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What will EHS look like once widespread vaccine rollout has progressed? We'll discuss and explore the fundamental changes our panelists are anticipating. [This webinar aired on Thursday March 11, 2021]

Meet the Panelists:

Mary Lucot

Global Occupational Hygiene CoordinatorSanofiLinkedIn

For the past 17 years Mary has been with Sanofi in various health and safety roles within the Global R&D Business. For the past 4 years, she lead the HSE programs as the Global HSE Business Partner and has experience in laboratory safety relating to small molecules, biologics and vaccines. In her current role as Global Occupational Hygiene Coordinator, she is responsible for leading the occupational hygiene programs and hygiene roadmap for Sanofi.

Craig Merlic

ProfessorUniversity of California, Los Angelesmerlic@chem.ucla.eduhttps://merlic.chem.ucla.eduhttps://cls.ucla.edu

Professor Craig Merlic works in the UCLA Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry conducting research on organic synthesis using transition metal catalysts. He serves as Executive Director of the University of California Center for Laboratory Safety which uses scientific studies to improve laboratory safety policies, procedures, and training. He also promotes lab safety as chair of the UCLA Chemical and Physical Safety Committee and member of the UCLA Safety Oversight Committee.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Health & Safety After the Vaccine

What will EHS look like once widespread vaccine rollout has progressed? We'll discuss and explore the fundamental changes our panelists are anticipating. [This webinar aired on Thursday March 11, 2021]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read

Choosing the right research space for your growing startup is essential. Not only does it affect your day-to-day operations, but also your ability to grow your business, meet deadlines, use resources efficiently, and ultimately make more money.

With that in mind, it can be tempting to lease a space that has everything your future business could ever want. However, this can lead to paying for space or amenities you don’t need and will never use.

At the same time, you don’t want to lease a space that’s too small or restrictive to accommodate current or short-term research needs. Relocating a lab is a major undertaking, so naturally you don’t want to choose a space you’ll outgrow in less than a year or two.

Nobody makes the wrong decision on purpose, but there’s a lot to think about – especially if you’ve never done this before. We spoke with Corey Martin, founder and CEO of Spotlight Safety Inc., to find out which questions you need to ask before you sign on the dotted line. Here are five of the most important:

  1. Who “owns” the wastewater permit?
  2. What are the ventilation specifications?
  3. What is the control area breakdown?
  4. Is additional space available on the first floor for waste or flammable storage if needed?
  5. What are the expectations for lab decommissioning or decontamination upon move out?

Of course, there are more than five things you’ll need to consider before signing a lease for a laboratory or research facility. Corey and Matt took a deeper dive into twenty additional details during a recent video conversation.

Listen in and see what other questions made the list.

1. Who “owns” the wastewater permit?

Wastewater permitting should be your first major consideration. There are two basic options: look for a space where the landlord already holds the essential permits or apply for your own. Each approach has its pros and cons, so being aware of these differences is the first step to selecting the right space.

As with any permit, the wastewater permitting process involves a lot of red tape. The requirements can be quite difficult to understand, and getting a permit can take anywhere from three to six months (or more).

If you’re within six months of your target move date, or money is less of a concern than time and energy, Corey recommends looking for a space where the landlord already holds the appropriate wastewater permit. Otherwise, you run the risk of your operational start date being delayed while you wait for the relevant groups to process your request.

The biggest downside to these move-in ready spaces is that they tend to be more expensive than one where you hold the permits yourself. As we said before, permitting is a lengthy process – so naturally you’ll pay more to rent a space where it’s already been done for you.

Despite the higher cost, choosing a space that’s already permitted can save you a lot of time and headaches. If you’re too busy to dig in and figure it out yourself (and you can afford it), this type of lab space is a great consideration.

One thing to keep in mind if you’re leasing a pre-permitted space is that you’ll still need to provide the landlord with the necessary information to update their existing permit. Your new landlord may need details about your chemical inventory or waste generation projections, for example, so be prepared to have these ready. If you bring in a new chemical hazard, your landlord may need to be updated periodically so they can add it to their permit for review.

Conversely, if you have more than six months to prepare for the move, you’ll have more flexibility in choosing a space where you need to obtain your own wastewater permit. Tenants who want to stretch their dollars and don’t mind putting in the extra legwork can potentially save money by going this route.

Of course, there’s plenty that can go awry. Since permitting requirements can come from the state, county, municipality, or town, permitting processes vary widely from one location to another. Time frames can be unpredictable, paperwork delays are common, and potential updates or retrofits to the existing wastewater system can be costly. Especially if this is your first time applying for a wastewater permit, it’s a good idea to seek out the advice of someone who’s already been there and knows the ropes.

2. What are the ventilation specifications?

Proper ventilation is a critical engineering control in the laboratory environment and is a crucial element of ensuring the laboratory safety of your researchers and minimizing exposure to harmful chemicals. How much ventilation you’ll need will depend largely on what you’re planning to do in the space, particularly how many fume hoods you anticipate installing.

To make matters more complicated, there’s no universal standard for laboratory ventilation. ASHRAE, OSHA, and the NFPA each offer their own guidance on accepted minimum air change rates based on the hazards present. Additionally, Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) and higher labs have specific requirements for air changes, airflow, and recirculation. Unless you’re quite familiar with these standards, you may want to consult with an expert to make sure the space meets your requirements.

Looking for a location that was initially designed as lab space will help you avoid a number of difficult-to-uncover issues that may pop up down the line. Today, a growing number of office spaces are being converted into labs. This can mean that the landlord is inexperienced with lab design and management, introducing problems that could place an unexpected limit on your future lab operations.

Even if your landlord does grant you permission to add more fume hoods, these must be connected to the existing building HVAC system. If the existing air handlers and ductwork cannot support the additional fume hoods or “make-up air” requirements, you may be forced to move or pay for additional HVAC capacity, retrofitting, or remodeling. It’s enough to make any wallet shudder.

Don't want safety to get in the way of progress? Take a look at some other lab safety concerns for your growing science startup.

