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617-452-ehssenvironment, health and safety Office One office – five programs – one place to call

vol 09 / no 1winter 2010

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http://mit.edu/environment Ifyouwouldlikeotherstoreceivethisnewsletter,pleasecontactenvironment@mit.edu.

14 award of excellence

14 report from copenhagen

24 sustainability within the lab

34 best practice

44 2009 national safety council

54 what happens to biohazardous waste

64 laser cutter safety

114 letter from the director

124 brief notes

editor: paula duffy

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The Provost Recognizes…Plasma Science Fusion Center and Center for Environmental Health SciencesThe Award of Excellence for Environment, Health and Safety Management System Performance

MIT’s Environment, Health and Safety Management System (EHS-MS) is the cornerstone by which the Institute sets policies and maintains compliance with federal, state and local environmental, health and safety regulations. Therefore, it is with high regard that for the second year in a row, the Provost has recognized departments, labs and centers (DLCs) which have achieved a noteworthy level of performance in meeting the requirements of the EHS-MS and thus have demonstrated a level of environmental, health and safety excellence.

To be eligible for an EHS-MS award, a DLC must perform and, importantly, document biannual EHS inspections within a specified time period. The DLC must also complete an annual update of key written documents in a timely manner, while ensuring that at least

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Report from CopenhagenMIT Participates in International University Workshop on Sustainability

ByKatherineDykes,VPMITEnergyClub

This past December, the University of Copenhagen and Yale University convened a workshop as a side event for the 2009 United Nations Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen, Denmark (COP15). Aaron Thom, co-president of Sustainability@MIT, and Katherine Dykes, vice president of the MIT Energy Club participated in the workshop supported by the MIT Energy Initiative and the Campus Energy Task Force. The overall objective of the workshop was to discuss how “universities can minimize harmful damage to the environment and promote sustainable solutions.” Student-led teams from 17 universities joined the workshop to share their recent experiences and future plans for addressing climate change on their respective campuses. North American teams from MIT, Yale, Brown, Carnegie Mellon and the University of British Colombia joined teams from all over Europe, Asia and even Australia for a full day of brainstorming.

Continuedonpage9

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4Sustainability within the LabSecond Life for Lab Trash

ByNiamhKelly

There is no question that research labs generate a lot of waste; whether it’s chemical, biohazardous or radioactive waste or simply trash. For many of the same reasons that society has moved to a greater use in disposable products, so have research labs across the country. Individually wrapped plastic materials such as Petri dishes, sample supplies, pipette and tissue culture plasticware are lightweight, cheaper and more resistant than glassware materials, which is part of the reason for their increase in use. With each shipment of these items to our campus comes additional packaging, which generally includes thin film plastic wrap, styrofoam and cardboard. These items take up space in the labs and hallways before ending up in landfills or municipal incinerators for trash disposal. So what can we do about it?

Similar to other institutions, MIT’s EHS Office has been working with the campus community to reduce the amount of waste generated and to seek alternatives to minimize our impact on the environment. Recycling of lab trash is one of the more recent initiatives that the Sustainability Program has been addressing with the Department of Facilities (Recycling Program and Custodial Services) to standardize and implement across campus. Recycling lab items that would otherwise end up in the trash will increase MIT’s recycling rate, give these commodities a longer lifespan, and reduce the use of natural resources for production of similar materials.

So what can be recycled? Similar to the Single Stream Recycling Program on campus, the following items can be placed in the same recycling container within your lab.

• Aluminum foil (free of contamination)

• Bottles & Cans: glass, plastic #1–7, metal/aluminum

• Cardboard (please break down the boxes and place near bin)

• Glass and plastic chemical containers (empty, no label, loosely capped)

• Paper

• Pipette Tip Boxes

• Plastic coated chemical bottles (this does not apply to Technology Square labs)

Please note that each department will have a slightly different means of collecting bulkier items, such as pipette tip boxes and empty chemical containers, due to safety restrictions within the Custodial Services collection process. Contact your EHS Coordinator and/or the EHS Office for assistance with your collection process.

