletin Vol 2 Issue 2 – October 2015
A quarterly newsletter from the BU Office of Institutional Biosafety Committee See the PDF of the October 2015 Biosafety Bulletin Laboratory Acquired Infection (LAI) subcommittee The IBC held its annual LAI subcommittee meeting in July 2015. This subcommittee reviews the pathogenic potential of all microorganisms that are known to be associated with LAI and provides […]
Biosafety Bulletin Vol 2 Issue 3 – December 2015
A quarterly newsletter from the BU Office of Institutional Biosafety Committee See the PDF of the December 2015 Biosafety Bulletin Dual Use Research of Concern (“DURC”) policy updated DURC is defined as: “life sciences research that, based on current understanding, can be reasonably anticipated to provide knowledge, information, products, or technologies that could be directly […]