Welcome to this Newsletter!
Our purpose is to share important health and safety information with labs via Laboratory Safety Coordinators (LSCs), Lab Managers, PIs, or Staff Leads who oversee safety in research spaces, including shared facilities. Please distribute this newsletter to your group members, or have them subscribe by emailing Susan Vleck, Assistant Director, Lab Safety, at sevleck@stanford.edu. If you believe you’ve received this in error and want to be removed, please do not click “unsubscribe”, as this will unsubscribe you from many different Stanford communications. Please email Susan Vleck to unsubscribe.
Lab Safety Coordinator Meeting
The following LSC meetings are scheduled. If you are the safety representative for your lab and cannot attend, please let the Research Safety Specialist listed know and send another lab member. Attendance will be recorded. If you would like to attend and haven’t received an invite, please contact the RSS.
List of scheduled meetings:
Dean of Research Institutes
- ChEMH/Neuro (Nick Pak)– Tuesday 3/18, 12-1 PM, Location TBD
- GLAM (Vincent Nguyen)–Tuesday 4/1, 11:30 AM – 1:30 PM, McCullough 335
- Spilker (Vincent Nguyen)–Wednesday 3/12, 10:30 – 11:30 AM, location TBD, zoom link TBD
- HEPL (Stuti Munshi)– Wednesday 3/19, 10 – 11:00 AM, PAB 232, Zoom link
- Clark Center (Nancy Young)– Thursday 3/30, 1-2 PM, Clark S360
School of Engineering (Jack Reidy)
- Tuesday 3/11, 11:30 AM – 12:30 PM, Durand 353, Zoom link
- Friday 3/14, 12:30 – 1:30 PM, Shriram SB33, Zoom link
School of Humanities and Sciences
- Biology (Vincent Nguyen & Rezahn Abraha)– TBD
- Chemistry (chemistry-ehs@stanford.edu)–Thursday, 3/20/2025, 12-1:30pm, Chemistry Gazebo
- Physics (Stuti Munshi)– Wednesday 3/19, 10 – 11:00 AM, PAB 232, Zoom link
School of Medicine (Nancy Young)
- LSC meetings are scheduled as a quarterly webinar which is announced through an invitation via SoM Building Mailman listservs. These meetings may not have the same focus as items discussed here, so if you would like to attend an EH&S LSC meeting, please feel free to attend one of the ones listed here.
Stanford Doerr School of Sustainability (April Casper)
- Wednesday March 19th, 10am-11:30am, Mitchell B04 Conference Room
Hopkins Marine Station
- Please contact April Casper – TBD
Upcoming LSC Meeting Discussion Monthly Research Safety Spotlight Topics
Not sure where to start focusing your lab’s safety efforts? We’ve made it easy for you to take a deep dive into a small topic each month: Research Safety Annual Spotlight Topics. Over the course of a year, you’ll be able to work through all the safety areas! If you follow these monthly safety topics, your lab will be in good shape. Take a look at the monthly topics and bring some ideas that you’d like to share with other lab safety coordinators at the next LSC meeting – what works, what has been hard to implement and why, lessons learned, road blocks, advice for others that are new to the role.
New Research Safety Team Members
Rezahn Abraha is our new Research Safety Specialist. She has a background in Environmental Health, with experience in industrial hygiene and occupational health in both industry and academic settings. 
She earned her Master of Public Health in Environmental Health Sciences from UC Berkeley, where she focused on exposure assessments with a particular interest in community exposures to air and noise pollutants. Rezahn enjoys rock climbing, exploring Bay Area trails, and catching live music with family and friends. These activities keep her active, help her recharge, and give her a chance to discover new places and experiences.
Helpful Hints
All lab equipment runs the risk of malfunction, particularly as it ages. Hot plates run the risk of dramatic effects when certain malfunctions occur. Hot plates produced before 1984 lack certain modern safety features designed to prevent “runaway” heating. Modern equipment, while less likely to malfunction, still might experience problems, particularly if they have been damaged. One major malfunction that has been observed is the hot plate heating up despite being set into the “off” position. Another observed malfunction has been equipment going to maximum heating despite being set lower. The malfunctions can occur whenever a hot plate is plugged in.