3. What is the control area breakdown?

Storage space matters, and that includes flammable materials. You’ll want to make sure whichever space you choose has enough storage space for flammable chemicals and waste. Though this may feel like a problem for tomorrow, it can be a serious limitation on future growth within the space, and one that may not be cheap or easy to overcome.

Building control area limits are based on building design and construction, vertical location in the building (which floor you’re on), fire protection systems (e.g., sprinkler systems), the quantity and type of chemicals you’re using, and how you store the materials (e.g., in rated storage cabinets). Notably, building control area limits get more restrictive as you go up in floors, so the higher you go, the less capacity you’ll be allotted for flammable materials (both stock chemicals and flammable hazardous waste storage).

If you know your operations will require large quantities of flammable chemicals or will produce a lot of flammable waste, it’s wise to look for space on a lower floor (typically on the first three floors). A medicinal chemistry lab that uses HPLCs every day, for example, will likely want to be on one of those premium bottom floor spaces.

Read more about how quickly the effects of flammable waste can stack up.

Because of the control area restrictions on higher floors, lower levels are often in greater demand by rapidly growing companies or those with chemistry-heavy operations. This can lead to more competition for lower level spaces, and thus may require more lead time when looking for space and/or promote somewhat higher rent costs. However, these additional considerations are well worth the flexibility and potential cost savings on the operations sides. For example, being able to order larger bulk purchases of flammable chemicals or scheduling less frequent waste pickups.

If, however, flammable storage is not much of a concern (looking at you, chemistry-light cell and tissue culture labs), you could find yourself with more available space options and thus more negotiating power. You may be able to consider space on a higher floor, and even get a great view out of the deal to boot.

You’ll also want to pay attention to how many tenants are on your floor. Each additional tenant will take away from that floor or control area’s total flammable storage allotment. While you might start out enough space initially, that can shrink if other tenants move in or if your operational requirements expand beyond your initial projections. Depending on your specific situation, you may want to speak to your legal team about making sure your allotment is protected in your lease contract. At the very least, knowing ahead of time that your available flammable waste storage may shrink can prevent painful downsizing in the future.

4. Is additional space available on the first floor for supplies, flammable storage, or waste if needed?

Labs are a lot like gasses – they expand to fill the space they occupy. Extra unused storage could instead hold additional stocks of disposables for those times when your supplier is a few weeks late with your conical tubes.

There’s also the issue of flammable waste. If you don’t have room to store flammable waste, or if you are restricted by the control area limits mentioned above, you may end up needing to pay for more frequent waste pickups – something that will quickly and painfully burn through your operations budget.

There can be significant cost saving opportunities associated with being able to collect and dispose of flammable waste in larger containers, however these opportunities can be limited by control area restrictions and waste area availability. Similarly, reducing the number of site visits by your hazardous waste contractor can promote cost savings by allowing you to lengthen the time between waste pickups to the maximum interval allowable by your hazardous waste generator status (though pickups at least annually are recommended even for VSQGs).

A growing number of landlords are aware of this issue and may offer small, rated waste storage spaces on the ground floor that have convenient access to the loading dock. This can be extremely useful and can promote further waste management savings by reducing the amount of time the waste contractor is required to be onsite for each pickup. Collectively these elements are worth considering if you are able to find a space that offers extra first floor storage at the right price. Even better if that space is near a loading dock to accommodate overflow waste and pickups.

5. What are the expectations for lab decommissioning or decontamination upon move out?

No matter how carefully you choose your space, eventually the day will come that you’ll need to move out. Things change, and the spacious lab you once rented may be too small to accommodate your new hires as you scale. Or, you might have enough office and bench space, but run into flammable limits or waste storage issues that prevent you from expanding your lab operations. On a less pleasant note, funding may have dried up and it’s time to downsize into a space that’s more affordable.

In any case, moving out can be an expensive and time-consuming process, so you should be sure to go over the expectations for the move out process before you commit to a lease.

If your lease requires “decommissioning”, it refers to the process of formally decontaminating surfaces, removing all hazardous materials, and making the space safe for future use. It also means that you will be responsible for sampling for hazardous chemicals and biologics, which is often associated with a formal report certified by a Certified Industrial Hygienist (CIH). These factors can greatly increase the time and cost requirements associated with move out.

This might not seem like a big deal until you get hit with the bill. Corey reports that a full, formal lab decommissioning can take around two to three months and cost several thousand dollars more than a more informal lab decontamination or surrender plan requirement that doesn’t require formal sampling or CIH certification. This doesn’t have to be a deal-breaker, but it is something that you’ll want to consider before signing the lease. And as you’ll see, it’s not all downside.

The flip side is that if you aren’t required to conduct a formal decommissioning, it’s likely that the previous tenant didn't need to either. This may mean that when you move in, you’re inheriting a greater risk of contamination or hard to see liabilities that a formal lab decommissioning is intended to avoid (and that you might have to pay for later).

The last thing you want as a growing company is to assume the responsibility of mistakes made by previous tenants (e.g., mercury in the sink traps). It can be difficult to prove ownership of these mistakes without prior sampling data, and believe us when we say you don’t want to be stuck with the bill of handling the cleanup. It’s an important consideration for an option that may otherwise appear to be all upside.

Final thoughts

Choosing a space for your startup is a big decision, and you don’t want to leave anything to chance. It’s worth taking the extra time up front to make sure you know what you’re getting into and the key pieces of information you need to be aware of. Don’t be afraid to ask a lot of questions and really think ahead about your future needs before you settle on a space.

The questions in this article will give you a good starting point. However, there’s a lot more to think about. Be sure to check out this video conversation between Corey and Matt for 20 additional questions and points you should consider.

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Community Hub

5 Questions Your Growing Science Startup Should Ask Before Signing a Lease

Making decisions can be tough, especially if it's your first time. Discover five key factors to consider before moving forward.

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
12 min read

Emergency Management is hard enough without an ongoing pandemic to complicate things. We'll review how common EM solutions have changed, and examine COVID-influenced plans.

