Safety instructions for work in the IDRFU

Operation of any equipment is permissible only after its reservation, reading of the relevant safety instructions and training by the IDRFU staff. 1.The IDRFU’s doors will be open from 08:00-16:00. After hours, access is available by use of the magnetic card. Doors may not be opened with gloves on. 2.Workers are required to wear closed shoes, lab coat, and gloves during work in the IDRFU (gloves should be put on only after entering the relevant room). 3.Food is not permitted in any of the IDRFU’s instrumentation rooms. 4.When working with instruments that utilize liquid pressure e.g. chromatography stations, safety glasses should be worn. 5.Fire extinguishers are available in the IDRFU’s instrument rooms and are intended for emergency using in the case of fire exclusively. 6.Workers are obligated to report problems with instrumentation to the IDRFU staff. No attempts at repair or contact with service representatives are permitted. 7.No instrument marked as not working may be operated. 8.When working with liquid nitrogen (e.g. when operating the circular dichroism spectrometer), the room should be ventilated by opening the window and operating the vent. 9.Independent operation of the ultracentrifuges requires authorization of the IDRFU staff and is permissible only to doctoral students and scientific staff that are so authorized. 10.Operation of the ultracentrifuges will be according to the speed limits for individual rotors listed on the IDRFU’s web site. 11.With instrumentation using Hg lamps, one must make sure that the lamp has been extinguished before leaving the room. 12.Hg lamps should not be extinguished less than 45 minutes from their most recent ignition. 13.Hg lamp ignition is permissible only after a 45 minute wait after it was previously extinguished. 14.Responsibility for leaving a lit Hg lamp or laser falls on the user unless he/she transferred responsibility to the next user by telephone. 15.No chemical or biological waste may be left in the IDRFU. Sharp items e.g. needles or broken glass should not be left in IDRFU garbage disposals. 16.When working with the scintillation counters, vials should be placed exclusively in the counter and upon completion of counting should be removed promptly. Vials should never be left in the counter or its area. 17.For instrumentation that uses heating elements (including Peltier), ten minutes should be allowed for the instrument to cool before removal of the samples. 18.It is forbidden to work alone in the IDRFU. There must be one other person present during operation of equipment. 19.It is recommended to wash one’s hands with soap upon completion of work in the IDRFU. Note: These instructions have been approved by the Safety Unit and the Faculty committee on safety.