For a detailed explanation of requirements and list of items, please refer to the Lab Recycling Guideline posted on the EHS Website: http://web.mit.edu/environment/reduce/sustainability.html.

Information on additional items accepted within MIT’s Recycling Program, along with how and where to recycle them can be found on the Facilities Recycling website: http://web.mit.edu/facilities/environmental/recycling.html.

We encourage you to get involved and ask your EHS Coordinator about the Lab Recycling opportunities within your department. If you are interested in learning more about the various opportunities to minimize and reduce waste in your lab, contact environment@mit.edu for more information.

Finally, MIT needs you to become a Green Ambassador and help the institute reduce its eco footprint and save money. For details, visit: http://sustainability.mit.edu/resources/become-a-green-ambassador.

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Best PracticeSafety with a Smile

ByChristineTafoya

Too often when its time for Level II Lab Inspections we only hear about the findings: “Appearanceofareanotneat/orderly/clean,”“EHStrainingoutofdate” or “PersonnelnotwearingappropriatePPE.” Remember the old adage that no news is good news? Well, here’s some good news. A Best Practices recognition for Rachel Miller of the Grodzinsky Lab in Biological Engineering! Last fall during a surprise Level II lab inspection we at EHS came across Rachel wearing full personal protective equipment while working in an orderly, clean space. The scene brought a smile to our faces and hers!

Thank you Rachel Miller and the Grodzinsky Lab for maintaining a level of excellence!

Rachel Miller, Grodzinsky Lab, Department of Biological Engineering.

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Questions… Call the EHS Office at 2-EHSS

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A Personal ReflectionThe 2009 National Safety Council Expo and Congress

ByAbigailHine

During the month of October in 2009, I was fortunate enough to be able to attend the National Safety Council’s Expo and Congress in Orlando, Florida. This is the largest meeting of safety professionals from, well, everywhere! For five days, people from various backgrounds were able to network, attend seminars, sit for their Certified Safety Professional certification exam, or take a technical tour of a Disney park or hotel.

The schedule was packed from 8 am to 4 pm. A commonly known safety advocate speaker, Charlie Morecraft, shared his views on safety. During an unfortunate accident at an Exxon Mobile refinery, where he was working in the 1980s, Charlie was badly burned. Another memorable speaker was the EHS Director for Maersk, Inc. He spoke about emergency preparedness on board ships. I enjoyed this informative presentation.

After listening to the speakers, it was time to attend some of the seminars being offered. Topics ranged all the way from teen texting while driving to business continuity during an emergency. Occupational, Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) inspector’s shared their personal tips and tricks on how to be a better safety trainer, budgeting in a down economy, electrical safety, the aging workforce, and the list goes on. It was so difficult to pick which seminars to attend because many run concurrently! Each session provided new insights, new ideas, and certainly made me think of how to apply all that I’ve learned back at my job.

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Next we have the Expo. What is the Expo? It’s a showcase of just about any safety related equipment item you could possibly imagine. The Red Cross, Timberland, LSS, Grainger and many agencies and companies offer free samples, advice and goods to buy to all attendees. There is a lot to see; I’d recommend setting aside two afternoons to really enjoy the Expo.

This trip reminded me of why I got into the safety profession. Being surrounded by 13,000 other safety professionals, exchanging ideas and anecdotes, and listening to the presenters really gave me a different perspective; we’re not here to only assure compliance, we’re here to ensure that people go home the same way they came in to work: alive and in one piece. If we keep that attitude and maintain the human side of our profession, I think we will all have great success. I left this safety conference feeling really good about being in the safety field and about how I can be a better safety professional.

“And spring arose on the garden fair,

Like the spirit of Love felt everywhere;

And each flower and herb on earth’s dark breast

rose from the dreams of its wintry rest.”

