Safety Corner: Food and drink in the lab

Remember, safety isn’t a once-a-year training — it’s a set of habits we practice every day.

This month’s Safety Corner is a quick refresher on the use of food and drink in laboratory.

Eating or drinking is prohibited in the lab because it potentially exposes researchers to unnecessary health risks. Researchers who eat/drink in the lab may ingest hazardous chemicals, biohazardous materials, or radioisotopes that could have come into contact with their food and beverages.

Restrictions:

• DO NOT eat, drink, smoke, chew gum, or apply cosmetics in laboratories where chemical, biological, or radioactive materials are present.
• DO NOT eat, drink, smoke, chew gum, or apply cosmetics after leaving a laboratory, without first washing hands.
• DO NOT use laboratory equipment to prepare, store, or consume food or beverages, regardless of where the consumption occurs.
• DO NOT allow food waste, wrappers, containers, etc., to be placed in laboratory trash cans as this may be considered evidence of food or beverage consumption within the laboratory.
• DO NOT use laboratory water sources and deionized laboratory water as drinking water.

These prohibited activities apply to an entire laboratory, not just the areas within the laboratory where hazardous materials are used. This includes study carrels and desks that are not physically separated from the work area by floor-to-ceiling walls with doors that close.

Speak up: If you notice a hazard, a near miss, or something that doesn’t look right, report it. Every incident — even a small one — is a chance to prevent a bigger one.

Thank you for helping keep our spaces safe.

Questions about safety practices, training, or reporting a concern? Contact Michael Nord, SMHS Facilities Safety and Space, at 701.777.3212 or Office Suite E468.