Work practices in the lab: general gudelines and rules of the Big Hall Prepared by K. Van de Staey, M. Adams, B. Pelgrims, J. Vanhulst, L. Depré, M. Wevers, L. Gorbatikh

Overview Good laboratory practices (general) Rules in the Big Hall

Good laboratory practices Safety Risk assessment Attitude Order and tidiness Protection equipment Waste Incidents Emergency procedures

Safety Get familiar with the rules for the work in the lab (read hand outs, information in the lab) Wear lab coat, use safety glasses, ear protection, gloves, etc Read materials safety datasheets Receive training on the equipment from technicians Come prepared to the lab (write down a detailed plan of your experiment) Think before you act

Risks Safe = situation without risks  Impossible for lab work  Continuously try to reduce the risk (minimum risk) What to do in a risky situation? - Avoid - Control (know the risks, take safety measures) - Protect (take precautions to limit or contain the risks) - Take precautions to minimize the effects

Good laboratory practices Hygiene Do not eat, drink or smoke Keep your lab coat buttoned and separated from your other clothing Wear safety glasses Hand hygiene Keep long hair tied together Wear suitable clothes and shoes

Bad examples

Materials not befriend your materials!

Materials: useful links

Waste

Incidents Know the safety equipment - Where are the extinguishers, showers, first aid, spill kit, etc? - How to use it Know what to do in case of - Fire (alert others, try to extinguish once, dial 2222) - Contact with chemicals (rinse immediately for 15 mins – dial 2222) - Spill (immediately contain and clean up, call for assistance 2222) - Serious incident (emergency number 2222)

Emergency procedures Give - Name and function - Name of the building (and room number) - Reason for your call Stay at the site

First aid box First aid station or first aid box - Icon - List of aid members: name, phone, room

Additional rules in the BIG HALL

Respect Respect the work of others Technicians are there to help you, not to do your work –Lunch break: 12h-13h Respect the tools: –Bring everything back after the use –If something is broken, report it to the technical personnel –If something is empty, refill it or report it to the technical personnel

Reservations Make reservations in time, fill out necessary forms, discuss with the technical personnel Do not make too long reservations –4 hours is half a day, not from 9 to 11 and 14 to 16 –Max 1h lunch break Begin in time (9h and 13h30) otherwise reservation cancelled Try to arrange it with colleagues –If someone has a course, somebody else can use the machine Cancel in time if you will not use it If reservations are not used, further reservations are cancelled

Reservation for mechanical testing Together with Kris or Bart Make a task sheet with clear set-up –Tension/bending/… –Extensometer (number) –Load cell –Span –Limess –Impact setup

Order and tidiness After you finished: –Take your own material with you –Clean up, vacuum cleaner is available –If Instron: mention it (rebuilding) Put waste in dedicated containers Every student gets his/her own box for samples –No reason not to clean up

Evening work Only for experienced users No sawing If you are the last: –Lock the doors –Switch off lights –Switch off the radio Only when 2 persons are present

Keys After 17h you cannot enter without a key Ask for keys in time (the latest 15h30) –Every technician can give keys You are responsible (guarantee of 50€/key) Bring them back asap (use the letter box)

Materials stock Resins, film and fibers: typical delivery time 3 weeks –Mention in advance if stock is low If new material arrives –Give in all information in stock list –Ask datasheet –Give datasheet to technicians If you take something away, put it back in the same place

Static mechanical testing equipment (tensile instron machines, biaxial tensile machine): Bart Pelgrims Fatigue testing equipment: Schenck machines, MTS and Instron: Bart Pelgrims Composite production machines: Presses (Pinette, Fontijne, Haco, KU Leuven press), Autoclave, RTM, Drumwinder, Prepregger: Marc Peeters Impact (Falling weight, charpy, IZOD): Marc Peeters Hardness: Marc Peeters Responsabilities equipment