To view this newsletter as a PDF, visit https://engineering.purdue.edu/Intranet/Groups/Schools/MSE/Facilities/SafetyNewsletters/February-2022.pdf

 

MSE Safety & Equipment Newsletter for February 2022

 

**** Important Upcoming Dates ****

**** Annual Indemnification Process Continues in March for ARMS, MSEE, and IMI ****

As part of our Integrated Safety Plan lab certification with REM, each year we conduct a guided “self-audit” of the safety training procedures, hazards, and hygiene of all lab spaces that MSE personnel utilize at Purdue. Thank you to everyone for recently completing the self-audit checklist. Next, REM will inspect select lab spaces in ARMS, MSEE, and IMI in early March. To prepare for these inspections, please be proactive in identifying/abating any lingering lab safety and hygiene issues in the lab space where you most frequently work. Jenni will circulate the inspection results to the relevant laboratory supervisors, who will then have until March 23rd to address the items of concern in their lab space and return the signed IOC (Items of Concern) abatement report to Jenni.

 

**** New Face Mask Policy ****

Starting today, face masks are now optional on campus except for instructional, research, and healthcare settings. This means that you must continue to wear a face mask wherever research activities are performed (e.g., in laboratory spaces) or where courses are taught (e.g., classrooms and teaching labs). Masks are optional for all other spaces, including private and public offices, shared offices and cubicles, hallways, conference rooms, restrooms, and other common areas and public spaces. Purdue continues to encourage all Boilermakers to get vaccinated and boosted against COVID-19 by scheduling an appointment online. Purdue’s COVID-19 vaccine clinic is open 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. Monday through Friday and is located on the northwest side of the Co-Rec.

 

**** Updates from PUMA Safety Committee ****

PUMA’s next “Lab Clean-Up Day” will take place on Thursday, Feb. 24th at 4 pm. Email Ethan Mann to sign up. This event is open to both undergraduate and graduate students. And there will be yummy treats from Insomina Cookies.

 

**** New Lab-Support Worker ****

Welcome to Katie Miller, our new lab support student worker. Katie is a Junior in MET. She is from Rushville, Indiana and enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to music/podcasts, and cooking in her free time. Katie will be helping MSE restock lab supplies, prepare for lab inspection, and improve our equipment safety. Welcome to the MSE team, Katie!

 

**** ISP Grad/Post-Doc Survey Results ****

Every spring, MSE grad students and post-docs are surveyed in preparation for the Integrated Safety Plan inspection. This survey not only helps MSE track where our researchers are but provides an opportunity for the researchers to tell us how safe they feel our labs are and where we can improve as a department. Based on this survey, MSE researchers work in 18 different buildings as well as off-campus (see image). Of these 18 buildings, we have MSE PIs in 7 of them. Feedback from this survey revealed that the majority of our MSE researchers feel very safe in our labs but there are always opportunities for improvement. In particular, MSE researchers believe that our labs could benefit from the following:

Complete results from the survey can be found in the February Safety Committee Minutes (intranet link). Thank you to everyone who completed the survey – we greatly value your feedback!

 

 

**** Equipment Reporting Reminder ****

If you encounter a piece of broken equipment, or have any questions about a specific piece of equipment, you should contact a member of the MSE Technical Staff:

**** Important Links and Contact Information ****

 

Thanks for reading everyone!  Stay warm!

Prof. Erk and the MSE Safety Committee 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Kendra A. Erk

Associate Professor of Materials Engineering

Purdue University

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