Lab Safety During Severe Weather

Laboratory equipment, materials and research can be protected from loss during severe weather events, by taking appropriate precautions that will minimize the impact of dangerous conditions (e.g. wind, rain, ice, etc.) and loss of services (e.g. electric power, heat, air conditioning, water, etc.). Prepare a lab contingency plan, including the items noted below, that meets your specific needs. This plan should be shared with your department and provided to your Building Manager for inclusion in the Building Emergency Plan.

The Laboratory Severe Weather Plan should be implemented to protect personnel, equipment, and laboratory facilities whenever a severe weather event threatens laboratory operations, or when directed by the University’s Emergency Management system.

Additional information and checklists can be found on the EH&S Lab Emergencies web page:

http://www.stonybrook.edu/ehs/lab/labemerg.shtml

Laboratory Shutdown Procedures

• Shutdown experiments that could be affected by the loss of electricity, water, or other services.
• Close the sash on all chemical fume hoods in the event that ventilation is lost.
• Remove all infectious materials from biosafety cabinets, and autoclave, disinfect, or safely store them as appropriate.
• Ensure that all chemical, radioactive and hazardous waste containers are properly covered and sealed.
• Ensure that all gas valves are closed.
• Turn off all appliances, computers, hot plates, ovens and other equipment.
• Review storage of perishable items. Consolidate valuable items within storage units that have backup systems or store items in duplicate locations as appropriate. Review safety precautions for the use of alternate cooling methods (e.g. liquid nitrogen, dry ice, etc.), if used.
• Ensure that water reactive chemicals are in sealed containers and stored in areas that are unlikely to become wet.
• Check that all gas cylinders are secured. Remove regulators and install transport caps where possible.
• Elevate equipment, materials and supplies, including electrical wires and chemicals, off of the floor, particularly in lower elevations that are prone to flooding.
• Close all doors, including cabinets, storage areas, offices and utility chase-ways. Lock all exterior lab doors before leaving.
• Update emergency contact numbers for your lab. Ensure that they are properly posted on lab doors and provided to your department.
• Secure lab notebooks and backup critical data on computers.