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ANNEX 8. INTERNATİONAL BEST PRACTİCE İN SAFETY OF RESEARCH LABORATORİES²

Procurement / Transport

Minimize acquisition / quantity of hazardous materials, minimize storage time needed Identify mechanism of waste disposal before acquisition For chemicals, have Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) accessible/confine deliveries to areas that are equipped to handle them (and train relevant personnel) Ensure container is intact and appropriately labelled (US regulations detail how hazardous materials have to be identified, packaged, marked, labelled, documented and placard) Transport in appropriate (secondary) containers Use triple packaging system for infectious and potentially infectious substances Adhere to international air transport regulations

Storage / Management

Inventory should have name as printed on the container For chemicals: include molecular formula for further identification and to provide a simple means of searching chemicals; include CAS (Chemical Abstract Service) registry number for unambiguous identification of chemicals despite the use of different naming conventions Source Size of container Hazard classification, as a guide to safe storage, handling, and disposal Date of acquisition, to ensure that unstable chemicals are not stored beyond their useful life, and Storage location Procedures Dispose of materials anticipated to not be needed within a reasonable time frame Use approved containers; make sure storage containers remain intact and sealed Dispose of chemicals prior to expiration date, monitor reactive chemicals Replace deteriorating labels before information is obscured or lost Follow regulations for safe storage in stockroom or lab Avoid storing chemicals on bench tops or lab hoods Store volatile chemicals in ventilated cabinet (near hood) If ventilation is not required, store in closable cabinet or on shelf with lip to prevent sliding Do not expose stored chemicals to heat or direct sunlight Observe all precautions regarding the storage of incompatible chemicals Provide vented cabinets beneath hoods for storing hazardous materials Use chemical storage refrigerators for storing chemicals Have fire protection system (sprinklers) Follow storage limits for flammable and combustible liquids Restrict access to storage facility

Protocols / Facilities for Use in Research

Wear and use appropriate personal protection materials to minimize exposure Wash hands Reduce the possibility of creating splashes or aerosols Contain in biological safety cabinets operations that generate aerosols Use good housekeeping Use mechanical pupating devices Promptly decontaminate work surfaces Never eat, ring, smoke, handle contact lenses, apply cosmetics, or take medicine in the lab Take special care when using sharps Keep lab doors closed when experiments are in progress Use secondary leak-proof containers to move or transfer cultures Decontaminate infectious waste before disposal Post appropriate warning signs Mark emergency equipment, maintain it, inspect it; list telephone numbers to call in case of accident Control access For Radioisotopes Use only in designated areas Allow the presence of essential staff only Use personal protective equipment Monitor personal radiation exposures Use spill trays lined with disposable absorbent materials Limit radionuclide quantities Shield radiation sources Mark radiation containers with the radiation symbol, including radionuclide identity, activity, and assay date Use radiation meters to monitor working areas, protective clothing, and hands after completion of work Use appropriately shielded transport containers Remove radioactive waste frequently from the working area Maintain accurate records of use and disposal of radioactive materials Screen dosimeter records for materials exceeding the dose limits Establish and regularly exercise emergency response plans In emergencies, assist injured persons first Clean contaminated areas thoroughly Write and keep incident reports For Animal laboratories Require good microbiological techniques Establish policies and protocols for all operations and for access to vivarium Establish appropriate medical surveillance program and supervision for staff Prepare and adopt safety or operations manual Post warning signs Decontaminate work surfaces after use Use appropriate biological safety cabinets or isolator cages; handle and decontaminate animal bedding and waste materials appropriately Transport material for autoclaving or incineration safely, in closed containers Treat, report, and record injuries