– Percy Bysshe Shelley, The Sensitive Plant

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Interested In Being A Waste Detective?ByChristineTafoyaandPaulaDuffy

This is the first article, in a series, that will explore the many types of waste generated at MIT. As we carefully follow each waste, we will learn about its peculiarities and its entry into the waste stream. Also, we’ll find out how and where the waste is finally “laid to rest.” So waste detectives, prepare as we enter the world of waste management.

first, a look at the waste suspects we will be investigating in this series…

If you work in a laboratory at MIT you know that there are many types of waste being generated and these wastes are segregated by content and hazard profile. Lab waste is divided into different waste streams depending on whether it is hazardous waste or non-hazardous waste. Hazardous waste is separated depending on whether it contains hazardous chemicals, radioactive material, and/or is biohazardous, and whether it is a solid, a liquid, or a sharp. Non-hazardous waste is separated into recyclable waste and trash. There you have it – a list of the usual waste suspects!

So read on fellow sleuths as we first follow the waste trail of biohazards!

our story of biohazardous waste begins…

As with any good detective work, it is important to first learn the facts. What you need to know about biohazardous waste is its composition. Biohazardous waste earned its name just because it may contain potentially infectious biologic materials that could be transmitted to people, plants, or animals. No shock, Sherlock! Remember, microor-ganisms such as virus, bacteria, parasites, and fungi – often invisible to the naked eye, cause infection. Biohazardous waste includes medical waste from hospitals and clinics as well as research waste from laboratories. Now we know where this “waste of interest” can be found, but what do we do when we find it?

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Biohazardous waste is often the easiest type of waste to manage because it can be treated to render it non-infectious. However, detectives, do not be fooled into thinking that you have solved the enigma of what to do with biohaz-ardous waste. There are many co-conspirators; therefore, we must categorize them according to their modus operandi. First there is the liquid gang. They are real drips. Then come the solids. They just sit around and make trouble. Lastly, you have the sharps. These guys, well…ouch!

the co-conspirators…

Prime suspect: liquid biohazardous waste. Generally, this waste is chemically decontami-nated. The most popular products to decon-taminate liquid biomaterial are sodium hypochlorite, e.g. common household bleach (use mercury free bleach such as Austin’s Bleach available from VWR), and organic iodine, commonly the brand Wescodyne. To dispose of liquid biohazardous waste you can add your chemical decontaminant to the proper concentration, let it sit for twenty minutes and then pour it down the drain. An alternative to chemical treatment is autoclaving the liquid waste. Once autoclaved, it can go down the drain.

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In some cases on campus, the air exhausted from the equipment goes through an air filtration system, rather than being exhausted to the outside. It is important to get a filtration system that works with the equipment and provides sufficient airflow. It is also critical when using air filtration systems, to maintain them properly. The filters need to be changed routinely.

Even though ventilation is part of the process, there are some materials that should never be cut in laser cutters. PVC materials should never be used in laser cutters. Cutting PVCs generates an acid gas, hydrogen chloride, that is toxic to inhale and that damages the equipment. Other materials should not be cut because they present fire hazards. Generally, the manuals list the materials that can be cut safely. Acrylics are often cut in laser cutters. These materials generate a strong odor, and it is important that there be proper ventilation when cutting them.

Usually the safety hazard one thinks of for laser equipment is the risk of eye injuries. In the case of laser cutting/and engraving equipment, the risk of eye injuries is minimal provided it is used as directed, and the equipment is not altered in any way.

A Masterpiece or MessLaser Cutter Safety

ByEmilyRanken

Laserengravers/cuttersareagreattool,butarealsodangerouswhennotusedproperlyornotinstalledaccordingtomanufacturerguidelines.RemembertofollowallsafetyinstructionswhenusingthismachineryoryourworkmaylookmorelikeaPicassogoneawrythantheDaVinciyouwereaspiringtocreate!