Best Practices
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Consider whether a hot plate is necessary for the task.
- For large containers/relatively low temperatures, water baths are often more effective and safer.
- If only stirring is required, stir-only plates are an option.
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Do not heat a sealed vessel.
- If a container must be covered, cover it loosely so that pressure may be relieved.
- When turning hot plates off, make sure that you do not turn it too far, as some knobs can go back to “high.”
- Keep flammable materials including plastic materials away from hot plates whenever they are plugged in.
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Monitor the temperature of whatever you are heating.
- Always make sure the instrument reaches the proper temperature and does not overshoot.
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Do not leave a hot plate unattended.
- If this is impossible, post signage indicating that it is in use and what the intended temperature range is.
- Set an alarm on your phone to remind you to check on and turn off the heating element.
- Unplug equipment when not in use.
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When possible, avoid using hot plates in conditions known to degrade equipment, such as damp, cold, or corrosive atmospheres.
- If it is impossible to avoid such exposure, monitor equipment closely to ensure it is functioning appropriately.
- Cold rooms are particularly known to degrade equipment; if possible, replace combination hot plate/stirrers in cold rooms with stir-only equipment.
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Test your hot plate, if it fails any of the following, then the unit should be removed from service:
- If the temperature and/or on/off dial rotates 360 degrees without a stop.
- If the hot plate is difficult to determine whether it’s on or off.
- If the hot plate’s unit control panel is defaced.
- If the hot plate was manufactured before 1984 – they lack certain modern safety features designed to prevent “runaway” heating.
- Replace old, damaged, and/or malfunctioning units specifically from this list: Corning models PC-35, PC-351, PC-200, PC-220, PC-320, PC-400D, PC-420, PC-420D, VWR 7×7 aluminum top, Fisher Isotemp 11-600-49H have been noted to malfunction – for the full list click on the DCHAS reference below.
- If your hot plate has both a stir and heat knob, you may request your RSS to come to your lab and mark the heat knob with a red paint pen to easily identify the heat vs. stir function.
Penn EHRS Hot Plate Malfunctions and Misuse Safety Alert
DCHAS Publication – Catching up with Runaway Hot Plates
University of Michigan EH&S Safety Alter: Hot Plates Manufactured prior to 1984
Hazardous Waste Tag Label Reminder
Waste Tag is Stanford’s online platform designed for:
- Generating labels for hazardous waste containers
- Requesting pickup of these containers from labs and non-research facilities
Lists of non-hazardous chemical wastes: At one time EH&S had an alphabetical listing of chemicals determined to be non-hazardous wastes on their website. The list has been removed and hopefully will be re-released after aligning with the new Palo Alto Sewer Use Ordinance. If you have any questions about certain waste streams and how they need to be handled, contact your RSS listed above.
Safety Store Changes
Have you visited Stanford’s Safety Store lately? Recently the store orders have been changed to pick up only. If you put in a request, be prepared to pick up from the EH&S Office – located at 484 Oak Road.
Lab Incidents: Recent Highlights
A researcher was reconfiguring an air table to use a high-pressure compressed gas cylinder of nitrogen to float the table. They attached a slip joint connected to plastic tubing to the regulator outlet, opened the cylinder, and set the regulator to 125 psi. They put their ear close to the joint to listen for leaks, but the slip joint was blown off by the high pressure and the researcher’s eye was obliquely hit by the pressure wave. Their eye was sore and their vision distorted, but they drove themselves to the Occupational Health Center, where they were treated. Key lessons learned are to always wear appropriate PPE (including eye protection) when handling compressed gases, use Swagelok instead of slip or friction joints, leak test using Snoop rather than listening, and to not drive yourself to medical care if you receive an eye injury.
