Miscellaneous

1. Fume hoods in all laboratories should provide adequate air movement, and should be fitted with movable sashes.

2. At least one fume hood in each laboratory should run continuously.

3. To prevent entry of sewer gases into laboratories, traps in floor drains and in cup sinks on laboratory benches and fume hoods should be kept full by pouring one liter of water into the drain at least once a month.

B. Electrical

1. Adequate electrical outlets should be provided in each laboratory to prevent circuit overloading.

2. Electrical cords and cables should be examined periodically for signs of wear or fraying, and replaced if necessary.

3. Electrical cords and instrument cables must not be located near potential heat sources, in locations where they may be subject to wear by friction, or on floors in traffic areas.

4. In laboratories where large numbers of electrical outlets are in permanent use, each outlet should be labeled with the name of the piece of equipment it services.

5. Circuit breaker panels in laboratories must remain unobstructed at all times.

C. Vacuum Equipment

1. All glass vacuum vessels larger than 100 cm³ must be taped or enclosed within explosion-proof shields. This includes all Dewar flasks and vacuum desiccators.

2. All belt-driven rotary vacuum pumps must be fitted with belt guards.

3. Vacuum pumps should not be located inside cabinets or under low bench tops where excessive heat build-up may occur.

D. Other

1. Exposed heat sources (e.g., flames or open elements) should never be left unattended, even for short periods of time.

2. To prevent injuries to custodial personnel, hypodermic syringe needles and other waste "sharps" (e.g., broken glass) to be discarded MUST be properly boxed and/or encapsulated before disposal.

3. Rubber or plastic tubing used to conduct cooling water to devices such as condensers must be tightly clamped or wired to the apparatus to prevent accidental dislodgement of the tubing and potential flooding of the laboratory floor.

4. Because of the importance of being able to hear fire alarms and other emergency signals, the use of stereo headsets ("Walkmans") in laboratories is inadvisable.