What can go wrong when working with a laser engraver/cutter? The blackened, melted acrylic sheet with an unattractive gash through it pictured on the next page is a great example. This object is tacked above a laser engraver in one campus location as a visual reminder of what can happen when the rules of use are broken, in this case, leaving the laser cutter unattended. It was a bad day for the student involved and a dangerous day for the lab that experienced the fire.

The use of laser engravers/cutters is increasing around the campus. There are a variety of things one can do with this equipment such as making elaborate cuttings, engravings and signs with woods and some plastics. However, this equipment has some inherent hazards, and it is important to install and use it properly.

What are the health and safety concerns of working with laser engraver/ cutter equipment? The objective of a laser cutter is to engrave or cut rapidly through a material by vaporizing it with the focused laser beam. There is a lot of heat energy involved, especially for cutting, and that can easily result in fires if you are cutting inappropriate materials or have not set up the equipment properly for what you are cutting. Fires can happen even when set up properly, so one of the basic instructions for use of the equipment is to never leave the process unattended.

In addition to the fire hazard, the cutting process generates smoke, gases and vapors, which vary somewhat, depending on what is being cut. The equipment requires special ventilation to help cool items being cut as well as to exhaust smoke and vapors generated by the cutting process. It is important to install this equipment with adequate ventilation, which is specified in the equipment manual.

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Acrylicinvolvedinalasercutterfire,whichistackedabovethelasercutterpicturedatthetopasareminderofwhatcanhappenwhenequipmentisleftunattendedduringuse.Fortunately,noonewasinjuredbuttherewasasignificantcosttorepairtheequipmentdamageandthecutterwasunavailableforusebyothers.

Training is important to assure laser cutters are used properly. When obtaining a new laser cutter for an area or operation, only trained personnel should be allowed to use the equipment. Some departments on campus have established training programs for use of this equipment.

To summarize, laser cutters are a useful piece of equipment, but they have inherent safety hazards, and it is important to install and use them properly.

1. Make sure the equipment is properly ventilated.

2. Cut only the materials recommended for the system. Never cut PVCs.

3. never leave the cutter unattended when it is operating.

4. Obtain training for use of the equipment.

5. If you use an air filtration system for ventilation, make sure the filters are properly maintained and changed when needed.

6. Report any problems or concerns with the equipment immediately to your PI or the area supervisor.

If you have specific questions about laser cutter safety or ventilation of equipment, please contact the EHS Office by calling 617-452-3477 or writing environment@mit.edu.

Questions… Call the EHS Office at 2-EHSS

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Award of Excellence (Continuedfrompage1)

90% of personnel indicated by the EHS Management System to need EHS training have successfully completed and maintained core EHS training*. The DLCs must meet and sustain all stated criteria during the evaluation period to be considered as having met the requirements of the EHS Management System. The top performers are then selected for the awards.

This year the EHS Award of Excellence for a large DLC went to the Plasma Science and Fusion Center. They successfully met the baseline requirements, and distinguished themselves with a training completion record of 97%. The EHS Award of Excellence for a small DLC was presented to the Center for Environmental Health Sciences. This is the second year they have received this recognition. Congratulations to both centers for their outstanding work!

Receiving awards of Special Recognition for a high level of performance in 2009 were the Koch Institute and the Department of Biological Engineering. Both these Departments have demonstrated a high level of performance for two years. The Koch Institute was recognized in 2008 with an Award of Excellence, and the Department of Biological

LouDiBerardinis,Director,Environment,HealthandSafetyOffice,withJenniferLynn,EHSCoordinatorforKochInstitute,proudlyholdingtheSpecialRecognitionaward.TheyarejoinedbyKochInstituteEHSRepresentativesandEHSsupportstaff.

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Engineering received Special Recognition in 2008. Congratulations to all of you for your continued success!

The Environment Health and Safety Office extends their congratulations to this year’s awardees and thanks all members of the MIT Community for their work and dedication in meeting their environmental, health and safety requirements.

