Date: Thu, 17 Sep 2009 08:03:27 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
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From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Proactive Lab Safety in the News

Two news stories about about lab safety found by google...

=46rom Brown University
http://www.browndailyherald.com/violations-found-in-lisci-labs-1.1 879100

Violations found in LiSci labs

Sydney Ember
Senior Staff Writer
Published: Tuesday, September 15, 2009

Hazardous waste management inspections conducted in Sidney Frank Hall this summer uncovered violations in 10 biology and neuroscience laboratories, according to an Office of Environmental Health and Safety report, a copy of which was obtained by The Herald.

The labs were found to be in breach of container-management issues including improperly labeling waste depositories, displaying open hazardous waste containers, using inappropriate storage vessels, blocking laboratory egress and storing incompatible materials together.

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety conducts twice-yearly inspections of all research facilities, allowing labs to correct violations within a one-week time frame. But Henry Huppert, the University=92s environmental compliance officer, said some labs do not immediately resolve violations despite repeated citations.

=93Sometimes, it doesn=92t get communicated down to the lab staff,=94 Huppert said. =93Some people are right on it, and some people delay.=94

The June report =97 a joint effort led by Huppert and Director of Environmental Health and Safety Stephen Morin =97 was released less than a year after similar inspections at the University of California, Los Angeles failed to prevent a lab accident that resulted in the death of a research assistant. The lab where the accident occurred did not undertake the recommended corrective actions.

Despite examining reports from the UCLA accident =97 which occurred after similar inspections =97 Morin said his office has not changed its inspection process. =93We=92re still looking at that report,=94 he said. =93We convinced ourselves that we=92re okay with that, but it really comes down to practicing safe science.=94

(story continues on web site)

===
=46rom Salt Lake City, Utah

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/705330549/Hundreds -participate-in-mock-drills.html

Disaster drill involves hundreds
By Jewel Punzalan Allen
For the Deseret News
Published: Thursday, Sept. 17, 2009 12:29 a.m. MDT


TOOELE =97 Rick Spencer saw his share of emergencies as athletic trainer at Salt Lake City's Highland High School =97 but never gas inhalation.
On Wednesday, Spencer gave first aid to "victims" of a "lab explosion" at Tooele High School as part of the annual Chemical Stockpile Emergency Preparedness Program drill.

Greg Mahall, public-affairs chief of the U.S. Army Chemical Materials Agency, said the high school was one of three Tooele locations that staged mock drills, an annual operation which involved more than 600 people and several agencies from Tooele, Salt Lake and Utah counties.

In one morning, three mock disasters struck Tooele simultaneously: A truck crashed into a vehicle carrying mustard agent, resulting in fire, the scattering of cattle, and a town's evacuation; the county experienced a 5.5 magnitude earthquake; and the high-school lab blew up.



(story continues on web site)

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