[This webinar aired on February 11, 2021]

Meet the Panelists:

Michael Blayney

Executive Director, Research SafetyNorthwestern University

Jennifer Howley

Risk & Emergency ManagerRhode Island School of Design

Jennifer Howley has worked at RISD since 2007 and has led the Risk and Emergency Management Programs since 2013. In her work, she created a formal emergency management structure and has organized teams dedicated to on-campus emergencies, international incidents and cyber incidents. During the pandemic she has been a key member of the planning and response teams and is the Chair of the Risk Monitoring Group. She holds her BA in Finance from East Carolina University.

Jenny Novak

Director, Emergency Management & ContinuityCalifornia State Universityjnovak@calstate.eduhttp://jennynovak.com/LinkedInTwitter (@MsJennyNovak)

Jenny Novak is an award winning Certified Emergency Manager with over fourteen years of experience in emergency management and fire prevention. Novak was recently selected as the first systemwide Director of Emergency Management and Continuity for the California State University system. Previously, she worked for the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services where she responded to several presidentially declared major disasters.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.comLinkedIn

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Managing Emergencies During an Ongoing Emergency

Emergency Management is hard enough without an ongoing pandemic to complicate things. We'll review how common EM solutions have changed, and examine COVID-influenced plans. [This webinar aired on February 11, 2021]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 has placed even more importance on the smooth operating of our ventilation systems. We'll discuss ways to prevent problems and resolve issues when they do occur.

[This webinar aired on January 28, 2021]

Meet the Panelists:

Lou DiBerardinis, CIH, CSP

Director, Environment, Health and Safety OfficeMassachusetts Institute Of Technologyloudib@mit.edu

Prior to his current role, Mr. DiBerardinis was at Polaroid Corporation and Harvard University. He has authored numerous technical publications and co-authored the text "Guidelines for Laboratory Design: Health and Safety Considerations" and is the editor of the "Handbook of Occupational Safety and Health". He served as chair of the ANSI Z9.5 subcommittee on Laboratory Ventilation from 1984 to 2006 and is currently a committee member.

Marvin Kirshenbaum, CEM, CMVP

Mechanical EngineerUniversity of Illinois – Chicagomkirshen@uic.edu

Mr. Kirshenbaum was the Senior Project Mechanical Engineer for the Conventional Facilities Group at the Advanced Photon Source facility at Argonne National Laboratory before retiring in 2019 after 30 years of service. He is currently working in a technical support capacity in the Project Management Office of the University of Illinois – Chicago and has served on several Department of Energy review committees. Mr. Kirshenbaum has also authored papers and presented numerous findings at engineering conferences and workshops.

Vytenis A. Milunas, P.E. MBA

Director of Physical Plant Construction, Engineering, and CommissioningUniversity of Illinois – Chicago

Mr. Milunas is a member of the Chancellor's Subcommittee on Energy and Utilities. He is a past President for the Chicago Chapter of the International Institute for Sustainable Laboratories. For the past 35 years, Mr. Milunas' career has focused on MEP infrastructure system improvements at institutional facilities as a MEP consultant and facilities manager. Prior to UIC, Mr. Milunas was the Senior Project Manager and Engineering Group Leader during his 14 years at Argonne National Laboratory.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.comLinkedIn

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Resolving Critical Ventilation Issues

The presence of SARS-CoV-2 has placed even more importance on the smooth operating of our ventilation systems. We'll discuss ways to prevent problems and resolve issues when they do occur. [This webinar aired on January 28, 2021]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read

To continue operating sustainably, Health & Safety professionals must fundamentally reassess and improve pre-COVID safety processes. How? Through effective, real-world process improvement. [This webinar aired on January 14, 2021]

Panelist Recommended Process Improvement Resources:

Erich FruchnichtA Beautiful Constraint: How to Transform Your Limitations Into Advantages, and Why It's Everyone's Business [Book]

Stealing the Corner Office: The Winning Career Strategies They'll Never Teach You in Business School [Book]

Sprint: How to Solve Big Problems and Test New Ideas in Just Five Days [Book]

Plan-Do-Check-Act: A University Laboratory Equipment Decontamination Case Study [PDF]

Amy HabermanADKAR Model for Change Management

DOWNTIME+A 9 Categories of Waste [PDF]

Karla LoebickIntro to Business Process Improvement [PDF]

Business Process Improvement [Book]

Meet the Panelists:

Erich Fruchtnicht

Assistant Radiological Safety Officer and Senior Health PhysicistTexas A&M Universityfruchnicht@tamu.eduLinkedIn

Erich is Assistant RSO at Texas A&M. He holds a B.S. in Nuclear Engineering and M.S. in Health Physics from Texas A&M, and is a CHMM. Erich has 19 years of experience in radiation safety, protection and research, and professional training and instruction. Erich has co-authored seven peer-reviewed technical papers (four of which address EHS efficiency) and multiple articles. Erich is a member of CSHEMA, HPS, Sigma XI, and MENSA.

Amy Haberman

Assistant Director, Continuous ImprovementUniversity of Floridaahaberman@ufl.eduPortfolioLinkedIn

After 15 years as an EHS professional (six as the Director of Safety for the college of engineering at the University of Florida) Amy shifted her career to focus on continuous improvement in all administrative areas as the Director for Continuous Improvement in the Office of the Vice President at UF. Her work focuses on empowering staff to identify and solve problems, increase efficiencies and enhance the customer experience. Amy is a member-at-large of the CSHEMA Board of Trustees and an Associate Safety Professional recognized by the Board of Certified Safety Professionals.