Training of Personnel

Employer develops Chemical Hygiene Plan containing (models available from U.S. government and from some professional societies) Employee information and training about the hazards of chemicals in the work area: How to detect their presence or release Work practices and how to use protective equipment Emergency response procedures Circumstances under which a lab operation requires prior approval from the institution Standard operating procedures for work with hazardous chemicals Criteria for use of control measures Measures to ensure proper operation of fume hoods and other protective equipment Provisions for additional employee protection for work with select carcinogens and toxins Provisions for medical consultations and examinations for employees Labs should establish their own safety groups at the department level (include students and support staff) Labs should provide training in safety and waste management for all lab workers, including students in laboratory classes Labs should incorporate institutionally supported lab and equipment inspection programs into their overall health and safety programs Review exit / evacuation routes Know how to report fire, injury, chemical spill, or summon emergency response Know first aid Know location and use of emergency equipment such as safety showers and eyewashes Know location and use of fire extinguishers and spill control equipment (have appropriate kits readily available) Lab personnel should establish ongoing relationships and clear lines of communication with emergency response teams Include information on safe methods for highly hazardous procedures commonly encountered by lab personnel that involve: Inhalation risks Ingestion risks Risks of percutaneous exposures Bites and scratches when handling animals Handling of blood and other potentially hazardous pathological materials Decontamination and disposal of infectious material

Segregation / Triage of Waste

Multi-hazardous waste – goal is reduction of waste to a waste that presents a single hazard. Consider frequency and amount of waste generated; assess risk Identify / characterize waste: Physical description Water reactivity Water solubility pH and possibly neutralization information ignitability / flammability presence of oxidizer presence of sulfides / cyanides presence of halogens presence of radioactive materials presence of biohazardous materials presence of toxic constituents Minimize waste’s hazards Determine options for management of hazards If appropriate, take steps to neutralize waste or render it non-hazardous When possible, select a single management option Establish procedures for dealing with unstable waste, or waste that requires special storage or handling Store safely: Designated room or facility modified to contain the waste (with ventilation and effluent trapping) Protect workers Minimize risk of fire or spill Minimize radiation levels outside of area Consider compatibility of materials being accumulated (e.g., aqueous and non-aqueous waste should be separated) Give particular attention to the handling or cleaning of radioactive laboratory ware, and to the proper disposal of sharps. Non-contaminated (non-infectious) waste can be reused or recycled or disposed of as general waste Contaminated (infectious) sharps – collect in puncture-proof containers fitted with covers and treated as infectious; autoclave if appropriate Contaminated material for decontamination by autoclaving and thereafter washing and reuse or recycling Contaminated material for direct incineration

Disposal

No activity should begin unless a plan for the disposal of hazardous waste has been formulated Use appropriate disposal method for each category of waste Use appropriate containers Label and securely close waste containers Separate wastes as appropriate For low level radioactive waste, options include Storage time for decay and indefinite on site storage, Burial at a low-level radioactive waste site, Incineration, or Sanitary sewer disposal For biological waste, options include Disinfection Autoclaving For liquids, disposal in sanitary sewer; putrescible waste disposed of by incineration; needles and sharps require destruction, typically by incineration or grinding Collection and storage of waste At satellite area near lab: should be clearly identified, ventilated if necessary determine whether to recycle, reuse, or dispose hold here for less than one year; when containment volume limits reached, move to central accumulation area – package appropriately At central accumulation area: separate according to compatibility, commingle solvents when appropriate label clearly, store in appropriate containers limit storage time to 90 days (ensure that employees are trained to handle waste materials as well as contingency planning for emergencies) When transporting, make provisions for spill control in case of accident; have internal tracking system to follow movement of waste Ensure that all necessary records have been generated (Quantities and identification of waste generated and shipped; Documentation and analyses of unknown materials; Manifests for waste shipping as well as verification of waste disposal; Any other information required to ensure compliance and safety from long-term liability) Disposal options: Incineration – is method of choice for most wastes, but is most expensive Normal trash – only where appropriate, must be clearly identified and appropriately labelled Sanitary sewer – not commonly used; solutions must be aqueous and biodegradable, or low toxicity inorganics – make sure sewer doesn’t drain into water supply inappropriate for waste disposal, and make sure waste is highly diluted Release to the atmosphere – not acceptable; fume hoods must have trapping devices to prevent discharge to atmosphere If hazardous and non-hazardous wastes are mixed, entire waste volume must be treated as hazardous Preparation for transport to a treatment, storage, and disposal facility (TSDF) Waste generator must obtain assurance (in terms of documentation, permits, records) that provider is reliable For infectious material Decontaminate, autoclave, or incinerate in lab Package appropriately (for incineration or for transfer to another facility for incineration) Protect against hazards to others to those who might come in contact with discarded items