PAL Lab Safety Checklist

• Lab Director/Principal Investigator

• Conducted on

  Date

• Prepared by

• Location
  Address

Training and Documentation

• Up-to-date inventory maintained for all hazardous materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical Safety Data Sheets (SDS) maintained and readily available at all times employees are present?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Workplace hazard assessment and certification completed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab workers received institutional safety training (typically provided by Environmental Health and Safety office) and supplemental laboratory-specific safety training for the hazards present in the laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab workers are familiar with physical and health hazards of chemicals in work area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab workers able to describe how to detect the presence or release of hazardous materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab workers know how to protect themselves and others from effects of hazardous materials?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical hygiene plan readily available and laboratory workers are familiar with it?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Spill and Emergency Planning

• Lab workers familiar with the fire safety and building evacuation procedures including evacuation routes, nearest fire exits, fire alarm pull stations, and fire extinguishers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Emergency procedures and phone numbers clearly posted?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• First aid materials readily available and up-to-date?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Required "antidotes" or special first aid materials available (e.g., hydrofluoric acid requires calcium gluconate)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Spill clean-up materials available and laboratory staff are familiar with their use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Safety shower and eyewash station accessible within 10 seconds?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Safety shower tested and documented within past year?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Eyewash tested, flushed and documented at least monthly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Fire alarm pull stations, strobes, speakers, and fire extinguisher unobstructed and visible?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Exits clearly marked and unobstructed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Personal Protection Clothing, Equipment and Engineering Controls

• Personnel wear shoes that fully cover feet and full length clothing to protect legs?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Long hair, jewelry, lanyards and other loose articles are confined or removed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab coats of appropriate material available and worn?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appropriate gloves available and worn?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appropriate types of eye and face protection (e.g., goggles, face shields, etc.) available and worn?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Reference: Lab PPE to be worn.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical hood available?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical hood free of clutter?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical hood inspected within last 12 months and capable of drawing at least 100 lfpm (or more or less, as designed)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Flow indicator is present and working?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Perchloric acid operations conducted in special wash-down hoods?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological safety cabinet available?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological safety cabinet free of clutter and surfaces are decontaminated?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological safety cabinet certified within last 12 months?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Mechanical pipetting used, no mouth suction?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Chemical Safety

• Are chemicals used in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appropriate labels are found on all containers of hazardous chemicals?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Containers are in good conditions (e.g., labels intact, metal containers free of rust) are closed when not in use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Containers properly segregated by hazard class (e.g., flammables away from oxidizers, acids separate from bases, incompatible acids separated)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Storage of chemicals above eye level is avoided?<br>

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Flammable liquids stored in OSHA/NFPA approved cabinets and safety containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Flammable liquids requiring refrigeration stored in either explosion-proof or flammable-resisitant refrigerators and freezers (e.g., no regular refrigerators)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Ignition sources avoided when using/storing flammables?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Corrosives stored in acid cabinets or other appropriate cabinets?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Peroxide-formers properly labeled and inventory tracked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Picric acid sufficiently wet?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Large containers (4L or greater) stored near the floor?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Bottle carriers or carts utilized when transporting hazardous chemicals between work areas?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• High hazard chemicals used or stored in lab?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Proper signs delineate designated areas where high hazard chemicals are used?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Designated area properly cleaned and decontaminated?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Biological Safety

• Are biological materials used in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological materials are not stored in hallways in unlocked freezers or refrigerators.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biohazard signs are posted in labs handling infectious materials (BSL2 and higher).

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Disinfectants are on hand for sanitizing bench tops and treating spills.

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological safety cabinets are available as needed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Radiation Safety

• Are radioactive materials used in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are meters calibrated?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all spaces and items used in radioactive materials research labeled correctly?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is the radioactive material storage refrigerator or freezer properly labeled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are vials of radioactive materials within a refrigerator or freezer stored in a proper "lock box"?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Compressed and Cryogenic Gas Safety

• Are compressed gas cylinders used in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cylinders stored upright and properly secured at all times?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cylinder caps properly secured when cylinders are not in use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Regulators always used, proper regulators used for the gas type, pressure bled when not in use?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cylinders in good condition and clearly marked?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Flammables stored separately from oxidizers, toxics in secure area, etc.?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cylinders of flammable gases stored in ventilated enclosures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cylinders moved on cylinder trucks with regulators removed and caps secured?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cylinders of gases with NFPA health hazard rating of 3 or 4 with no physiological warning properties are stored in continuously ventilated enclosures?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are cryogenics gases or liquids used in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Cryogenic gas pressure relief valves in proper working condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Face shields and cryo gloves available for transferring cryogenic liquids?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Oxygen monitor available in areas with increased likelihood of oxygen-deficient atmosphere?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Equipment and Physical Hazards Safety

• Are equipment safety signs posted and in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are all guards and shields in place and secured?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are safe work practices (long hair tied back, no loose clothing, etc.) being adhered to by all equipment users?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is equipment in good repair with evidence of proper maintenance?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are electrical cords in good condition, out of travel paths, and free of any cracks or breaks in insulation?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is proper PPE available and in use by equipment operators?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is a tagging system in place to prevent use of damaged equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is access to equipment restricted?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have all users been trained to operate this equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are any additional or new hazards present at or around the equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have the new or additional hazards been evaluated and documented and have users been made aware of them?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Have there been modifications to the equipment?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Has the equipment been evaluated to determine if new or additional hazards are present?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

General Laboratory Safety

• Eating, drinking and smoking prohibited in lab?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab is maintained secure; door is locked when no one is in lab?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Area conforms to definition of a laboratory?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Appropriate warning signs posted near lab entrance?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Unobstructed aisles maintained at least 36 inches wide throughout area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Lab benches and work areas free of clutter?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Shelves and cabinets in good condition?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Shelves have seismic restraints, e.g., lips or wires?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Shelves and cabinets secured to walls?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Storage above eye level minimized and items restrained from falling?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Refrigerators and freezers clearly labeled "Not for storage of food for human consumption"?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• No storage of food or drink in refrigerators, unless dedicated for such and clearly labeled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Waste Management

• Wastes are not discarded via trash or drain disposal unless specifically approved by the appropriate institutional authority (e.g., Environmental Health and Safety)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Chemical inventory management/ordering system in place and checked before ordering new chemicals?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is hazardous chemical waste generated in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Satellite accumulation area near point of generation?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste containers tightly closed unless actively adding or removing waste?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Maximum satellite storage area capacity not exceeded (e.g., 55 gallons per hazardous waste stream or 1 quart of acutely hazardous waste)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste container is marked with the words "Hazardous Waste"?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste containers is marked with full chemical names identifying the contents stored inside (no abbreviations or formulas)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste containers kept closed except when adding waste?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Waste containers storing liquid hazardous waste at or near sinks and drains are stored within secondary containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Secondary containment is in good condition (e.g., free of cracks, gaps and impervious to leaks)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is sharps waste (e.g., needles, syringes, scalpel blades, or other instruments that have the potential to cut, puncture, or abrade skin) generated in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Sharps wastes are immediately discarded into proper puncture-resistant containers?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Sharps containers are readily available and managed appropriately (e.g., not overfilled)?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is biological waste generated in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological waste liquids are decontaminated (if applicable) prior to drain disposal?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Biological solids discarded as regulated medical waste and autoclaved or disinfected as appropriate?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is radioactive waste generated in this area?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Is mixed waste (e.g., scintillation vials and any other radioactive and hazardous chemical waste mixture) generated in this area and properly managed?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

• Are the radioactive waste containers properly labeled?

  Yes

  No

  N/A

Additional Comments

• Additional comments/observations: