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Since the 9/11 terrorist attack on America many changes have been made to protect Americans against future attacks. One of these changes involves legislation that impacts the IUPUI campus.

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) has published The Final Rule and Appendix A of the Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism Standards (CFATS) in the Federal Register on November 20, 2007.

The list (Appendix A to Part 27 of Title 6 of the Code of Federal Regulations) categorizes chemicals by their risk—release, theft and sabotage. IUPUI will be required to complete and submit an online consequence assessment tool called Top-Screen if we possesses any chemical in appendix A in amounts greater than the Screening Threshold Quantity (STQ).

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The Department of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) recently assisted in the investigation of a near trash can fire which occurred in a campus laboratory. In this particular incident, a researcher had recently completed a procedure where powdered zinc was used as reducing agent. Not all of the zinc was utilized or reacted during the course of the procedure. The remaining powdered zinc was discarded in a nearby trash can which also contained disposable gloves and other general waste items.

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We have several laboratories that generate infectious waste on campus. Infectious waste includes any waste item contaminated with biological agents suspected as being capable of transmitting disease. Infectious waste can be divided into three primary groups. These include:
1. Liquid wastes such as blood, other body fluids, or culture media which is known or suspected to be contaminated with infectious agents.
2. Soft materials such as dressings, bandages, bedding, toweling, etc. that are saturated to the point that they are capable of releasing blood, body fluids, or other potentially infectious materials when handled or compressed.


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Most laboratory workers understand the importance of keeping the fume hood clear of unused materials, keeping materials at least 6 inches inside the hood, not blocking the baffles and keeping the sash below the certification height when in use, but they fail to recognize the importance of keeping the sash closed when not in use.

A closed sash on a fume hood serves the following purposes.

• When the sash is closed it acts as a barrier between you and the materials that may be in the hood. The sash is made of tempered glass and can offer added protection from shattered glass, chemical spills, and vapors which will remain contained in the hood if the sash is closed when an “accidental event” occurs.

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Do you have your PPE at home to protect you against the ravages of MRSA? OK, I admit that is a little dramatic but lately the media has been hyperactive in its reporting of MRSA infections. Do they happen? Yes. Are they widespread and common? No. Are we all going to succumb to the next epidemic involving MRSA? Regardless of what you hear in the media reports, the answer is no if common and routine hygiene practices are applied to your daily activities.

Methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) is a variant of Staphylococcus aureus, a type of bacteria commonly found in the environment.

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The yearly survey of laboratories on campus is once again under way for the 2007-2008 year. We currently inspect over 970 laboratories, with the number expected to soon exceed 1000.

Some of the safety items that are noted during these audits seem trivial to lab staff but each has some significance in preventing illness, injury or property damage in the lab. While it may not seem like these audits are always helpful, the primary purpose of the audit process is to minimize the potential for injury or illness for lab staff. Working in the same lab day in and day out can cause anyone to start overlooking the more obvious problems. When we visit your lab, we are trying to help you avoid problems and accidents that occur because of safety issues that were overlooked.

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