Karla Loebick

Higher Education Consultantkloebick37@gmail.comLinkedIn

Karla Loebick, Ph.D. is a Higher Education Consultant specializing in process improvement, training and mentoring, and project management. Karla has extensive experience working in higher education, a variety of industries, and international contexts. This lens provides a thorough foundation and contextualized understanding transformational work towards change. Karla integrates knowledge of trends and issues in the higher education and corporate sectors with strategies and solutions for broader issues needing improvement.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.comLinkedIn

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Identifying & Improving Inefficient Safety Processes

To continue operating sustainably, Health & Safety professionals must fundamentally reassess and improve pre-COVID safety processes. How? Through effective, real-world process improvement. [This webinar aired on January 14, 2021]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
3 min read

It's never been more critical to understand and control the air we breathe. We'll discuss standards, communication, filter types, turnover rates, and more.[This webinar aired on December 17, 2020]

From Ralph Stuart:COVID-19 Communications Cheat Sheet

Meet the Panelists:

Partha Krishnan

HSE Deputy DirectorSanofipartha.krishnan@sanofi.com

Partha started his career as a bench scientist and transitioned to a career in occupational health and safety where he has leveraged his experience as a scientist to promote laboratory safety. Currently, Partha serves as the HSE Head for Sanofi Pasteur site based in Cambridge, MA for the past 3 years. In this role he provides leadership and guidance for all HSE programs to promote and sustain a positive safety culture. Prior to this, Partha has held several EHS positions in varying capacities at UCLA, Yale, and Harvard.

Mary Lucot

Global Occupational Hygiene CoordinatorSanofiLinkedIn

For the past 17 years Mary has been with Sanofi in various health and safety roles within the Global R&D Business. For the past 4 years, she lead the HSE programs as the Global HSE Business Partner and has experience in laboratory safety relating to small molecules, biologics and vaccines. In her current role as Global Occupational Hygiene Coordinator, she is responsible for leading the occupational hygiene programs and hygiene roadmap for Sanofi.

Ralph Stuart

Environmental Safety ManagerKeene State Collegeralph.stuart@keene.eduhttp://dchas.org/

Ralph has been at Keene State College for 5 years after serving similar roles at the University of Vermont and Cornell University. He is chair of the American Chemical Society's Committee on Chemical Safety and membership chair of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Laboratory Ventilation Best Practices for Coronavirus

It's never been more critical to understand and control the air we breathe. We'll discuss standards, communication, filter types, turnover rates, and more. [This webinar aired on December 17, 2020]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read

As a startup, leveling up can be exhilarating and terrifying at the same time. You’ll run into new challenges you’ve never encountered before, requirements you may not be aware of, and problems you didn’t anticipate.

The consequences of making a mistake at this stage in the game can range from frustrating to fatal for your business. Data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics shows that about one in five businesses fails in their first year. Life science startups have it even harder due to the cost and complexity of taking a scientific discovery and turning it into a viable business.

That said, regulatory hurdles and safety issues shouldn’t be the reason you can’t succeed. We spoke with Corey Martin, founder and CEO of Spotlight Safety Inc., to learn more about the most common lab safety challenges and tripping points that startups face.

No matter what stage your company is in — whether you have a product or not — it’s never too early to start thinking about the ways a well-established safety program can help you operate smoothly and avoid stumbling blocks.

Here are our takeaways and seven common challenges to watch out for:

1. Wastewater Regulations and Permitting

Whether you’re looking for a facility to house a new startup or are moving a growing company into a bigger space, wastewater permitting considerations can have dramatic downstream implications.

Before you sign a lease, make sure the property is equipped to handle the volume and makeup of wastewater you’ll be producing and ask whether the landlords or the tenants hold the permit. Selecting laboratory space with a landlord-held wastewater permit may come with a slightly higher cost, but doing so can save significant time, effort, and potential capital expense depending on the situation.

Corey recommends taking the time to estimate what types and volumes of wastewater you expect to produce during the length of your occupancy at the facility (not simply the initial projections). Not all wastewater systems are created equal and new or remodeled systems carry large (and often unexpected) capital expenses when required.

Additionally, which permits you’ll need depends on your activities, projected volumes, and physical location. Each state, county, or even city may have its own permitting requirements and application process. The time it takes to obtain the necessary permits can also vary by location (up to 3-12 months required lead time depending on the system complexity and regulatory body), so it’s best to look into this as early as possible.

Even if state or local permitting requirements aren’t applicable, it’s advisable to reach out to the municipal wastewater facility to establish a relationship and communicate the anticipated wastewater profile.

2. OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard

Bloodborne pathogens are a major concern for research startups that handle human source materials. A needlestick or other unintentional exposure to blood, human cell lines or tissues, or other bodily fluids can put scientists at risk of a serious or life-threatening illness and jeopardize your entire operation.

Combined with proper controls and personal protective equipment (PPE), training can greatly reduce chances of an employee coming into contact with infectious materials.

One of the first things you must do is identify employees who have a potential for occupational exposure. OSHA requires you to provide bloodborne pathogen (BBP) training for all employees with potential for occupational exposure. This is true even if your employees have had prior training or education at a previous employer or institution. Employees must receive this training prior to performing tasks where exposure to bloodborne pathogens could occur, such as handling blood or human cell lines. After that, refresher training is required at least once a year.

In addition, employers must offer a Hepatitis B vaccine to employees within 10 days of starting a job that carries a potential for bloodborne pathogen exposure. If accepted, the vaccination must be provided free of charge to the employee. If the employee has received the vaccine previously, employers must still offer at-risk employees the option to receive a titer and booster, as needed. This offer must be formalized using an HBV vaccination form, sometimes referred to as a declination form, as the employee has the right to refuse vaccination. Employees who decline the vaccination initially can change their minds at any point during employment and may receive the vaccination free of charge as long as the potential for occupational exposure remains.

3. Hazardous Waste Management

Waste disposal is a more complex issue than most startups realize. Biological, chemical, and other hazardous waste materials generated by research activities such as medical waste, chemical waste, sharps, radioactive waste, and broken glassware can be very dangerous to employees and downstream workers if improperly disposed of. Not only that, but it can cost your company thousands of dollars to clean up and dispose of waste that has leaked, spilled, or been improperly mixed, labeled, or otherwise disposed of incorrectly.

The good news is that most waste disposal problems can be greatly diminished or eliminated through proper education and vigilance on the part of everyone in your organization. By training employees on how to properly handle, store, and dispose of chemical and other hazardous waste, you’ll be in a much better position to avoid a costly cleanup, disposal, or worse, an injury!

Taking the time to help your personnel understand why proper waste disposal is so important is a good use of time. Having more personal buy-in for the additional effort required will absolutely help ensure team-wide compliance.

As your company scales, making sure everyone on your team has received training will become a greater challenge. You might consider implementing a system that allows you to track your requirements and document compliance so that managing training is less of a burden.

