Occupational Health and Safety.

We (OH&S and Employee Health) do not recommend the use of Backbelts because the evidence of their effectiveness in preventing back injuries is inconclusive. You might want to read the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) publication entitled BACK BELTS Do They Prevent Injury? to understand more fully the issues related to wearing Backbelts to prevent back injuries. The link for that document is: http://www.cdc.gov/niosh/backbelt.html

With any occupational task that involves exposure to stressors that can injure employees, the preferred ways to control any hazards are, in order of preference:

1. Engineering (For example, use mechanical lifting aids or require the manufacturer to package items in smaller boxes.)

2. Work Practices (Put boxes on carts for transport. Decrease the height of lift by storing heavier items approximately waist level.)

3. Administrative Controls (Training of employees, rotating employees so that they perform multiple task, or requiring two or more employees to lift certain heavy and/or awkward objects).

4. Personal Protective Equipment (There are no recognized Personal Protective devices for lifting task.)

When the Industrial Hygiene Division evaluates a lifting task, we use any combination of the above control measures (except personal protective equipment) to make the task safer.

If you have a task you want some help evaluating or have further questions, contact Skye Hartley at 686-5543 or by e-mail at SAHartley@uams.edu

It depends upon the type of material spilled (click on the appropriate link below):

• Blood or Body Fluid Spills

• Chemical, Chemotherapy Drug, Hazmat or Mercury Spills

• Radioactive Liquid Spills

You should keep the absolute minimum of material necessary to conduct your procedure in your fume hood. This will ensure that your fume hood can effectively capture and exhaust chemical fumes generated in the fume hood. The bottom line: Do not use a fume hood for chemical storage and remove excess equipment while it is being used.

It is important that the integrity of the secondary containment container is not compromised by the chemicals that are stored in them and that the containment volume will capture all of the liquids if the primary containers break. For most chemicals high density polyethylene (HDPE) or polypropylene (PP) plastic work well, are inexpensive, and relatively unbreakable. Ultimately, your choice depends on the chemicals you are storing.

If it is necessary to have an extremely accurate thermometer, it is acceptable to use a mercury thermometer. First, consider using an electronic device to measure temperature. If a mercury thermometer is necessary, please purchase one that is coated with teflon or plastic so that the mercury will be contained in case of breakage.

No food or drink can be stored or consumed anywhere in a laboratory in which hazardous chemicals or infectious agents are present. We also recommend against marking off a portion of the laboratory as a clean area; clean areas should be separated from chemical use space by walls and closed doors. Exceptions may be approved by OH&S on a case-by case basis.

Yes. Labels are critical for the safety of people working in the laboratories, people performing maintenance within the laboratory, and people who have to respond to emergencies in the laboratory. Since maintenance and emergency events are unpredictable, labels should be on chemical containers at all times. For something you use repeatedly, have completed labels on hand to attach and remove from containers as needed.

Yes, every container of a liquid, solid, or gas in the laboratory must be labeled completely with the full name of chemical, hazards and date. This is for the benefit of people who are working around you and people who may have to respond to an emergency in the laboratory.

Yes, there is one exception to this rule. If you have a container for ‘daily use’ which is filled in the morning and empty by the end of the work day then simply write ‘daily use’ rather than changing the date every day.

After the fire has been reported (alarm sounded) and assuming that you are capable, willing, have a charged extinguisher available and have been trained in it's use, you may attempt to extinguish a small fire, but then only if you can do so safely and with a clear path out behind you.

If you see or suspect a fire in an area, don't hesitate! Pull the building fire alarm and evacuate. NOTE: Some facilities within UAMS have specific procedures to be followed when the fire alarm is sounded instead of evacuation. These area-specific procedures should be followed.

Call Occupational Health and Safety at 686-5536 or Campus Operations Call Center at 686-5891.

Portable extinguishers must be maintained in a fully charged, operable condition and kept in their designated locations at all times when not being used. Extinguishers shall be installed on hangers, brackets, in cabinets, or on shelves and so installed that the top of the extinguisher is not more than 3-1/2 feet (40") above the floor.

Call OH&S if you need additional extinguishers or have concerns about the condition or type of extinguisher. OH&S Fire Safety Division must approve additional extinguishers or changes in mounting locations.

Only in the make-believe world of movies! In real life, each sprinkler is independent and has to be subjected to direct heat to go off.

Absolutely not. It takes actual heat at a preset temperature to set off a sprinkler.

Rarely. Fire sprinklers are extremely reliable--the odds against a sprinkler ever just going off for no known reason are less than 1 in 3,325,000.

No. Fire sprinklers are only required in certain kinds of buildings--hospitals, for example. It is general policy to provide sprinklers for all new construction, and try to retrofit sprinklers into the existing unsprinkled facilities.

Ideally, yes. We're aware that, in some of the campus facilities, there are areas of reduced, or even nonexistent audibility. Any concerns or complaints in this area need to be referred to OH&S Fire Safety Division at 686-6786.

Call OH&S at 686-6958

NO!!! It is not permissible by federal regulations to take waste that is the end product of a process and treat it to render it "non-hazardous". Also, federal regulations state the mixing of a hazardous waste with a non-hazardous waste creates waste which is still considered hazardous. So you cannot dilute a waste with water to make it non-hazardous. "Dilution is NOT the solution to pollution."

Generally, biological safety cabinets (BSC) must be certified on an annual basis. Some special operations may require certification every six months. Relocating a BSC requires re-certification and may require decontamination. Contact the OH&S Biological Safety Officer at 526-5462 when a cabinet is to be purchased or relocated.

A sharp is any glass, metal, plastic instrument or item that can cut or has the potential to cut, puncture, scratch or abrade skin, whether it is contaminated or not. Using this definition a pipette tip is considered a sharp and must be placed in a sharps container. If you have any doubt, use a sharps container for disposal.

