JOSEPHY LABORATORY REGULATIONS
University of Guelph Department of molecular and cellular biology
SC2205 Revised Sept. 2004In case of emergency, call the University emergency line ext. 2000 and contact Dr. Josephy (821-8293)
Please keep this memo for future reference.If you are in doubt about any procedure, stop and ask for advice before proceeding.
Waste disposal procedures
Many types of waste are generated in laboratories, and each must be disposed of by appropriate procedures. Your work is not completed until all the waste materials are safely disposed.- Solvents: Large red safety can containers are available for each of:
(i) non-halogenated solvent waste;
Aqueous waste may be stored in glass jugs. A record sheet is kept for each container, and any additions of more than a few mL should be recorded. As containers become full, a disposal form must be filled out and forwarded to the Safety/Security office. The "Hazardous Materials Management Flow Chart" prepared by the Safety Office is posted in the lab. Do not allow large inventories of waste solvent to accumulate! Carcinogen-contaminated solvent waste is bulked together with other solvent waste, not stored separately.(ii) halogenated solvent waste (e.g., chloroform); and
(iii) radioactive solvent waste (e.g., scintillant waste)
- Solids: Regular garbage is deposited in the waste cans. (Note: The lab. garbage is not sorted for "wet-dry" recycling.) Glass is disposed of in any can with a YELLOW bag. Regular garbage goes in BLACK or clear bags. Vials must be emptied as appropriate before disposal of the vials in the glass containers. "Sharps" (needles) are placed in the bright-red sharps containers.
- Carcinogen-contaminated solids: Carcinogen-contaminated solids (gloves, pipette tips, etc.) are collected in a bag in the indicated (bucket) container in the east fume hood in SC2205. When the bagged garbage is ready to be collected (don’t wait until the bag is already full!), tag the bag, fill out the waste disposal form, and notify the Environmental Health & Safety Office. The required forms are available in the lab. and can be FAXed to the EHS office.
- Biohazard waste: Bacteria-contaminated materials (e.g., Petri dishes, cultures) should be collected in appropriate containers (e.g., autoclave bags for solids) and autoclaved when full. Waste to be autoclaved must be placed in an ORANGE biohazard bag (in the designated garbage can with lid, at the front of the lab). When this bag is 2/3 full, the top must be twisted closed and sealed completely with autoclave tape. Label the bag with your name, room number and extension. Bags can then be transported in a secure, leakproof container (such as a large square nalgene autoclave bin) to the Micro Wash-up room (SC 4104B, Ex. 53365) to be autoclaved by the wash-up personnel. Transporting the bag on a cart is also acceptable. Carrying the bag down the hallway on its own is NOT. Waste is to be brought to wash-up BEFORE NOON so it can be autoclaved on the same day. If the bag contains a large number of tips or other pointed objects, it should be double bagged to avoid shredding during the autoclave cycle..
- Biohazard and carcinogen-contaminated waste: This category includes Petri dishes used in mutagenicity assays and containing mutagens (i.e., “control” plates are not included). These dishes are not to be autoclaved. There is a large garbage can at the front of the lab with a RED bag designated for waste to be incinerated. Only red bags are acceptable by EHS for incineration purposes. Small, sealed (with tape) biohazard bags of waste can be placed in this can. Once red bag is 2/3 full, request pick-up by EHS.
- Strong acids or bases should NEVER be mixed with each other OR with organics. This is the most common cause of laboratory fires and explosions. Dilute acids or bases with copious amounts of water and pour them down the sink. Large quantities of acid or base waste should be stored in separate containers and disposed by Env. Health and Safety.
Solutions, buffers, etc. stored in glass or plastic bottles or flasks must be labeled. Label the containers by writing with marker on a piece of coloured labelling tape. Stick the tape to the bottle, folding over the end so that the tape can be removed easily. Glass but not plastic containers can also be labeled directly with lab markers, on the smooth glass surfaces only, not on the white frosted areas (marker cannot be removed from those areas). When labelling the re-usable (Beckman) plastic centrifuge tubes, use a piece of tape; do not write on the tubes directly.