While it may seem time- or resource-intensive to build a culture of good waste management, doing a little forecasting on the costs of repeated mistakes will quickly show that the upfront investment in education and buy-in will easily pay for itself.

Furthermore, regulatory requirements for hazardous waste management and oversight increase as waste generation volumes increase. Monitoring how much hazardous waste is being generated in a calendar month is a critical component of proper designation of the company’s hazardous waste generator status, and thus disposal and oversight requirements (see Section 7 for more on this).

4. Chemical Purchasing and Inventory Management

When purchasing chemicals for your company, it’s important to understand and plan for the entire lifecycle of those products, because things can get expensive. Fast.

A chemical that costs $50 might not seem like much up front (especially for those enticing bulk purchases), but once that chemical is off the truck, it’s your responsibility to store and dispose of properly. No backsies.

Always take the time to consider the expected rate of use, expiration date, storage requirements, hazard classification, flammable control area limits, and experimental longevity. Avoid bulk purchases of short-lived, high-hazard chemicals or those required for a new set of experimental processes that are provisional in nature.

Storage requirements and chemical classification are critical considerations, and it’s always important to consult the chemical Safety Data Sheet (SDS) before ordering a new chemical.

If special storage is required, such as an explosion proof fridge (for cold storage of volatile solvents), that can carry a major expense and/or delivery and installation time considerations that need to be worked out before placing the order. Additionally, some highly hazardous, reactive, or otherwise unstable chemicals can carry high disposal costs due to the safety and security requirements. Furthermore, it’s important to consider whether the new chemical will require a new, distinct waste stream or whether it can be collected with existing streams.

One way to prevent this uncertainty and possible expense is by keeping a close eye on purchases and proactively seeking as much information as possible when considering new chemical orders or experimental processes. Implementing a robust inventory management system with callouts for hazardous chemical purchases and duplicate orders has the direct benefit of stopping over-purchasing, reducing storage and disposal costs, and improving safety oversight.

5. Peroxide Former Management

Many early-stage R&D laboratory facilities will have peroxide forming chemicals onsite at some point during their research operations. The most common in the biotech and life science research environment tend to include Ethyl Ether, Tetrahydrofuran (THF), and 1,4-Dioxane, though many others exist.

As peroxides form in these chemicals, the material may become shock-sensitive over time if not properly managed, tested, or disposed of. Unexpected explosions really get in the way of conducting research and discovery.

Proper storage and inventory oversight is critical for safe peroxide former management, as exposure to light and oxygen can accelerate the peroxide formation process. Material prone to peroxide formation should be frequently tested or disposed of after a certain period of time (often 12 months from receipt or 6 months from opening). Thus, the danger occurs when these chemicals are purchased and then forgotten in the back of a cabinet, especially if they’re improperly stored.

Even small containers pose a risk if kept well beyond their expiration dates, especially considering their likelihood of being stored with other flammable materials. This particular scenario can amplify the effects of a peroxide detonation, resulting in a far more severe and dangerous explosion.

One way to effectively manage this problem is to avoid ordering more of a chemical than you need and actively labeling and tracking all peroxide formers from receipt through disposal. Proper inventory management and purchasing control will also help you reduce duplicate orders and unnecessary disposal costs.

Chemical inventory management software can help you determine the rate at which you go through peroxide forming chemicals. This can keep you from over-purchasing and having to throw away unused chemicals, or under-purchasing and having to wait for an order to come in.

As a growing startup, it may be difficult to predict how much of a particular chemical you will use. That’s why it’s so important to have an airtight system for monitoring your chemical inventory. When you know how long it is from a chemical being received to being disposed of (which any good chemical inventory system should be able to do for you), you can tell how quickly you’re going through your stock.

Any company that uses peroxide formers must have a way to keep track of when chemicals were purchased, opened, and when they expire. These programs would also greatly benefit from an active gatekeeping system for all incoming chemicals upon receipt.

When peroxide formers reach their expiration date, make sure they are disposed of immediately through the proper waste collection process. And, should you find a peroxide former that is past its expiration date, address it immediately and with caution. Most waste transporters have experienced technicians who can be called upon for evaluation, mitigation, and disposal support, as needed.

Ignoring the problem will only make it worse and more expensive. We’ll say it again, because it is such a common and costly occurrence: ignoring the problem will only make it worse and more expensive.

6. Flammable Storage and Control Area Limits

An unexpected fire or explosion in your lab is one of the worst scenarios imaginable and can lead to costly equipment and facility damage, operational downtime, and employee exposure or injury. These risks are manageable, but only if you keep a close watch on flammable material use and storage — including both stock chemicals and flammable waste.

Flammable solvent use and waste generation is a very common element of laboratory research and can become a major safety concern if not properly managed. For example, mass spectrometers and HPLCs both use large volumes of reagent materials and can quickly generate significant amounts of flammable waste during regular use.

When you’re trying to anticipate how much flammable inventory “budget” each of these instruments will require, Corey recommends using an initial ballpark estimate of about 10-15 gallons of waste per calendar month, depending on the frequency of use.

As with most things, preparation is key. It’s wise to have a plan in place for dealing with flammable waste before you start generating it. What activities might result in flammable waste? How will you store the waste? Will special containers be needed? What local, state, or federal regulations apply? Does your facility control area design, flammable permit limit, and hazardous waste generator status allow for the anticipated increase in reagent chemicals and hazardous waste volume as you add new processes or equipment.

Perhaps most importantly, do you know all of the questions you need to be asking about your current and future flammable storage needs as you grow?

7. Hazardous Waste Generator Status - The Switch from VSQG to SQG

The switch between VSQG and SQG status trips up a lot of growing startups. To understand why, we need to rewind a bit.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) classifies hazardous waste generators into three distinct categories based on the amount of waste they produce or manage: Very Small Quantity Generator (VSQG), Small Quantity Generator (SQG), and Large Quantity Generator (LQG).

The amount of waste you generate in a single calendar month determines your generator status, and thus what level of hazardous waste requirements you must follow.

