Undergraduate Program

Laboratory Safety

Our department requires all lab workers to complete the Institute Environmental Health and Safety Training on Chemical Hygiene and Handling Hazardous Waste, along with any additional training that is provided by the laboratory in which the student will be working. For information, contact Prof. David K. Roylance, DMSE EHS Officer, at x3-3309 or Mr. Joseph A. Glogowski, Jr., the DMSE "EHS Coordinator" who serves as the liaison between the department and MIT's EHS, at x3-5386 and in room 6-112. Mr. Glogowski is a valuable resource for safety-related matters and should be contacted when questions arise.

All persons using DMSE research and teaching laboratories are required (by both Institute and government regulations) to receive appropriate training in chemical hygiene and safety, and to adhere to specified practices in the laboratory. (Laboratories in Building 13 used by DMSE fall under the auspices of the Center for Materials Science and Engineering, which manages the safety program there.) DMSE collaborates with the MIT Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Office in managing the Departmental safety program.

All persons at MIT who work in laboratories MUST complete the on-line EHS Training Needs Assessment, which will determine the training needed by the worker. DMSE requires at a minimum that all workers in Departmental laboratories must receive Chemical Hygiene (CHP) and also Managing Hazardous Waste (MHW) training. The CHP training is required only once, but if the person received the training several years ago they probably should update their training. The MHW training is required yearly. This training will be provided by EHS to Sophomores and new graduate students in live classroom form early in Fall Term; others wishing to take those classes may do so on a space-available basis. Persons who do not take classroom versions of the training will have to complete the on-line version.

The responsibility for implementing and documenting safety procedures and training in DMSE laboratories lies with the faculty principal investigators (PI's) to whom the laboratory is assigned. The PI will typically assign an "EHS representative" for each laboratory to act as the day-to-day coordinator and reporter for that facility. The list of PIs and EHS reps (pdf) is available on line.

The PI or EHS representative is required to perform a "Level I" inspection of their laboratory weekly. DMSE recommends but does not require that the results of this weekly inspection be documented, for instance on a form available from EHS (pdf). (Guidance on inspections and documentation available online (pdf).)

Twice each year, DMSE will perform a "Level II" inspection of each laboratory, and written records of these inspections will be retained by DMSE and EHS. The first of these will be conducted during Spring term 2004 and will be scheduled with the laboratory PI. Subsequent inspections will be unannounced. It is worthwhile for all laboratory workers to review the EHS guidance (pdf) for these inspections, and keep their workspace and procedures up to standard continuously.

In order to keep workers up to date with changes in EHS policy, once a year each PI or EHS representative is required to give a CHP lecture covering procedures in their laboratories.

Before beginning any lab work, new students and staff must have completed the EHS training, as well as any additional training provided by the individual lab they will be working in. Both the worker and the PI or EHS rep must sign a form (pdf) stipulating that specific lab training has been provided and agreed to, and that the worker has read the DMSE Chemical Hygiene and Safety Manual. This must be done before a lab key will be issued by the DMSE Academic Office.

Additional information on the specific aspects of laboratory safety and the management of this program within DMSE can be found in the DMSE Chemical Hygiene and Safety Manual. In addition, the Department has an Emergency Action Plan (pdf) describing procedures to be carried out in emergencies.

Injuries to MIT workers (including graduate students) must be reported to Human Resources (HR) and EHS by the PI or supervisor within 24 hours of the injury. This report may be made online. Serious injuries should be reported immediately to EHS at 2-3477.

Last updated August 17, 2007 .