Labs and Studios

TIME Commenced:     9:02 AM

1.0   Agenda :  Addition of safety checklists, fire in fumehood, autoclaves and floor in machine shop added.

2.0   Review of Minutes : November 2019 approved

3.0   Inspection Reports: none discussed, T. Moore to schedule some in March

4.0   Accident Report/Investigations:

Security of Labs

Two incidents – A lab door was found not to be locking in November.  Upon inspection several small magnets were put inside the strike plate to impede the door from latching.  A notice was sent to all departments to alert them to the issue.

An unauthorized person was found sleeping in a lab on the third floor.  This person was discovered during a routine security patrol overnight after a door was found unlocked.  This individual had not tampered with anything in the lab and was escorted off campus.  A notice was sent to all departments with access to laboratories to ensure that doors close and lock each time the lab is left unattended.

Fire in a fume hood

A distillation of kerosene was being carried out in a fumehood using an open flame.  The vapors ignited and the subsequent fire destroyed the equipment and damaged the fumehood.  A new experimental set-up that uses a heating block as opposed to open flame will be used.  Apparatus will be checked by TAs before each use to ensure correct set-up.

5.0   Old Business:

5.1   Safety Showers

5.1.1      CB0014 – Handle too high to be reached by someone of smaller stature.  Steve to look into

5.1.2      Undergrad labs Chemistry – Concern that emergency showers are out in the hallway and whether that’s too far a distance to travel.  Steve to look into whether something can be retrofitted.

5.1.3      W/o in to lower handle 12”

5.2   CASES gas rooms

5.2.1      O2 sensor has tripped two times in the past five days.  There is no official procedure on who should be alerted and what measures to be taken.   Tiffany will email Instrumentation and set up a meeting between them, physical plant and security.

5.2.2      M. Sorokopud has provided a procedure to security to deal with the venting setting off the sensor.

6.0   New Business:

6.1   Day/time of meetings will remain Wednesdays at 9 am.

6.2   Unrepresented departments

6.2.1     Offer will be made to civil and chemical engineering

6.3   2020 focus

6.3.1      Two ideas presented were spring cleaning initiative and education piece to promote resources for supervisor’s.  This will be discussed at March meeting.

6.4   Lab Checklists

6.4.1  Safety checklists for Waterloo and LU were circulated for review to see if we want/need to add anything.

6.5   Autoclave maintenance

6.5.1   The university insurance inspector inspected the large autoclaves.  There is some concern that regular preventative maintenance isn’t being completed.  The training provided for the maintenance was not sufficient enough for technicians to feel comfortable with work.  T. Moore to arrange a meeting to discuss the issues and find a resolution.

6.6   Floor CB 1016

6.6.1  Floor is not repaired.  S. Girvin to talk to Physical Plant director to see if the work will be going ahead.

7.0               Adjournment: 9:53 AM

8.0               NEXT MEETING: 9 am – March 11, 2020 - Av 147