In the early stages of your startup, you'll likely be classified as a VSQG. However, as the pace of research increases, you may find that you're generating more hazardous waste per month. At a certain point, you will likely need to start closely monitoring your monthly hazardous waste generation volumes and consider updating your waste generator status as you approach the status thresholds.

VSQGs are allowed to generate up to 220 pounds (roughly 27 liquid gallons) of hazardous waste per calendar month, with the important exception of not being able to generate any “acutely hazardous waste”. Any acutely hazardous waste generation, requires either SQG or LQG status with the threshold being 2.2 pounds.

One of the advantages to being designated as a VSQG for a startup laboratory is that you have more flexibility in scheduling waste pickups, as there are no time limits associated with waste accumulation. Conversely, SQGs and LQGs are required to dispose of waste accumulated in their Main Accumulation Area (MAA) within 180 or 90 days, respectively.

The general management requirements for proper accumulation, labeling, storage, and disposal of hazardous waste is consistent across all generator levels, but the formal requirements for documentation, training, and oversight increase as the status increases. As your company grows and waste volumes increase, you will need to assess your waste storage area design and volume limits, waste area checklist documentation, training requirements, and emergency planning.

Notably, how you collect and dispose of hazardous waste has a large impact on waste disposal costs. While some waste streams have very specific volume or container type limitations, others (such as common flammable solvent waste) may have more flexible collection and disposal options that could drastically decrease the cost per unit volume. As a result, having proactive conversations with a consultant or waste transporter, as well as focusing on waste minimization efforts, can go a long way toward reducing the overall cost of research operations.

8. Signing a New Lease

Moving into a new space is an exciting prospect, but it's also riddled with details and "unknown unknowns" that can throttle your startup's growth. In many cases, you only learn about these stumbling blocks after you've already committed and can't back out.

Sometimes, you even learn about them at the moment you're about to leave, when you suddenly get faced with a $15k bill for a certified decommission. Or, you may learn about the issues when your hazardous waste disposal bill spikes up because you're scheduling more frequent pickups.

Ultimately, many of these questions and considerations are specific to your own startup's work, your plans for growth, and the resources and timeline you have available to you.

We've found the best way to anticipate as much as possible is to hear about some common issues that many startups face, and then use those as a jumping-off point to kick that imagination into full gear. What will your work look like 1 year, 5 years, 10 years down the line?

Read: 5 Questions Your Growing Science Startup Should Ask Before Signing a LeaseWatch: 20 Things to Ask a Landlord Before Signing a Lease for your Science Startup

Does your startup face any of these challenges?

No matter what stage your company is in — whether you have a product or not — it’s never too early to start thinking about the ways safety can help you operate smoothly, or cause stumbling block after stumbling block.

It’ll be a lot easier to grow your business when you have the right systems in place from the start rather than putting out fires as they pop up. This will allow you and your personnel to focus on the science and not get distracted by regulatory or permitting problems.

If you’re facing any of the challenges we described above and want ideas on how to address them, check out our lab safety resources page, contact our team, or reach out to Corey directly.

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Community Hub

Lab Safety Concerns for Your Growing Startup

As a startup, leveling up can be exhilarating and terrifying. Making a mistake at this stage can range from frustrating to fatal for your business.

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
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15 min read

As COVID-impacted resources for chemical safety and inventory shift, safety professionals must adapt to keep up. Often, that means reconsidering priorities and asking hard questions about what is absolutely necessary. [This webinar aired on November 19, 2020]

Meet the Panelists:

Anne Kogut, MS, CIH, CSP

Industrial Hygiene ManagerClemson Universityakogut@clemson.edu

Anne has over 30 years of experience in Industrial Hygiene and Safety in a variety of industries including defense, healthcare, metal manufacturing, food processing, academia and theme parks. Throughout her career, Anne has conducted a variety of industrial hygiene and toxicology projects, and has been a designated expert witness in over 400 chemical exposure cases.

Divya Krishnamurthy, Ph.D.

Associate Director, EHSUltragenyxLinkedIn

Divya Krishnamurthy is Associate Director of EHS at Ultragenyx, where she is responsible for establishing site EHS vision and policy and helping drive a culture of excellence in EHS. She is a former bench scientist with 10+ years of experience spanning R&D and EHS in both academia and industry. Divya is passionate about creating and sustaining fully integrated EHS programs that keep people safe and healthy with a positive impact to our environment.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Triaging Chemical Safety & Inventory Responsibilities

As COVID-impacted resources for chemical safety and inventory shift, safety professionals must adapt to keep up. Often, that means reconsidering priorities and asking hard questions about what is absolutely necessary. [This webinar aired on November 19, 2020]

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2 min read

Finding or creating high quality content isn't easy, especially when COVID-19 is taxing people's attention and energy. This webinar will give you guidance on common pitfalls and positive characteristics of engaging training content. [This webinar aired on November 5, 2020]

Meet the Panelists:

Lora Grainger

Owner, Biorisk Management Training ConsultantProject Safe Lab LLClgrainger@projectsafelab.comLinkedInwww.projectsafelab.com

Dr. Lora Grainger is the Founder of Project Safe Lab, LLC. With a strong background in microbiology and a knack for training, over the past 10 years she has worked extensively to train, coach, and mentor 500+ biosafety advisors. Lora is very passionate about empowering others with simple and creative strategies to design, develop, deliver, and measure the effectiveness of biorisk management training. She proudly promotes collaborative efforts to deliver technical solutions for biological laboratory safety!

Jill James

Chief Safety OfficerHealth & Safety InstituteLinkedInAccidental Safety Pro PodcastSupervisor Safety Tip Video Series

HSI's Chief Safety Officer Jill James holds a Masters of Industrial Safety. With 12 years of experience as an OSHA Safety Investigator with the State of Minnesota, and a decade of private sector safety management experience, Jill brings an unrivaled perspective on risk, regulation, and liability. Jill is a passionate advocate for workforce wellbeing and safety. Having personally worked through each one of OSHA's regulations related to training and compliance, she's got a particular talent for unwinding state and federal regulations.

