Pharmacology research project guidance: Lab Rules

1. Wear lab coat at all times, lab coats should be identified with name and surname using a sticking label. Once you do not need it any more, remove the label and bring it to the autoclaving room.
2. Wear safety goggles at all times. If you wear prescription glasses, you must wear suitable safety goggles on top of your own prescription glasses. Or, get prescription safety goggles from the optometrist.
3. Where identified by risk assessment, appropriate gloves should be worn. Gloves must be removed before leaving the laboratory.
4. Appropriate clothing should be worn when working in the laboratory, this should include closed shoes and ideally trousers.
5. If your hair is long, wear it tied.

1. The first thing that you need to do before you plan any experiment is to contact the lab manager of the lab where you have been allocated and ask for an induction.
2. Write an SOP and COSHH for every experiment that you want to undertake in the lab if not already available. It should be approved by your supervisor.
3. Be sure that you have read and signed the SOP & COSHH for every apparatus that you need to use during your experiment. Some apparatus may have a formal induction, in this case, contact with the person in charge and ask for an appointment.
4. If you are unsure about how to undertake an experiment or use equipment – ask for help.
5. If an accident occurs please inform your supervisor (or nominated representative) immediately – do not be embarrassed.
6. Where identified by your risk assessment, work involving volatile and/or toxic chemicals should be performed in a fume cupboard.
7. Clean up your workstation and/or fume cupboard when finished. Replace the consumables that you have used and dispose the rubbish appropriately.
8. Keep your workplace clean and tidy at all times, you are responsible for this space in the lab.
9. Dispose the biological transparent rubbish bags when full
   1. Close them
   2. Bring them to ‘Dirty Sterilization’ room
10. Dispose the used tip containers (transparent vessel with wide red lid) when full:
    1. Close them
    2. Bring it to the “Dirty sterilization” room
11. Dispose the yellow bins (i.e. sharps, biohazards and others) and Glass Waste:
    1.  Close them and bring them down to the store.
12. Procedure for disposal of Sigma 5 L or Fisher 2.5 L bottles:
    1. Rinse the lid with water and place it in the appropriate bin.
    2. Scribble on the label with a pen and dispose of the bottle as follow:
       1. Fisher - general recycling glass bin downstairs in the store
       2. Sigma - Rinse them inside the fume extractor. If it is plastic bottle, bring it to the Sigma plastic bottle bin (near the liquid nitrogen storage unit next to the Chemistry store). If it is a glass bottle, bring it to the Sigma glass-recycling bin (behind the brick building).

Read the section on the right for more details on waste disposal.

Any lab visitor or occasional lab user has to read and sign the lab rules. Please, ask anybody new if they have read and signed these. If not, you can ask them to do it. If you do not feel comfortable giving a general lab induction, contact your supervisor, the lab manager or any other post-doc who will be able to do so.

If you have a visitor helping you in the lab, remember you will be responsible for them. Give the visitor a general induction and make sure they have read and signed the lab rules document. If you do not feel comfortable doing it, please, arrange a meeting with the lab manager or any other post-doc prior to start.

Solvent Waste - Segregated solvent waste (halogenated, non-halogenated, acidified solvent) is disposed via 10 L HDPE jerry Cans (available from SCFP Safety/Stores) - when 3/4 full contact SCFP Safety for collection.

Clinical waste - Place in yellow clinical waste box/bag (available from Stores) - seal when full and dispose in Yellow bin adjacent to stores.

Biological Waste - Place in autoclave bag (available from Stores) - seal when full and transfer to autoclave facility.

Sharps - Place in sharps bin (available from Stores) - when full, seal lid and transfer to Store 1.

Broken Glass (non-contaminated) - Place in white glass bin (available from Stores) - when full, seal and dispose in domestic waste skip.

Broken Glass (contaminated) - Contact SCFP Safety.

Unwanted/obsolete Chemicals - Contact SCFP Safety 

Equipment Disposal - Complete equipment disposal form and return to Paul Willis to arrange removal.

Domestic waste and Recycling - This is collected by Campus Services. Please note that domestic waste bins will not be emptied in laboratories if they contain gloves or other laboratory material.

For general advice on working in labs contact Health & Safety Officer, Steve Ablett.

For advice on your specific experiment and how/when to work in the lab contact the relevant technicians. Your supervisor should be able to advise you to contact.