All About Safety

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Protective Clothing

In the laboratories, it is ALWAYS mandatory to wear a closed lab coat and safety goggles during all procedures. Special caution is required when handling liquid polyacrylamide (casting SDS-PAGE gels) and when working with acids or bases. In such cases, gloves must be worn in addition to the lab coat and goggles.

Gas

Lab gas is centrally stored in Room ML in a safety cabinet. The gas supply should be turned off in the evening using the key switch. After completing gas-related work at the lab benches, the gas shut-off valve must be closed.

Sharp Objects

• ‘’‘Needles/Razor Blades/Scalpels’’’ Exercise caution when working with these tools due to injury risk. Do NOT re-cap used needles—dispose of them immediately. These items must be discarded in clearly labeled yellow plastic containers (single-use). One container is located in the cold room, another under Fume Hood II. • ‘’‘Pasteur Pipettes’’’ Pasteur pipettes should be collected in large, yellow plastic containers (reusable), labeled “Nur Pasteurpipetten / Pasteur Pipettes ONLY”. One container is located in each cell culture lab and one in the cold room. Please DO NOT dispose of other sharp items (scalpels, razor blades, needles, etc.) in these containers, as the contents will be autoclaved and then treated as glass waste. • ‘’‘Glass Bottles/Broken Glass’’’ Broken glass and empty lab glass bottles should be disposed of in the designated containers.

Training by Lab Supervisors

‘’‘Working in the Cell Culture Lab’’’

Fluorescence Microscope: xxx

‘’‘Working in the S2 Lab (Infection Lab)’’’

xxx

‘’‘Working at the RNA Workstation’’’

xxx

‘’‘Microscopy – Marleen’’’

‘’‘Varioscan – Erik’’’

‘’‘Casy Cell Counter’’’

‘’‘TFA’’’

Accidents

On your first visit to the lab, familiarize yourself with the emergency equipment (emergency showers, eye wash stations, fire extinguishers, safety switches), emergency numbers (on the phone next to the elevator), first aid kit (also next to the elevator), and escape routes.

In case of eye contact with chemicals/pathogens: Immediately rinse eyes using the eye wash station, then notify a first responder (Phone number: ‘’‘2222’’’).

In case of skin/lab coat contact with chemicals, or clothing fire:

Use the emergency showers in the hallway or lab.

For injuries or cuts: Contact a first responder.

In case of spilled solutions or pathogens: Mark and secure the accident site immediately, then begin decontamination or inactivation.

Fire: Memorize escape routes and the designated assembly point.

Centrifuges

Centrifuges may only be operated after instruction by the responsible person (Susanne Feindler-Boeckh). Always balance centrifuge tubes—pre-filled balancing tubes are provided with many centrifuges. Not all tubes are compatible with all rotors. Ensure proper fitting and NEVER force containers into the rotor. Ultracentrifuge rotors must always be operated with ALL buckets in place and properly positioned. Special safety instructions apply when centrifuging suspensions of human-pathogenic bacteria.

Ethidium Bromide

DNA staining of agarose gels must be done exclusively in the darkroom using the designated staining/destaining baths. Nitrile gloves are provided there for this specific purpose and MUST NOT be used outside the darkroom. One gloved hand is sufficient, allowing the ungloved hand to operate clean objects (e.g., main power switch).

The water in the destaining bath must be replaced regularly (at least daily). The used solution can be poured into the sink and replaced with deionized water (DI water).

Hazardous Substances

Current safety regulations must be followed when handling hazardous substances. Specific precautions include:

‘‘Paraformaldehyde’’: Must be weighed under the fume hood while in solid form.

‘‘Mercaptoethanol solutions’’: Must only be handled under the fume hood.

‘‘Flammable and volatile substances (methanol, ethanol)’’: Stocks must be stored in a safety cabinet. Small quantities (daily use) may be kept in labeled containers at the bench.

‘‘Phenol and phenol-containing solutions’’: Must only be handled under Fume Hood II. Special waste containers for liquid and solid/flammable phenol waste are also located there.

Acrylamide: [Consider adding handling instructions]

Waste Disposal

Waste from toxic chemicals, dyes, and fixatives must be collected separately in labeled containers (canisters and bottles) before being properly disposed of via the chemical waste facility.

Occupational Health Examinations

Each employee must undergo a medical examination by the company physician once per year. An initial appointment is arranged through Petra Schnurr when employment begins. All subsequent annual appointments must be scheduled independently. A copy of the fitness certificate must be submitted to the secretariat (Petra Schnurr) after the examination.

Safety Instructions

General safety training on biological safety is conducted once a year by Stefan Kreft, the university’s biological safety officer. Additional workplace-specific safety instruction is held once a year in connection with the VTK. Both are mandatory. A safety briefing and lab orientation must also be completed at the start of employment.