Upholding safety standards is vital to secure the well-being of one's work, of fellow researchers, and of the surrounding environment. Here at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, we ensure these standards are met through training, monitoring, and maintaining organization.
For lab safety, we wore the following at all times while in the lab:
- Safety Goggles
- Fire Resistant Lab Coats
- Closed-toed Shoes
- Latex Gloves
Additionally, there was at least one biowaste bin in every room of the lab where biohazardous materials or disposable materials that came in contact with biohazardous materials were disposed of properly, separate from other waste. Other items that came in contact with biohazardous material were sterilized and reused. In addition, well marked eye-wash and shower stations and fire extinguishers were included in each room. Also, there were MSDS pages as an online resource that included safety precautions for each chemical found in the lab.
Every team member had to receive lab safety training through UNL's Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) services. We took a total of 6 safety modules including a Biosafety Level 1 course before we were allowed to work in the lab. All modules that required a quiz to be taken had to be completed with 80% proficiency. The modules are listed down below.
- EHS#1: Core - Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP)
- EHS#2: Core - Emergency Preparedness Training
- EHS#3: Chemical Safety Training
- Unit 1: OSHA Standards, Safety Data Sheets, Labels, and Door Postings
- Unit 2: Physical Hazards of Chemicals
- Unit 3: Health Hazards of Chemicals
- Unit 4: Hazard Mitigation
- EHS#4: Fire Extinguisher Training
- EHS#5 Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
- EHS#6 Biosafety Level 1