*Core EHS training is defined as chemical safety training, hazardous waste management training, biosafety training, and radiation protection training.

Note: DLCs are grouped and compared by size for award consideration.

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Report from Copenhagen (Continuedfrompage1)

The second day, the teams met at the University of Copenhagen’s historic Ceremonial Hall to present posters of their campus activities in front of a panel of sustainability experts. The different posters displayed a wide array of initiatives including programs on energy efficiency, composting, reducing printing, promoting “zero-waste” events, demonstra-tions of food-sourcing and promoting more sustainable behavior in transportation and food consumption. The MIT team’s focus consisted of a review assessment of the past several years of campus energy and sustainability initiatives to build a more comprehensive understanding of the success of different programs and to inform future program development in 2010 and beyond.

In preparation for the workshop, the MIT team conducted a survey to inventory the large number of MIT campus initiatives in the areas of energy and sustainability. Over 73 programs or activities were identified and then categorized according to programming type: built environment, communication and education, as well as behavior in terms of reduced use, recycling and reuse, and patterns of consumption. The outcome of the survey led to two general insights: the variation of impact across the programs and activities appeared substantial and the vast majority of programs targeted activity within the campus borders. Thus, the MIT team’s presentation for the Yale-Copenhagen COP15 university workshop focused on two objectives for the coming year in 2010. The first goal is to develop a comprehensive assessment of the success of different programs or activities active across campus now. In this effort, both Yale and Carnegie Mellon Universities have decided to pursue similar studies at their respective institutions to be able to study a larger set of programs as well as to compare

programs across universities. The first part of the study includes the inventory of university programs and the second will involve development of a common survey that will be issued to leaders of the various campus programs. The study will look at a wide variety of factors that may affect the success of each initiative including the type of program, economic requirements, type of institutional support, incentives for participation, incentives for leadership, type of measurements as well as university structure. The outcome will hopefully identify the status of various programs as well as the factors enabling their success. The preliminary study results are expected to be presented at the MIT Energy Conference Showcase on March 5th, 2010.

Steven Lanou, deputy director of the EHS sustainability program and member of the Campus Energy Task Force, has been an advisor on this project. “I am very excited about the prospects of this student-led initiative to help us better understand and articulate the progress we have made, as well as pin-point areas for possible focus,” said Lanou. “Katherine and Aaron are incredibly plugged into what is happening on campus, and I look forward to working with them on this project.”

AaronThom,co-presidentofSustainability@MIT,andKatherineDykes,VPoftheMITEnergyClubrepresentedMITattheInternationalUniversityWorkshoponSustainabilityinCopenhagen,Denmark.

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Waste Detective (Continuedfrompage5)

Troublemakers: solid biohazardous waste. Detectives, there could be one microorganism or many co-collaborators in this line-up, and many items contaminated. Since solid biohaz-ardous waste involves a variety of materials, autoclaving is the best method to decontami-nate it. Autoclaving uses high-pressure steam to sterilize and decontaminate equipment and supplies. By reaching temperatures of 121 c˚ or greater, microorganisms are eradicated. Once material is decontaminated, it can be disposed of in the regular waste stream, e.g. the trash can.

Most dangerous: the armed suspect known as sharps. Biohazardous sharps need special treatment, and detectives; you need special equipment to handle this suspect. Biologically contaminated sharps could potentially injure as well as infect a person; therefore, special care must be taken when you meet. Three basic rules to follow are:

1. Never dispose of sharps in the regular trash;

2. Never recap needles prior to disposal; and

3. Handle sharps as little as possible.

If you do have sharps “in custody” ready for disposal, they must be carefully placed in the red colored sharp collection bins. These bins are designed to be puncture resistant and are used specifically for the collection of sharps. These containers are provided by Stericycle, a medical waste disposal company, but are delivered to the labs and picked-up when full by MIT’s EHS Technicians. Do not overfill the containers! Do not put liquid or non-sharp solid waste in the containers.

