Title Page

  • Site conducted

  • Name of Lab:

  • Conducted on:

  • Conducted by:

  • 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)?

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

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

  • No food or drink present in lab space

  • Are incident report forms being submitted for each incident?

  • Do people know where to find the SFU Laboratory Safety manual?

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

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

  • Are safety inspection records kept and maintained?

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

Training

  • Have all personnel attended the relevant EHS lab safety training sessions? Is it documented? (Needs to be done every 3 years)<br>-EHS Laboratory Safety Training<br>-EHS Safety Essentials<br>-COVID-19 Awareness and Safe Return to Work Training

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

Emergency & Fire

  • Are campus emergency numbers posted by the phone?

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

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

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

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

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

  • Is the fire extinguisher accessible and the seal intact?

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

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

  • 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.?

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

  • Is fully enclosed footwear worn inside the lab?

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

Housekeeping

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

  • Are fridges, hoods, ovens reasonably clean?

  • Are benches and sinks reasonably clean and uncluttered?

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

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

Fume hoods

  • Are fume hood sashes at recommended height?

  • Is front and back 15 cm of each fumehood clear for good airflow? Are they uncluttered?

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

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

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

Chemical Storage and Handling Safety

  • Is a hazardous materials inventory maintained?

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

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

  • 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)

  • Are all chemical containers legibly labeled for contents and hazard (WHMIS)?

  • Are chemicals stored in appropriate containers?

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

  • Are expired chemicals disposed of?

Equipment and Compressed Gases

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

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

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

  • Are compressed gas cylinders appropriately secured to a wall or bench with two points of contact with two chains?

  • Are all compressed gas cylinders properly capped or regulated?

  • Are all gas cylinders stored upright (especially corrosive gases)?

  • Are flammable gas cylinders located away from doors and electrical outlets?

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

  • 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?

Electrical Safety

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

  • Extension cords and power bars not excessively loaded?

  • 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

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

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

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

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

Additional Comments

  • Any additional comments?

The templates available in our Public Library have been created by our customers and employees to help get you started using SafetyCulture's solutions. The templates are intended to be used as hypothetical examples only and should not be used as a substitute for professional advice. You should seek your own professional advice to determine if the use of a template is permissible in your workplace or jurisdiction. You should independently determine whether the template is suitable for your circumstances.