Brock A. Young

EH&S Training ManagerUniversity of Nevada, Renobrocky@unr.edu

Brock has an educational background in the biosciences (BS/MS Biotechnology) but has spent the majority of his professional career in the university health and safety field. His current role of Training Manager involves the development and delivery of in-person and online training programs and the broader challenge of facilitating communication between the EH&S department and the rest of campus.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

How to Deliver Engaging Training During a Pandemic

Finding or creating high quality content isn't easy, especially when COVID-19 is taxing people's attention and energy. This webinar will give you guidance on common pitfalls and positive characteristics of engaging training content. [This webinar aired on November 5, 2020]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
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2 min read

Our panelist Robin Izzo got called to fill her seat at the table and was not able to attend this webinar.She graciously shared some of her thoughts and advice on the subject [pdf].

At a time when input from EHS is needed most, some organizations still struggle to allow their EHS teams to weigh in. We talk strategy for getting your voice heard. [This webinar aired on October 22, 2020]

Meet the Panelists:

Robin Izzo

Executive Director, Environmental Health and SafetyPrinceton University

Robin Izzo is the Executive Director of Environmental Health and Safety for Princeton University, overseeing campus safety, laboratory safety, and emergency preparedness. She is currently the Incident Commander for the University’s response to COVID-19. Robin is the 2020 chair of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Chemical Health and Safety and is the Chair of the Communications subcommittee of the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety. Outside of work, Robin has led numerous volunteer organizations, including directing children’s theater.

Corey Martin

Founder and CEOSpotlight Safety Inc.cmartin@spotlightsafetyinc.comwww.spotlightsafetyinc.comLinkedIn

Corey Martin is an EHS and workplace safety consultant who specializes in supporting companies in the life science, biotech, pharmaceutical, tech R&D, and craft brewing industries. As a former scientist, Corey combines a unique blend of scientific and regulatory knowledge to offer customized safety solutions for early- and mid-stage companies. Corey highlights the importance of proactive safety investment to build a strong safety culture at all levels of the organization.

Elisabeth Clark

Assistant Director – Research Safety ProgramsNortheastern Universitye.clark@northeastern.edu

Liz Clark presently leads the research safety programs in the Office of Environmental Health and Safety at Northeastern University. In addition to her years of experience working in academia, she also worked in R&D as part of the EHS team at EMD Serono. In her free time, she serves on her town's conservation commission, and enjoys gardening and spending time in the great outdoors with her family.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Making EHS Essential: Strategies for Stronger Influence

At a time when input from EHS is needed most, some organizations still struggle to allow their EHS teams to weigh in. We talk strategy for getting your voice heard. [This webinar aired on October 22, 2020]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Sample HubSpot User
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2 min read

Are toilet plumes and hand dryers a major source of COVID-19 risk? Not likely! We bring together a panel of experts to help sort it out and arm you with valuable evidence-based knowledge. [this webinar aired on October 8, 2020]

Webinar Resource Documents

Please note:Literature and resources below have been collected and posted for ease of access, and do not necessarily represent the most recent or most complete findings regarding SARS-CoV-2 aerosols, transmission, and bathroom safety.

COVID-19 Aerosol FAQNot published in a peer-reviewed journal.Living document maintained and updated by members of the Aerosol Research Community.

Can you catch COVID-19 from your neighbor's toilet?Science.September 4, 2020.

Can you get COVID-19 in the bathroom?Chemical & Engineering News. October 4, 2020.

Enteric involvement of coronaviruses: is faecal–oral transmission of SARS-CoV-2 possible?The Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.February 19, 2020.

Lifting the lid on toilet plume aerosol: A literature review with suggestions for future researchAmerican Journal of Infection Control. October 5, 2012

The potential spread of infection caused by aerosol contamination of surfaces after flushing a domestic toiletJournal of AppliedMicrobiology.June 16, 2005.

Aerosol Generation by Modern Flush ToiletsAerosol Science and Technology. June 18, 2013.

COVID-19 and the workplace: Research questions for the aerosol science communityAerosol Science and Technology.July 28, 2020.

Particle sizes of infectious aerosols: implications for infection control.The Lancet Respiratory Medicine. July 24, 2020.

Evaluation of the potential for virus dispersal during hand drying: a comparison of three methods.Journal of Applied Microbiology.November 30, 2015.

Dispersal of microbes to hospital surfaces following two hand drying methods: papertowels or a jet air dryer.University of Leeds (shared via Google Drive). 2019.

Reducing transmission of SARS-CoV-2Science.June 26, 2020.

Aerodynamic analysis of SARS-CoV-2 in two Wuhan hospitalsNature. April 27, 2020.

Asymptomatic Transmission of SARS-CoV-2 on Evacuation FlightEmerging Infecious Diseases (early release). November 2020.

Air, Surface Environmental, and Personal Protective Equipment Contamination by SARS-CoV-2 From a Symptomatic Patient Journal of the American Medical Association.March 4, 2020.

SARS-CoV-2 in wastewater: potential health risk, but also data sourceThe Lancet Gastroenterology & Hepatology.April 1, 2020.

How sewage could reveal true scale of coronavirus outbreakNature. April 3, 2020.

SARS-CoV-2: The Growing Case for Potential Transmission in a Building via Wastewater Plumbing SystemsAnnals of Internal Medicine.September 1, 2020.

Meet the Panelists:

Pierre Herckes, Ph.D.

ProfessorArizona State Universitypierre.herckes@asu.edu

Pierre is a professor in the School of Molecular Sciences at Arizona State University. He teaches and conducts research in environmental chemistry, especially air pollution. For over 20 years he has studied aerosols and clouds droplets, their chemistry, sources and impacts on human health, both indoors and outdoors.

