- Welcome to the Biotechnology Program

and your first day of laboratory class.

My name is Sarah Leonard,

and I'm the Laboratory Manager in the BIT Program.

It's my responsibility to go over

all the safety protocols every semester

to make sure that everyone's on the same page

about how to handle our microorganisms

and biological agents in a safe manner.

You have been given an informed consent sheet

that outlines the specific biological agents

that you will be working with,

how to handle them, and what to do

in case of infection or contamination.

Here in BIT we have four lab spaces

which are each rated up to a biosafety level two.

That rating comes with specific requirements

for personal protective equipment,

lab features, and decontamination.

Personal protective equipment is the first defense

against anything that you might

come in contact with while in the laboratory.

In our labs you're required to wear

safety glasses, gloves, lab coats,

closed-toed shoes, and long pants.

Safety glasses protect your eyes against splashes.

They also keep you from accidentally rubbing your eyes

with unwashed or gloved hands.

Safety glasses should be worn at all times

while in the laboratory.

Do you wear eyeglasses?

Try a wide pair.

Please make sure to find a pair of safety glasses

that work for you.

If you can't let me know and we'll help you

find a pair that fits.

There are gloves in every lab in at least two places.

Make sure to wear gloves whenever

you are touching your experiments or equipment

in the lab, but remember to take them off

and wash your hands before leaving the room.

If your gloves are contaminated or torn

dispose of them right away in the biohazard bins

and get a new pair.

Don't try to wash them.

Gloves are not as expensive as your safety.

Lab coats are worn during all activities in the lab.

We use disposable lab coats which are replaced

every eight weeks of class.

They come in a wide range of sizes.

Try to find a size that fits for you.

Do not wear gloves or lab coats in common areas

like the kitchen or the bathroom.

The one exception is going in between the labs

or getting ice for ice baths.

Lab coats are stored in designated drawers

at your assigned station.

At the end of each lab take off your lab coat

and store it in your drawer

so that it's there for you to use the next class.

If your lab coat is torn or contaminated

make sure to dispose of it and get a clean one

to use the next time.

It is absolutely essential to wear proper shoes in the lab.

This means shoes that cover the front

and back of your foot.

Sneakers are ideal.

If you do not wear the right shoes to lab

you will be asked to leave.

If you have long hair

or if you have dangling jewelry or loose clothing,

please make sure to tie them back out of the way.

This is for your protection

as well as your experiment's protection.

You don't want to contaminate your experiment

or accidentally take your work home with you.

There is no food, gum, candy, or drinks in the lab,

including water.

This also includes snacks that you may have

stored in your book bag.

Don't let them go through the doorway.

We have carts outside the labs

where you may store your food during the lab period,

or down the hallway there's a kitchen area.

You are welcome to store your food

in the refrigerator or on the shelves in the kitchen.

Cell phones and other personal items

are the most common vectors for contamination.

We encourage you to use your cell phone

to take pictures of your experiments

for documentation in your lab reports.

But, if you're going to handle a personal item,

please take off your gloves and wash your hands.

That way you eliminate that possibility of accidentally

transferring some sort of contaminant

to your cell phone, which you might later

transfer to yourself when you go to use your cell phone.

You also want to avoid touching your face,

and that also includes not messing

with your contacts or biting your fingernails.

Please make sure to store your bags

either in the provided cubbies or in the kick-outs

up underneath your bench tops.

This ensures that no one trips

over a loose backpack strap.

We don't want anyone ending up on the floor.

Take a look around you.

Familiarize yourself with where things are in the lab.

Make note of where to find the eye wash,

safety shower, the hand-washing sinks,

fire extinguisher, and emergency exits.

Every lab is equipped with an eye wash

and a safety shower.

This is case you should have a splash in your eye

or in the case of the safety shower, on your body.

They are tested weekly to ensure

that they run properly and that there is nothing

caught up in the water lines.

The showers are for large spills on the person

and the eye washes are to rinse out small

spills or particulates in your eyes.

Please note, though, there are no drains

around these, so they are for emergency use only.

