Good morning, everyone!

It was reported to me that last week a few events happened on third floor, new wing of FRNY that led to the conclusion that an ill-intended intruder was present in the building, operating in that area. A smart watch and a lab coat with some items in its pockets were reported missing, and Chapstick was found all over the door handle of the lab. These incidents were observed over the period Tuesday-Friday last week. Please stay vigilant and report any suspicious activity to the police by dialing 911 (emergency) or (765)-404-8221 (non-emergency)

Security of our labs and offices is imperative. Please review the information in section 5.15 of Purdue Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) (https://www.purdue.edu/ehps/rem/documents/programs/chp2014.pdf), which is dedicated to lab security and states that “The laboratory door should remain locked when not occupied”. In addition, it is a federal law that if a lab contains radioactive material, infectious materials, or controlled substances, these labs (or the source, such as a locked cabinet) remain locked when not occupied.

The ChE Safety Committee is recommending that faculty members develop their own, internal group policy on how to make sure the labs are not left unlocked when the lab space is unoccupied. When developing and implementing this internal policy, faculty members should take into account the equipment and chemicals stored/used in the lab, so that it is in line with Section 5.15 of Purdue CHP and with the federal requirements. Not adhering to the agreed door policy should be brought to the respective PI’s attention.

Thank you for your commitment to safety!

Gabriela

On behalf on the ChE Safety Committee

__________________

Gabriela Nagy, PhD

Industrial Education Director

Davidson School of Chemical Engineering

Room FRNY G051

Purdue University

Tel: (765)-496-1710

E-mail: nagyg@purdue.edu