Jonathan Klane

Director of Risk Management and Safety EducationSciShieldjonathan.klane@bioraft.com

After many years in consulting, teaching, and directing safety and risk for two engineering colleges, Jonathan is now part of the SciShield team in a new role – Director of Risk management and Safety Education. This new innovative position encompasses risk management, safety culture, EHS compliance, loss control, and safety education for the entire community.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

COVID-19 Bathroom Safety – Aerosols & Transmission

Are toilet plumes and hand dryers a major source of COVID-19 risk? Not likely! We bring together a panel of experts to help sort it out and arm you with valuable evidence-based knowledge. [this webinar aired on October 8, 2020]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
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3 min read

For risks both big and small, it is essential to understand and account for the impact of COVID-19. When many common tools for mitigating risk are no longer effective, what options remain? [this webinar aired on September 10, 2020]

Meet the Panelists:

Sean Fitzgerald

Manager of Biological SafetyHackensack Meridian Health

Sean is responsible for Research Safety at the Center for Discovery and Innovation. He also serves as Chairman of the Institutional Biosafety Committee. Mr. Fitzgerald has spent many years managing high-risk materials at numerous institutions. Mr. Fitzgerald holds a Masters of Public Health the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.

Trent Peacock

Biosafety OfficerMississippi State Universitytpeacock@orc.msstate.eduLinkedIn

Trent joined Mississippi State University in November of 2017. He received a BS and MS in Biology at the University of Mississippi and his PhD at North Carolina State University. His biosafety and clinical experience includes establishment and certification of Department of Defense overseas BSL-2 MDRO surveillance laboratories, BSL-3 Biological Select Agent and Toxin laboratories in the US and Germany and clinical microbiology diagnostic laboratories.

Meghan Seltzer

Manager – Safety, Health, and SecurityHHMI Janelia Research Campusseltzerm@janelia.hhmi.orgLinkedIn

Meghan co-manages the Safety, Health, and Security Department at HHMI's Janelia Research Campus. While she manages many aspects of safety, biosafety is her favorite. Meghan is a former fellow from the National Biosafety and Biocontainment Training Program and is a Registered Biosafety Professional. She takes an active role in the biosafety community by serving on various committees and task forces for ABSA International.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

The Impact of COVID-19 on Risk Assessments

For risks both big and small, it is essential to understand and account for the impact of COVID-19. When many common tools for mitigating risk are no longer effective, what options remain? [this webinar aired on September 10, 2020]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read

Watch the Recording Above (or read our webinar summary article).

Teaching labs present their own unique safety challenges: shared equipment, close quarters, and multiple individuals indoors for a prolonged time. We review best practices and creative solutions to nagging issues.[this webinar aired on August 27, 2020]

Meet the Panelists:

Shawna Lesseur

Training and Outreach Program ManagerUniversity of ConnecticutEHS Profile InformationLinkedIn

Dr. Shawna M. Lesseur is an expert in holistic, interdisciplinary adult education and training; international art and politics; and innovative instructional design. She has more than a decade of experience as a college educator, teaching first-year through graduate-level courses, and as a thought leader in higher education and training technology. At UConn EHS she leads training, communications, ergonomics, and the Undergraduate Lab Safety Faculty Working Group.

Jodi Ogilvie, Ph.D.

Chemical Hygiene OfficerUniversity of Minnesotajogilvie@umn.eduLinkedIn@DrO_MN

Jodi Ogilvie is the Chemical Hygiene Officer at the University of Minnesota and has more than 10 years of experience working in synthetic chemistry laboratories. At UMN, she provides guidance on the safe use, storage, and disposal of chemicals used in research and teaching.

Samuella B. Sigmann, MS, CCHO

Director of Chemistry Stockroom/CHO/Senior LecturerAppalachian State Universitysigmannsb@appstate.eduLinkedInPublications

Samuella B. Sigmann has 30+ years of experience in academia and has been active in chemical safety education for 15 years. She holds a BS in Chemistry/Biology, a MA in Chemistry, and a MS in Occupational Health & Safety. She is the Immediate Past Chair of the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

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EHS Webinars

Coronavirus Safety in Teaching Labs

Teaching labs present their own unique safety challenges: shared equipment, close quarters, and multiple individuals indoors for a prolonged time. We review best practices and creative solutions to nagging issues. [this webinar aired on August 27, 2020]

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read

The need for both routine and deep disinfection grows as repopulations continue. Our panelists will discuss the technologies they're eyeing and the policies they're employing to keep the spread of coronavirus under control. [this webinar aired on August 6, 2020]

Meet the Panelists:

Aristea Lubar

Associate Biosafety OfficerUniversity of California, San Diegoalubar@ucsd.edu

Aristea Lubar is an Associate Biosafety Officer for the University of California, San Diego. Her background is in vector biology and infectious disease. She spent four years in research, during which she liaised with multiple global institutions before transitioning into biosafety. She obtained a B.S. in Zoology from the University of California, Santa Barbara.

Megan Shoff

Biological Safety OfficerUniversity of North Texasmegan.shoff@unt.eduLinkedIn

I am a microbiologist, who for the past two years, have been the biological safety officer at UNT. I came to UNT from the CDC Division of Select Agents and Toxins where I was an inspector/microbiologist. Prior to working at the CDC, I was a professor and prior to that was a researcher at the FDA in the Infection Control Laboratory, where we specialized in disinfection and sterilization.

Joan Wickersheim

Associate Director Research, Campus, and Environmental SafetyThe University of Texas at Dallasjoan.wickersheim@utdallas.eduUT Dallas Safety

Joan Wickersheim is currently serving the community at UT Dallas. She is a proud alumnus of Colorado State University, and has passionately pursued her career as an Industrial Hygienist over the course of three decades. While walking in her safety shoes, Joan has provided services from the perspective of OSHA compliance officer, consultant, and local government risk administrator. Her quest is to boldly empower safety champions at all levels.

Matt Segal

MCSciShieldmatt.segal@bioraft.com

Matt found his way to SciShield after working at Boston Children's Hospital performing translational rare blood disease research. As the safety guy in his lab, he saw firsthand how challenging it was to manage safety in a laboratory environment and wanted to find a way to help. He now spends his time hosting webinars, arguing with his 3D printer, and cooking food in plastic bags at low temperatures.

ELN-Bildschirmfoto
EHS Webinars

Coronavirus Disinfection Technologies & Tactics

Our panelists will discuss the technologies they're eyeing and the policies they're employing to keep the spread of coronavirus under control.

eLabNext Mannschaft
Matt Segal
|
2 min read
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