Lab Safety

All new EPFL hires need to have a mandatory basic safety training (FOBS) organized by EPFL safety department.

All new LBEN members (included visitors and collaborators who actively will be working in our labs) need to have a lab safety introduction with the lab COSEC. Please contact the COSEC (you will find the current COSECs in the main lab web page) before you start working in the lab. You should read before the Safety vademecum @ LBEN

IMPORTANT INFO

                                          For all emergencies, 24h/24:
                                      Call from an EPFL landline: 115
                           From a personal mobile phone: 021 693 30 00
                                     From the EPFL Campus app: SOS

You need to know where emergency aids are located and how to use them:

  • Emergency eyewash units and showers
  • First aid kits
  • Emergency exits
  • Extinguishing equipment (extinguishers, safety blankets, sand buckets)
  • Chemical spill kits

In case of any professional or non- professional accident, you must announce it to human resources. You also have to declare it to the SUVA (Swiss national work insurance). Event Manager

BEST PRACTICES

  • Eating and drinking is prohibited in the lab.
  • Always wear the required personal protective equipment (safety glasses, UV protection googles, gloves, lab coat) for your procedure.
  • Transport chemicals using the blue basket and trolleys.
  • No lab gloves on door handles.
  • Chemicals and solvents should be stored in the designated safety cabinets based on their pictograms and incompatibilities.
  • Chemical hazards manipulations should be done inside the fume hoods ONLY.
  • Fume hoods should be kept clean and empty, the sash should be kept down.
  • Project students are not allowed to work in the lab alone.
  • Never let reactions run unattended unless a clear warning information is well displayed, download the safety form and place it next to the experiment.

ORDERS and INVENTORIES

  • Chemical’s orders are centralized and should be placed through the official purchasing platform of EPFL: Catalyse
  • All new members need to have a training to be able to use Catalyse, dates are visible on Catalyse main page or you can contact Anna Lucciarini.
  • Be aware that few dangerous chemicals require a special authorization from the OHS to be purchased.
  • Consumables and not (chemicals, biological and optical items..) are inventoryzed in SLIMS and Catalyse (keep the barcodes labels required for Catalyse inventory).
  • All new members should have a SLIMS training (contact: [email protected]) 
  • Each LBEN member is responsible of keeping the inventories up to date.
  • Be aware of the waste management rules of EPFL. Ask to the COSEC in case of doubts.
  • To announce pregnancy click here
  • For technical problems in the office and/or in the lab linked to EPFL infrastructures ONLY (ventilation, fume hood, heating, not for equipment which belongs to the lab) call 34000
  • for more information see here and read the Safety vademecum @ LBEN