Chemistry and Biochemistry Safety
The Chemistry and Biochemistry department at UAF prioritizes safety above all else. Our goal is to provide faculty, staff, teaching assistants, and course assistants with the necessary resources to maintain a safe laboratory environment.
Risk Management: ACS RAMP Method
The department promotes the management of laboratory hazards and risks using the American Chemical Society's (ACS) RAMP method.
The RAMP Method
Chemistry and Biochemistry Department Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP)
The Chemistry and Biochemistry Department's CHP is based on the general University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF) Chemical Hygiene Plan prepared by Environmental Health, Safety and Risk Management (EHSRM). This department-specific plan provides guidelines for faculty, staff, and students to work safely in laboratory settings.
Purpose and Scope
The purpose of this CHP is to:
- Minimize exposure to hazardous chemicals in the laboratory.
- Prevent chemical-related accidents and injuries.
- Ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
- Provide procedures for handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous chemicals.
Laboratory Safety Responsibilities
- Faculty/Principal Investigators: Ensure laboratory safety procedures are followed, provide training to personnel, and maintain a safe working environment.
- Laboratory Personnel: Follow safety procedures, report incidents/accidents, and participate in training.
- Laboratory Coordinator: Provide support, guidance, resources and oversight for laboratory safety.
Hazardous Shipping
The Chemistry and Biochemistry department Laboratory Coordinator, Dr. Arianna Demmerly, is certified for International Air Transport Association (IATA) and Department of Transportation (DOT) shipping.
Shipping Procedures
- Contact Dr. Arianna Demmerly (ademmerly@alaska.edu, 907-474-6748) to initiate shipping.
- Fill out the .
- Do not attempt to ship samples or chemicals without approval from a certified hazmat shipper.
- Use department-provided shipping supplies, including packing materials and chemical-certified shipping boxes.
- If you have questions about shipping supplies or would like to verify the suitability of your own materials, please consult with the certified hazmat shipper.
Shipping Resources
The Chemistry and Biochemistry department provides access to the following shipping resources:
- Dangerous Goods Regulations (DGR), Edition 64 (physical copy available)
- Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations:
- Departmental shipping supplies: Please contact the Laboratory Coordinator to inquire about availability and specifications.
Incident Reporting and Investigation
- Report all incidents/accidents to the Laboratory Coordinator (907-474-6748) and EHSRM (907-474-5413)
- Investigations will be conducted to determine root cause and implement corrective actions
Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
SOP documents provide instructions, safety precautions and waste guidelines for laboratory tasks deemed hazardous. The Chemistry and Biochemistry department has a list of hazardous chemicals that need an SOP. If you have a then you will need to have an SOP for its safe use.
Chemistry Department SOP’s
Note: this is a short list of what the department has available. Please see .
Inventory and LN2
The Chemistry and Biochemistry department maintains a comprehensive inventory of chemicals, reviewing and updating it annually. New chemicals are added as they are acquired. A .
Upon chemical purchase the department provides relevant SDS to laboratories in the Reichardt Building. Electronic SDS information can be accessed through the maintained by EHSRM. If you find that an SDS is not listed for a chemical that you currently have please contact the Laboratory Coordinator.
Inventory Access and Storage
- Departmental personnel: Access the inventory through the provided link.
- External requests: Contact the Laboratory Manager or Laboratory Coordinator to inquire about inventory contents.
- Chemical storage: We utilize the NFPA system and provide storage for chemicals. Storage for excess chemicals in research labs is provided.
- : Use this resource to ensure proper storage.
- If you have outdated or unwanted chemicals please contact Laboratory Manager or Laboratory Coordinator.
Liquid Nitrogen requests
Liquid Nitrogen dispensing and plant maintenance is conducted by Dr. Carl Murphy. Please contact Dr. Murphy for information regarding purchasing and dispensing.
Personal Protective equipment (PPE)
The Chemistry and Biochemistry department prioritizes laboratory safety and requires proper use of Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for all students and laboratory workers within the Reichardt building.
PPE Policy
- Gloves are never to be worn outside laboratory areas.
- PPE must be worn as specified for each laboratory procedure.
- Familiarize yourself with the department's PPE resources and guidelines.
Available PPE Resources:
- Hard hats
- Face shields
- Chemical Aprons
- Silver Shield Gloves
- Shoe and sleeve covers
- Laboratory coats and nitrile gloves*
*The following are only available to Chemistry and Biochemistry Department students, staff and faculty.
PPE Selection Guides
Chemical Waste Management
The Chemistry and Biochemistry department adheres to strict guidelines for chemical waste disposal. The following resources will help in maintaining a good waste record and ensuring proper labeling of bottles with appropriate hazards.
Chemical Waste Procedures
- Contact the Laboratory Coordinator or building Safety Officer for chemical waste removal.
- Follow our by properly label waste containers with proper chemical names, dates and corresponding hazard symbols.
- Do not overfill waste containers.
- Maintain accurate records using the Hazardous Waste Log Sheet.
Chemical Waste Resources
Required Training for Employees
The required training provides essential information for employees to work safely and comply with federal and state regulations. Below is a list of training current as of 10/1/2024.
Support and Contact Information
For questions regarding training modules or enrollment in our shared training Canvas, please contact the Laboratory Coordinator by email or at 907-474-6748.
Training Completion Requirements
When completing training, remember to:
- Save all certificates and documentation of successful completion.
- Upload these documents to the training Canvas for verification and tracking purposes.
- This ensures accurate record-keeping and compliance.
Important Notes
- All training must be completed before working in the lab.
- Training renewal is typically completed on an as-needed basis, unless specified otherwise.
Training Categories and Requirements
Teaching and Course Assistant training:
- Complete all training under:
- General Employee Training
- Reichardt Building EAP
- Laboratory Personnel Training
General Employee Trainings ()
- Workplace Harassment Prevention
- Behaviour Based Safety
- Data Security: Malware
- Data Security: Phishing
- Title IX*
- FERPA*
- Protection of Minors
*Annual training requirements
+ UA Safe Title IX Training: July 1st - October 31st (visit Office of Rights, Compliance and Accountability's training page)
+ FERPA: within a year of initial training
General Employee Trainings (UAF EHSRM)
- Combined Employee Safety Orientation
- Hazard Communication
Laboratory personnel trainings (UAF EHSRM)
- UAF Laboratory Safety
- UAF Chemical Hygiene
- UAF Hazardous Waste Management*
*Yearly training refresher required for Waste Management.
Reichardt Building Specific Training
Other Laboratory Safety Training (dependent on lab work)
Contact the Laboratory Coordinator (907-474-6748) to determine if you need any of the following:
- Benzene
- Chloroform
- Compressed Gasses
- Formaldehyde
- Hydrofluoric Acid
- Lab Sharps
- Laser Safety
- Liquid Nitrogen Safety
- Methylene Chloride
- Silica
Resources for Labs
We provide the following laboratory based resources to help educate and ensure compliance. If you have any issues navigating the below resources or would like to submit additional resources, please contact the Laboratory Coordinator (907-474-6748)
Regulations Resources
- : Occupational exposure to hazardous chemicals in laboratories
National Research Council Recommendations Concerning Chemical Hygiene in Laboratories (Non-Mandatory)
References (Non-Mandatory)
General Lab Safety and Chemical Storage Resources
- (2011)
Forms
The following forms are commonly used throughout the Chemistry department. For purchasing please use the chemical purchase form so we can maintain accurate records of hazardous material approval.