The collected sharps containers are taken to Stericycle’s facility, emptied, cleaned and sterilized so they may be used again. Ah ha! No following our trail here. Our carbon footprint is minimized.

The waste sharps emptied from the container, our culprits, must be managed by decontaminating and de-arming to eliminate the danger of the sharp puncturing a person. In our case, all of MIT’s biohazardous sharps waste is decontaminated at Stericycle by microwave or UV exposure, and then shredded to eliminate the puncture hazard. The shredded waste is then transported to a waste management facility equipped with a high temperature incinerator for final processing of this waste. The energy created from incineration is used to generate electricity or steam. Any residual contamination will be eliminated.

further facts about the case…

All disposal facilities with waste incinerators are approved and regulated by the Massachusetts Department of Environmental Protection. A typical Massachusetts facility with two waste incinerators can burn approximately 1,500 tons of material per day. Case closed.

Stay tuned detectives as we investigate other types of waste and learn their secrets.

For more information about Stericycle visit their website at: http://www.stericycle.com/.

Information about Massachusetts state regulations may be found at: http://www.mass.gov/dep/recycle/solid/mwc.htm.

The Environment, Health and Safety Office has information about biohazard disposal on their website: http://web.mit.edu/environment/ehs/biomed.html.

A typical Massachusetts facility with

two waste incinerators can burn approximately

1,500 tons of material per day.

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Dear Colleagues,As we begin the 7th year of the Institute’s Environment, Health and Safety Management System (EHS MS), I am very pleased to note the significant and measurable progress that has been made in meeting our vision of creating a world-class environmental, health and safety program at the Institute. I clearly recognize that this success is a result of the hard work, effort and dedication of many members of the MIT community. This group includes laboratory EHS representatives, department emergency preparedness coordinators, DLC EHS coordinators and the central EHS staff; all who have specific and important roles and responsibilities in meeting our shared goals. Our success would not have been possible without the continued cooperation and support of faculty, staff, students and administration.

We continue to maintain and strengthen the core components of the EHS MS, which include hazard and risk assessment, education and training, inspections and surveys, and emergency preparedness and response. We have begun to focus on emerging areas such as sustainability, energy conservation, waste minimization and nanotechnology.

Continuous careful evaluation and thoughtful improvements in many aspects of our program have allowed us to absorb the significant budget and financial difficulties and challenges of the past few years without a negative affect on the safety and health of our community or the work toward the preservation of our environment. I am confident in our ability to maintain our level of excellence.

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ehs news & views vol 07 / no 1 january 2008

special insert

4special insert

As we reflect on the past, we should be proud and ener-gized by what we have accomplished. As we look to the future, we should be motivated and confident that we have a strong and tested system supported by many talented individuals who are prepared and eager to help us meet the challenges in the months and years ahead. Together we will continue “Working Together to Protect People and Planet.”

I am very proud to be a part of such a special and valued organization and I wish to express my sincere gratitude and appreciation to all for your valued efforts. I look forward to continuing the collaborative mission of achieving our established goals and will work tirelessly with each and every one of you to attain and exceed our desired results.

Lou DiBerardinis DirectorEnvironment,Health&SafetyOffice

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Environment, Health and Safety Office, N52-496, 617-452-EHSS

ehs news & viewsMITEHS

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Questions… Call the EHS Office at 2-EHSS

Brief reminderThe beginning of the semester is a good time to take or update your environment, health and safety training! Check your training status, and take or update any training you need. If you receive a reminder regarding EHS training, take the training! For questions, call EHS at 2-3477. EHS Training website: http://web.mit.edu/environment/training/.

Brief notesComing soon, a new EHS Office website! Keep an eye out for our new website, to appear soon, and let us know what you think! http://mit.edu/environment/ehs.

40 Years of Earth Day at MIT will be celebrated on April 22, 2010. Special plans are being made to mark the day, so mark your calendars.