We try to minimize the use of sharps

in our classes, but you may still

come across some broken glass or plastic.

If you do have a sharp, your TA will help you

dispose of it in the red biohazard containers

that say "Sharps" on them.

Do not throw away sharp objects in the normal trash cans.

If there is a spill please notify your TA

or myself or one of your instructors,

so that we can help you clean it up properly.

If it's just a small spill you can clean that up

with some paper towels and disinfectant,

but still let your TA or instructor know

so that we can make sure everything

is cleaned up as it should be.

All contaminated materials, including anything

biological, should be disposed of

in a biohazard waste container.

Every lab has a large red biohazard waste container

for larger materials.

This includes things like agar plates.

On every benchtop is a smaller orange biohazard container.

This can be used to dispose of small objects

like your pipette tips,

micro-centrifuge tubes or chem wipes.

You can use this during your lab

and at the end of lab you can close the lid

and leave it there as long as your bag

is less than half full.

If your bag is more than half full,

please take the inner plastic bag out,

throw it in the big red biohazard container,

and replace it with a clean bag

that your TA can help you find.

You're expected to use the provided pens

for marking things and taking notes.

These pens are recognizable because

they have the same color scheme

as the TA and Lab Instructor coats of tie-dye.

If you are wearing gloves and touching

your experiment only use these pens.

Writing utensils are a personal item

just like your cell phone,

and pens are also common vectors for contamination.

So while you're in the lab use the provided pens

and please leave them here at the end of the day.

Labeling might seem like an odd topic

for a safety presentation but over the course

of your class you're gonna be creating

samples that you don't wanna lose.

Be mindful that we have up to six sections

of one lab running at any time,

so if you do not label your containers properly

it could get mixed up with someone else's and be lost.

Your whole semester's worth of work will be gone with it.

So when you store your experiments

in containers, label them carefully.

Make sure to include your initials,

the date, your lab section, and any other descriptive

information you can give about the contents.

In many of our classes we use the UV light

to see tagged proteins.

Exposure to UV light can cause skin cancer.

You can protect yourself by covering up

exposed skin and wearing your safety glasses

whenever using the UV light.

Each machine has a UV shield that should be used

when the light is turned on.

As an option we also have full face masks

available for students, although they are not required.

There are seven steps you need to take

before you leave lab at the end of the day.

First, disinfect your bench.

Each lab has a disinfectant called Decon Conflikt.

Spray it on your benchtop and let it sit there

for three to five minutes.

Then spray ethanol over the same area

and use a paper towel to wipe off

the disinfectant residue.

Turn off all equipment and unplug

everything but the laptops.

Unplugging equipment reduces their potential

as fire hazards.

Empty your benchtop biohazard bag

if it's over half full.

If it's less than half full

you may leave it there for the next person

to come in and use.

Take off your lab coat and store it

in your designated drawer, or, if it's contaminated

or torn, you may dispose of it

and get a new one for the next lab.

Remove your gloves, dispose of them

in the biohazard bins, and thoroughly wash your hands

before leaving the laboratory.

If there is an emergency during one of our labs,

stay calm and make your way

to the nearest exit.

There are two evacuation exits on this floor,

one on each end of the hallway.

There is one stairwell next to the autoclave room

which leads out to the back of the building.

Consider this the secondary exit.

If you are able, we prefer that you use

the front stairwell by the elevators

and rest rooms.

We will use the front exit for meeting purposes.

If a fire alarm sounds, stop your work

and remove your PPE.

Leave your gloves and lab coat

at your station, exit the building

using one of the two evacuation routes,

and meet in front of Jordan Hall.

Try to find your instructor or TA

so that they can take roll and ensure

that everyone made it out of the building safely.

If you are concerned about your physical ability

to leave the building during an emergency,

please come see me and we will discuss

a personal safety plan for you.

If you have any questions about your safety

in the lab, please come see me in my office

in room 6119.

Or ask your TA or instructor and we will make sure

to get your questions answered.

Thanks for watching, and from all of us

here at BIT we hope you guys have