Struttmann Research Safety Rules

1. Be prepared for lab! Read all instructions and safety precautions before you begin working in the lab. Follow all written and verbal instructions provided.

2. Hours: Following safety training and initial monitoring by your mentor, you will be granted card access to the research lab from 8 am to 5 pm Monday through Friday. Do not ask the administrative assistant, or another faculty member to let you in other than these times, they will not.
   a. You are expected to work at least 4-5 hours/week per research credit that you are taking.
   b. You will need 3-4 hour blocks to perform experiments (perhaps more). Although we realize that you may have work commitments, you are expected to clear time to devote to your research.
   c. It is not the responsibility of your mentor to perform experiments or to maintain/feed your organisms. This includes scheduled breaks, it will be your responsibility to maintain your organisms over any breaks.
   luv field

3. Do not work in the lab alone. You must work with other researchers, unless you have written permission to do so. If you are working with insects, it must be another insect researcher that has read/signed this document - or your research adviser/mentor. There must be staff/faculty on premises. You must also ensure that your mentor knows that you are in the lab (every single time). When you are in lab, you may text me if you need me or have questions!

4. Do not allow other students into the lab.

Failure to follow rules 1-3 will result in card swipe access privileges being removed. No other warning will be given.

5. Clothing: Proper lab attire is required for all field and lab work. This includes closed-toe waterproof shoes and long pants when appropriate. Shoes without closed toes are not allowed in the field or labs. Shorts are not allowed in labs. Tie back long hair and do not wear loose clothing or dangling jewelry when working in the laboratory. Any student working in the field or lab not appropriately dressed will be asked to leave.

6. Personal protective equipment
   a. Safety glasses are required at all times in the lab unless goggles are worn. Goggles must be worn whenever you (or anyone else in the lab) is/are working with chemicals.
   b. Gloves must be worn when working with biological hazards, tissue culture and RNA
   c. Lab coats must be worn when working with biological hazards, tissue culture and RNA
   d. DO NOT WEAR GLOVES OR LAB COATS OUTSIDE OF THE LAB, THIS WILL RESULT IN HAZARDOUS MATERIALS BEING TRANSPORTED OUT OF THE LAB (VIOLATION OF BIOSAFETY POLICIES). When moving between floors (e.g., from 291 to the animal room), you must remove your gloves before leaving one room and entering another.
   e. Lab coats can be worn between lab rooms. However, you need to remain in the “lab wing” of the ISB.

7. Consumables in the lab: Eating, drinking (including water), handling contact lenses, applying cosmetics, storing food for human consumption, etc. are not permitted in laboratory areas. Food and drinks must be stored outside the laboratory area. No exceptions.
   field snacks are important.

8. Training and Permissions: Only perform procedures that are safe and for which you have been trained, and only use the equipment that you have been given allowance to use by your advisor or the department faculty/staff. If you perform other, new, or risky procedures, you must OK this with your adviser and get trained on procedures. Otherwise, you may get hurt, so please know you assume the responsibility for this,

and the Department faculty and staff cannot be held responsible for any adverse event. Signing this document indicates you accept these terms.

9. Labeling: ALL containers (vials, jars, boxes, bags, etc.) containing samples, bees, chemicals, etc. must be fully and completely labeled with the individual’s name, a description of what is inside, the date it was added to the container, and any relevant chemical information (see below for more details). This includes vials for anesthetizing or sacrificing bees.

10. Hazardous materials: We may occasionally work with strong acids, bases, and various organic solvents that may be flammable, toxic, carcinogenic, or otherwise dangerous to your health. Instructions for handling these materials will be given at the beginning of each experiment. Waste containers will be provided, it is very important that you place hazardous wastes in the appropriate waste containers with secondary containment. Placing material in the wrong container may result in undesirable chemical reactions leading to fire or explosion.

11. Chemical safety training is required before you begin working in the lab. Students must read the SDS sheet and fill out a Chemical Assessment Form for any chemical they will be working with in the lab. Go to http://www.hazard.com for the best chemical safety information available on the Internet. Use the link to the SIRI MSDS collection (left side of the page) to access SDS’s for your chemical. Look at as many SDSs as you can for each chemical, since many SDSs are incomplete and/or inaccurate.
    a. Pipetting by mouth is not permitted. Always use the mechanical pipetting devices provided. Work over a bench, not the floor or your feet, when transferring liquids from one container to another by any method. Use secure test tube racks or unbreakable beakers or other suitable containers when transporting samples in the laboratory.
    b. Check chemical labels before use to make sure that you are using the correct chemical and the correct concentration.
    c. Review instructions and the chemical label regarding the physical and chemical hazards presented by each chemical you will use. Consult the Safety Data Sheet for additional information if needed.
    d. Label all containers clearly.
    e. Wash hands thoroughly with soap and water before leaving the lab.

12. Equipment: Respect the reagents, equipment, supplies and space of your fellow researchers. Do not use any equipment unless you have permission from your supervisor to do so and have been given instruction as to the correct use of that equipment. Communicate with your mentor regarding ordering of supplies. Do not wait until you are out of a supply, it will take at least one week minimum to receive them once ordered.