If you are injecting mice with any bloodborne pathogens like human cell lines, HIV, Hepatitis B virus, Hepatitis C virus, you fall into the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen requirements and must attend Bloodborne Pathogens training.

No, you cannot ship any Biological Material without first attending the Biological Material Shipment training. For assistance in shipping biological materials until the training is complete, contact OH&S at 526-5462.

Contractors and in-house construction crews are required to provide dust barriers that keep construction dust from leaving the work area. Sometimes, even with precautions in place, dust gets outside the work site into adjacent occupied areas. If you notice dirt or dust coming from a construction area, please contact OH&S at 686-5536 to report the condition. We will send an investigator to conduct an assessment of the condition to ensure the issue is resolved.

If the visual and audible alarms activate, an announcement noting the ‘alarmed’ area will be communicated over the PA system. Vacate the premises utilizing the closest means of egress. NOTE: If your facility has specific procedures to be followed when the fire alarm is sounded, rather than evacuation, they should be followed.

This type of work is considered "hot work" and could set off the fire alarm system. For this reason the Campus Operations Call Center should be notified at 686-5891 before "hot work" begins.

In areas wtih sprinkler systems there must be ample clearance (18 inches) so that sprinklers can be activated and function effectively in case of a fire. In non-sprinkled buildings, storage can be to the ceiling when it is against a wall. Storage elsewhere in non-sprinkled buildings must comply with the 18 inch rule so that firefighters have extinguishing access "over the top" of stored items. Such as rows of storage in a warehouse.

It isn’t appropriate to use an elevator during a fire or similar building emergency. Elevators are designed to be recalled to a floor, usually the lobby, during alarm conditions. In unusual circumstances, an elevator malfunction might cause the elevator to travel to the fire floor, thus exposing the occupants to the fire. Also, smoke may enter the elevator shaft, which would migrate toward the roof, exposing any elevator occupants to that smoke.

Contact OH&S at 686-5536. There are several indicators of mold growth such as recent leaks, floods, high humidity or moisture. Spots may also be caused by rust, dust or other stains besides mold. To determine mold growth, the area should be examined by trained personnel from OH&S.

OH&S inspects and certifies chemical hoods on an annual basis or upon request if the laboratory personnel believe the chemical hood is not functioning properly. If the chemical hood fails the inspection, OH&S will contact Engineering and Operations (Physical Plant) to repair the chemical hood, as well as perform follow-up inspections and re-certification once repairs are completed.

Immediately report the accident/incident to your supervisor and complete a UAMS Employee/Student Injury and Incident Report. If the accident/incident occurs between the hours of 8:30 a.m.-4:30 p.m. Monday-Friday, report to Student/Employee Health Services. If the accident/incident occurs after hours immediately report to the Emergency Room.

It is important to have a good seal when using a respirator. Therefore, a qualitative respirator fit test will not be performed on individuals with facial hair which interferes with the respirator. If the facial hair is contained within the respirator, and the seal is against the skin, a fit test is feasible.

Yes. Under federal law it is mandatory to complete this questionnaire as part of the medical evaluation. The form is provided by OH&S.

Yes. Employees must be medically cleared by Student/Employee Health Services and fit tested by OH&S before commencing use.

Yes, all respirators shall be selected on the basis of hazards to be encountered in the workplace (i.e. particulates, vapors, mists, Oxygen-deficient atmospheres, or a combination). There are different respirator types that address different hazards.

Fit testing is required annually to ensure a proper fit and to retrain wearers on the care and usage of respiratory protection.

If there is a change in your medical condition that affects wearing a respirator, or if you develop difficulties in wearing the respirator, do not wait for your annual fit test. Notify Student/Employee Health Services for a medical re-evaluation. They will determine if you need another medical exam.

Notify your Dean, Director or Department Head prior to notifying OHS.

Only individuals who have been authorized by the Radiation Safety Committee have permission to use radioactive materials in their labs. To become an authorized user or primary investigator you must be the individual who has authority over the work conducted in the labs and must complete the applications for radioactive materials. These applications can be found on the OH&S web site or you may contact the Radiation Safety Officer at 686-5536.

A radioactive materials are usually ordered through the SAP accounting software. All radioactive material should be ordered from the R10 group which contains the radioactive materials from the various vendors. If your specific item in not found in the R10 group, you can call your buyer in the Purchasing Department and have it added. The following information is needed for the order to be processed: the authorized users name, isotope, activity ordered and the delivery address (G-154 Radiation Safety). All orders of radioactive materials must be delivered to the Radiation Safety Office, G-154, in the Hospital.

Radioactive waste is managed by appointment only; please call Rick Erickson, 686-5550 to schedule an appointment.

The research staff of the laboratory generating the waste is responsible for transporting radioactive waste to the designated waste areas. An appointment must be made with the Radiation Safety Staff, 686-5550, to schedule this transfer.

When radioisotopes are delivered to the Radiation Safety Office, the staff must prepare the package for delivery. This process takes approximately one hour post delivery.

Please call Radiation Safety, 686-5536, we can look at it to determine if it is functioning correctly. If not, it will have to be sent for repairs or the manufacturer called to service the instrument.

Please contact the Radiation Safety Division two weeks before you plan to vacate the laboratory to schedule a close-out audit, 686-5536.

You must go through the Radiation Safety Office, 686-5536, before transfer can occur from your lab to another lab.

Monthly inservice training is offered for new radioisotope users. Check the web site for dates of upcoming in-services. All users must complete an on-line training course before attendance of the in-service. If your department has a large group that needs in-service training you can contact the Radiation Safety Office to schedule a date and time specific for your group.