Chemistry Lab Inspection 2023

• Name of Lab:

• Conducted on

  Date

• Lab Room and office room:

• Gas cylinder room:

• Instrument room:

General Safety

• Are up-to-date Chemical hazard signs posted on doors leading to rooms with hazardous chemicals (need to be updated annually)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• If biohazards or radioactive materials (including naturally occurring) are used, are required permits in place (need to be posted at the lab door)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• No food or drink present in lab space

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is any other appropriate additional safety signage posted where necessary? (e.g. X-ray, laser rooms)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is a monthly safety self-inspection checklist posted and completed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are safety inspection records kept and maintained?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the SFU Laboratory Safety manual and the SFU Hazardous Chemical Storage Manual available? (Do people know where to find it?)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• If biohazards or radioactive materials (including natural occurring) are used, are required permits in place?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personnel aware of who the safety committee members are in their area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are incident report forms being submitted for each incident?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has the occupant or staff nearby reported/identified any recent water leaks or other items that require maintenance?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Training

• Have all personnel attended the relevant EHS lab safety training sessions? Is it documented? <br> EHS Laboratory Safety Training<br> EHS Safety Essentials <br> EHS Biosafety <br> PHAC module: General Safety for Containment Labs (anyone listed on any biosafety permit)<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have lab-specific safety procedures been discussed with personnel? Eg concerning specific instruments

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Emergency & Fire

• Are campus emergency numbers posted by the phone?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is there a first aid kit, and if so, a mechanism to track its use and keep it stocked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have the personnel been trained on how to use a chemical spill kit? And is it appropriately stocked? (Should include absorbent material, sealable plastic bas, PPE, etc.)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have the safety showers and eyewash stations been inspected and tested monthly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency safety showers and eyewash stations available, and are the areas around them unobstructed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are personnel familiar with the emergency evacuation plan, including egress routes, pull stations, extinguisher locations and assembly points?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are emergency exit signs functional (i.e., not burnt out)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has the fire extinguisher been inspected within the last year?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the fire extinguisher accessible and the seal intact?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do sprinkler heads have a minimum clearance of 18 inches? (no storage less than 18 inches directly under sprinkler head)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

• Are lab coats available and worn when working in lab and stored separately from personal clothing, jackets, backpacks etc?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are safety glasses/goggles and face shields available and worn when working with hazards such as caustics, corrosives, UV radiation, cryogenic liquids, infectious materials, glass, lasers, machine tools, etc.?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are appropriate protective gloves available and worn when skin contact is a risk?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is fully enclosed footwear worn inside the lab?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are respirators being used? If yes, are they being stored properly? Are the respirator fit test records available?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Housekeeping

• Are all aisles and doorways clear of materials and equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fridges, hoods, ovens reasonably clean? Are benches and sinks reasonably clean and uncluttered?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are office/work areas kept separate from laboratory areas?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are benches and sinks reasonably clean and uncluttered?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are supplies and materials stored properly on shelves i.e. heavier material stored on lower shelves?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are racks and shelving properly installed and in good condition? **Before inspection day: Check brackets supporting shelves for signs of rust or breakage.**

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Fume hoods

• Are the fume hoods tested annually, with a sticker to show the date last tested?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fume hood sashes at recommended height?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the airflow monitor (if available) in the fume hood functioning? (test by raising the sash if safe to do so)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fume hoods clear, uncluttered, and not used for storage to ensure good airflow?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the front 15 cm of the hood clear?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are fume hoods used for storage labeled and ONLY used for storage?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is perchloric acid in use? If yes, are special safety procedures in place and special fume hoods used?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Chemical Storage and Handling Safety

• Is a hazardous materials inventory maintained? (State date of last inventory update.)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all 'high hazard' chemicals entered in the chemical inventory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are SDSs available, up-to-date and accessible for all chemicals in use? (can have either available online or printed paper copies that must be updated every 3 years)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all chemical containers legibly labeled for contents and hazard (WHMIS)? <br>Research samples must also be labeled with an identifier that allows others to look it up in the researcher's notebook. Samples with long-term storage must be clearly identified with the experiment number and structure/names.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is secondary containment used when storing hazardous liquid chemicals in refrigerators, freezers and cabinets? (plastic trays)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are chemicals stored according to compatibility (oxidizers separated from flammables)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are flammable materials stored in closed containers and in approved flammable storage cabinets or refrigerators?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are amounts of flammables and corrosives stored kept to a minimum?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are flammable liquids heated safely with proper equipment? (e.g. not using an oil bath, or not directly on a hot plate in a beaker. Steam baths, salt, and sand baths, beads baths, heating mantles, and hot air are preferable.)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are peroxide-forming compounds (e.g. ethers) labelled and dated when opened and not stored in direct sunlight?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have peroxide-forming compounds been tested every 3-6 months for peroxide formation as per SFU protocols?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are safe transportation procedures and equipment used for chemicals where necessary? (e.g. chemical carriers)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are separate waste receptacles for chemicals, sharps, glass, biohazards, and radioactive materials available and used?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do personnel know how to request disposal for hazardous materials? Have hazardous wastes produced in an area been identified, appropriately packaged and controlled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are waste containers filled only 75%, labeled for contents/hazards, and capped?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are expired chemicals, after being reviewed by the PI, disposed of?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Equipment and Compressed Gases

• Are procedures and equipment posing potential hazards identified, and have safe work procedures been developed to mitigate the hazards?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are the operator and service manuals available for the equipment? Are emergency stop buttons operational? Do centrifuges have an interlocked lid, cover, system?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are vacuum pumps installed and used appropriately? <br> Are exhausted to the outside (e.g., through the fume hood) <br> Oil-lubricated pumps are equipped with an oil mist filter<br> Used with cold trap(s) and/or other appropriate inlet trap to prevent contaminants from getting into pump oil and exhaust <br> Oil is regularly inspected for signs of contamination and changed when needed<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do moving parts have guards installed (e.g. belt-drive vacuum pumps)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Do vacuum pumps have cold traps to prevent volatile substances from getting into pump oil, or do they have a provision to purge pump?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are compressed gas cylinders appropriately secured to a wall or bench with two points of contact with two chains, properly capped or regulated, stored upright (especially corrosive gases), and kept away from doors and electrical outlets?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is a hand cart available for moving gas cylinders? The cart must have at least 4 wheels.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are Dewar flasks and vacuum desiccators taped or guarded? Look for any rusty dewars - more accidents than usual lately.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all plastic and rubber tubes and hoses in good condition, with connections secured with wire or clamps to prevent accidental releases of hazardous materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are any mercury thermometers still in use in the lab? If yes, contact EHS for disposal and replace it with the mercury-free alternative.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• If an internal combustion engine is present, is maintenance and ventilation of the room verified and documented?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Electrical Safety

• Do all appliances have 3-pronged plugs for grounding?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Extension cords and power bars not excessively loaded?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are power bars used appropriately: <br> One power bar can be directly plugged into a wall outlet or through a single extension cord into an outlet. It is not ok to plug one power bar into another power bar (no daisy chaining) <br> power bars cannot be plugged into extension cords<br> 12 outlet power bars must not be used<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cord guards used when electrical cords pass through walls, doors, ceilings, or across floors? (otherwise not acceptable)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all wires and plugs on equipment in lab in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cables and cords secured to prevent a tripping hazard?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all panels and covers in place on electrical equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Does electrical equipment have appropriate safety labeling present? (e.g., CSA certification)

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are there no acids or flammables in close contact with electrical ignition sources?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Additional Comments

• Have the deficiencies from previous safety inspections been addressed?

• Any additional comments?