13. Allergies and health conditions
    a. Notify instructor if you have a health condition that may affect your safety in the lab including allergies to lab materials, a suppressed immune system, vision or coordination problems etc. Consult your healthcare provider if needed before participating in lab.
    b. If you are allergic to any type of insect sting, you CANNOT work with insects in the lab. While the risk is low, there is a potential for stings in this research. You cannot participate in the research unless you assert that you are not allergic to bee stings. If you do not know what your allergic response is, you must see an allergist to test your allergic response to bee stings. Signing this document indicates your affirmation that you don’t have any such allergy.
    c. If you have any adverse reactions to Benadryl® you CANNOT work with insects in the lab. Signing below indicates your affirmation that you don’t have any such allergy. As a precaution, we have Benadryl topical spray and Children’s Benadryl liquid in the lab, signing means you know where it is, and the proper use of it. You adviser cannot provide medical advice. Benadryl will not stop an anaphylactic allergic response (know what that is), and requires emergency help.

14. Handling Insects:
    a. Never touch, pick up or move insects with fingers; use tweezers or another tool to manipulate them.
    b. In the event of any type of insect bite, sting or any type of injury: Stop work immediately. Seek medical attention: Student Health Services (314-246-4207, 8:30 am – 4:30 pm). Immediately notify your adviser, Dr. Struttmann (cell: 314-218-5307) and the Department Chair Dr. Stephanie Schroeder (cell: 314-378-2591).
    c. Don’t Manipulate Insects Unless Your Advisor or Another Faculty in the Lab. This means receiving them in the mail or loading habitats or video documenting behavior. Any other manipulation must be OK’d by your adviser. If you drop a bee, locate it, and…
    i. Catch it with a net and secure it back in its nest or experimental setup, or
    ii. keep it in a ‘retired’ reservoir, or
    iii. crush it or freeze it by placing it in a labelled vial in the freezer for at least 1 hour - bees cannot be set free. They are social creatures, and would be lost to die a long, lonely death.

15. Receiving Insect Shipments:
    a. Know when your animals are supposed to arrive; open the box within 8 hours of arrival at the ISB. You may chill at 4°C for 5 minutes – don’t forget them in the fridge!
    b. Count the animals. If you didn’t get number of live animals guaranteed, take a picture and notify the adviser, the adviser will contact the vendor.
    c. Transfer insects into the incubator or shelf and provide them pollen and nectar. Destroy the mailing envelope; there are no longer live animals in there, so no warnings needed, that just alarms people.

16. Managing Colonies:
    a. Feed your insects fresh pollen and nectar every few days; remove old food. Check the health of the colony. If something looks amiss, discuss with your mentor.
    b. Remove dead bees from the reservoir home, make sure they are dead (crush or freeze for 1 hour). Anything that you remove from the habitats must be sealed and placed in the freezer until it is autoclaved.

17. Completed Experiments: Never leave bees to die from starvation, dehydration, or heat in old habitats. Dispose of left over animals humanely:
    a. For gene expression: mark/flag the dead, then freeze kill in situ all samples @ -80C.
    b. No gene expression: insects must be euthanized by crushing or freezing for at least 1 hour.
    c. Dead bees: crush or freeze for at least one hour to verify death, seal in bag, and autoclave (lab reared bees may have diseases that could spread to wild bees, so we autoclave to reduce the chance that diseases may spill over from our lab colonies to wild populations).

18. Emergency: Public Safety is available 24 hrs per day 7 days per week on a cell: (314) 246-6911. You are located in the Webster University Interdisciplinary Science Building (ISB), in Browning Hall. The research lab is on floor 2, lab 283. On the lab phone: campus security dial 6911. The lab phone cannot call external 911, so always have your cell phone with you.
    a. If a chemical splashes in your eyes, rinse with water immediately at the eyewash station. Continue rinsing for at least 10–15 minutes. Get medical attention if eye irritation persists.
    b. If a hazardous chemical contacts your skin or clothing, immediately remove all contaminated clothing. Rinse skin with water for 15 minutes at the sink or safety shower. Seek medical attention or advice if needed.
    c. If your hair or clothing catches fire, either immediately stop, drop and roll or get under the safety shower (only if it is very close to you). d. Do not pick up broken glass with your hands. Use tongs or a brush and dustpan and dispose of broken glass only as instructed (each lab should have a designated glass trash container).

If you choose to not perform insect research, there are alternative non-insect research project options, which should be planned with adviser guidance, prior to enrolling in Senior Thesis or Independent Research courses.

I verify that I, ______________________________________, have read this entire document and will follow all rules for working in the lab and field. I assume all responsibility for my work, and am solely responsible for any consequences. Research work is performed voluntarily, thus I accept responsibility for any risk. I do not hold my advisor, the department, or the university responsible for an adverse event.

Name: ______________________________________________

Signature ___________________________________________

Date: ___________________________

• chemistry (Dr. Kreuger, Dr. Applegate has an ec. meter
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