Microtome and Cryostat Injuries Lessons Learned
This past year, the Biosafety and Lab Safety Teams launched an initiative to reduce injuries from microtomes and cryostats. The campaign involved outreach to high risk labs, the development of new signage, and providing some labs with cut-resistant gloves to use. One such lab took advantage of using the cut-resistant gloves and was able to subvert an injury and potential exposure.
In January, a laboratorian was using a vibrating microtome (vibrotome) to slice Hepatitis C positive human tissue samples. They were in the process of changing the blade and the blade was stuck to the machine, so the researcher tried to dislodge the blade using a screwdriver. The blade popped out suddenly, hitting the researcher’s finger. Upon first inspection, the researcher did not observe any evidence of a cut, but in the evening they noticed a small red mark and reported to OHC the following morning. Fortunately, since the researcher had been wearing full PPE, including cut-resistant gloves, the small wound was determined to just be a pressure mark from where the blade fell. Thanks to the proper use of PPE, the researcher was able to mitigate their risk of exposure to an infectious disease.
Tips for using a microtome and cryostat include:
- Review the Microtome Fact Sheet
- Wear cut resistant gloves
- Use a small brush or tweezers to remove tissue from the blade, never handle the blade directly with your fingers
- Never leave a used blade in the machine
- Employ the hand brake when adjusting the blade
- If you take a break between slices, ensure that the blade guard is up
This Lessons Learned document focuses on a classroom incident in which a small purpose-built ultracentrifuge failed. While the incident occurred in a classroom setting, many of the lessons apply to the lab environment in general. The shrapnel from the device injured a student’s hand, requiring stitches. It demonstrates the importance of reviewing the safety of the interim steps involved in a project-based course, not just the safety of the final product, as well as the importance of properly containing hazardous equipment.
Battery Fire Lessons Learned
This Lessons Learned document focuses on an incident in which a lithium polymer battery and its charger ignited during the charging process.
No one was injured, but the battery and charger were destroyed. It demonstrates the fire hazards associated with such batteries and associated equipment.
Reminders
Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP)
Were you aware that all labs that work with human blood or tissues are subject to CalOSHA Bloodborne Pathogens regulations? What does this mean for you? Even if your lab doesn’t have to submit an APB protocol to do work, you still must adhere to universal precautions for working with human tissues. These precautions include the following:
- Proper use of PPE (lab coat, gloves, and eye protection)
- Disposal of tissue as medical waste
- Safe needle practices
- Completion of annual bloodborne pathogen training (EHS-1600/1601)
This year, EH&S will be working towards improvement of Stanford’s BBP program. Please ensure that your lab is following the above standards, and reach out to the Assistant Biosafety Officer, Laura Taylor (taylorlm@stanford.edu), if you have any questions.
AAALAC Site Visit in March of 2025
Our Institutional AAALAC site visit is currently scheduled for March 10-14, 2025. APLAC will be helping labs prepare, but EH&S is also available if you have questions. EH&S resources include:
- Animal Research Occupational Health and Safety Program (AROSHP), which includes information on Lab Animal Allergies and Working Safely with Rodents and other species
- Laboratory Animal Occupational Health Program (LAOHP) for medical surveillance relating to animals, particularly Lab Animal Allergies
- For information on isoflurane, visit our Waste Anesthetic Gas Factsheet.
Hazardous Materials Self-Inspection
Reminder to conduct Q1 self-inspection in BioRAFT by March 31st.
Radioactive Material Users
- Quarterly Reports were due 2/1/2025. Here is the checklist we send in the reminder email to help guide you in Safety Stratus (SafeSU). Please remember to access your Compliance Calendar and “Complete” the event once you have followed the checklist. You can find this link in the email reminders from Safety Stratus.
- Monthly surveys must also be “Completed” in the Compliance Calendar section of Safety Stratus (SafeSU). This is the only way we know that you have completed your monthly surveys.
These tasks are a requirement of having a CRA and if they are not done when scheduled can result in a deficiency to your CRA. If you have any questions, please contact Health Physics at (650) 723-3201.
Was there something you wanted to see in this newsletter? Do you have general safety or EH&S questions? Are you curious to learn more or make suggestions about the LSC role? Let us know!
