The Director of Laboratory Animal Resources (DLAR) is the coordinator of the facility program acting as the representative of President Royce Engstrom who has overall responsibility for the UM programs.
Each employee in LAR will be apprised of the substance and content of the OSHA HCS, the hazardous properties of chemicals they work with, and measures to take to protect themselves from these chemical hazards.
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
The Facility Manager will maintain an MSDS notebook on every hazardous substance in use by LAR. The MSDS will consist of a fully completed OSHA form 174 or equivalent. The Facility Manager will ensure that the MSDS notebook is maintained and located at the entrance to animal facilities in the Health Sciences Building (HSB) and the Skaggs Building (SB).
Labels and Other Forms of Warning
It is the responsibility of each LAR staff member to ensure that all hazardous chemicals in the facility are properly labeled. Labels should list the chemical identity, appropriate hazard warning and manufacturer or responsible party.
Immediate use containers (small containers into which materials are dispensed for use on that shift by the employee dispensing the material) do not require labeling. All other in-house containers must be properly labeled and is the responsibility of the LAR staff member who dispenses the material into the container.
Chemical Hazards
The MSDS notebook is located in the right-to-know compliance center in the main corridor just inside each animal facility entrance.
The primary chemicals used in LAR in large quantities are associated with the cage washer and are stored in the dirty cage washing area. An emergency eye wash station is located in the dirty cage washing areas of both HSB and SB. Diluted household bleach is used for cleaning floors, and a diluted pH-balanced chloride-containing disinfectant (MB-10) is used for cleaning surfaces such as table tops and stainless steel surfaces. Walls and ceilings are cleaned with quaternary ammonium chlorine.
Isoflurane anesthesia is used in some procedure rooms. Doors are either marked clearly with a yellow hazard sign or allow only very limited access. Anesthetic gases are scavenged either actively through house vacuum or passively using charcoal canisters.
Some research projects in LAR facilities involve the exposure of animals to very low levels of potentially hazardous substances such as arsenic, lead, asbestos, and silica, TCDD and MPTP. The rooms housing animals involved in these projects are well-marked by a magnetized yellow sign on each door.
Training and Procedures to Protect Against Hazards
All LAR employees will receive initial training by the Facility Manager or DLAR on the OSHA HCS and the safe use of hazardous materials in LAR. Additional training will be provided by the Facility Manager for all staff whenever a new hazardous material is introduced into the work area.
Training will emphasize the following:
The chemical properties of certain hazardous material including visual appearance and odor.
Physical and health hazards associated with potential exposure to work place chemicals or other hazards.
Procedures to protect against chemical and biological hazards
Protective clothing/equipment may include (but are not limited to):
safety goggles
respirators
latex laboratory gloves
lab coats or disposable jumpsuits
BSL-2 hoods
proper ventilation
Procedures to protect against hazards include (but are not limited to):
wear the correct protective clothing/equipment for the job
read all labels, and never place or use chemicals in an unlabeled container
never mix chemicals, or reuse empty containers
use common sense
Emergency procedures include (but are not limited to):
eye wash stations are located in the cage wash rooms in HSB and SB; flush eyes for 15 minutes and seek medical attention
wash skin with water (or check MSDS for other potential wash solutions)
report all accidents, chemical exposures, and unsafe conditions to the Facility Manager or DLAR as soon as possible
Hazardous chemical spill and leak procedures.
Spills that can be readily cleaned up by LAR personnel
wear gloves
wear protective clothing if necessary
keep area ventilated
use caution with broken glass
wipe up area with paper towels and place towels into biohazard bag
clean area thoroughly
Spills that may threaten life, health or property or spills where trained people and/or proper clean-up equipment are not available within the lab or work area.
Before calling and reporting a biohazard spill, consider the following:
Personal exposure. If the spill may cause personal injury to yourself or others, vacate the area.
Containment. If it is feasible to stop the spill from spreading or going into a floor drain by containment, do so.
Prevent access. If others might come to harm by entering the area, prevent access to the area.
Assessment. If you can do so without exposing yourself, determine the type of material spilled and the extent of the spill.
Injuries. Determine the type and extent of injuries, if applicable.
In the event of a hazardous materials spill or leak, the following should be notified in descending order until one of them is reached: Dan Corti 243-2881 Wk 549-5943 Hm< 544-1638 cell< Kay Altenhofen 243-4503 Wk 544-1636 cell
In the unlikely event that none of the above can be reached, call 9-911 and ask that the Health Officer on Call be dispatched to the scene. Do this only if it appears that the risk is imminent and that sealing off the area is not sufficient.
Location of MSDS notebooks, understanding the MSDS form, and obtaining and using appropriate chemical hazard information.
Short-term Users Such as Contractors and Visitors
Located at the entrance to each animal facility is a file containing an Occupational Health and Safety letter from the Vice President of Research and the DLAR. This letter contains information regarding chemical hazards and other hazards within the animal facility that will be useful to short-term users.
Additional Information
If you have any questions regarding the LAR Hazard Communication Program, please contact the DLAR at 243-6344.
