To view this newsletter on the web, visit https://engineering.purdue.edu/MSE/research/newsletter/safety-equipment-newsletter

 

MSE Safety & Equipment Newsletter for February 2023  

 

**** Important Upcoming Dates ****

**** For Waste-to-Fuel, Keep Solids and Halogens Separate! ****

Approximately 75% of the hazardous waste generated at Purdue has a second life as liquid fuel used for important industrial and manufacturing operations, including fuel for the high-temperature kilns used to create cement for buildings, bridges, and roadways. When it is safe to do so, you can follow these three steps to ensure your liquid waste has a better chance of being repurposed as a fuel supplement:

As always, when you are ready to submit your waste to REM for pick-up, here is the link to the online survey. In the few cases where solid-liquid separation is unsafe or impractical (e.g., picric acid, perchloric acid), REM requires an explanation in the “comments” section of the waste pickup request stating why the liquids and solids cannot be separated.

 

**** Fume Hood Safety Reminders ****

Recently, a member of our school was injured when a fume hood sash was fully opened to address a leaking peristaltic pump. Fume hoods are ubiquitous in MSE lab spaces. And thanks to our recent Pet Photo competitions, we all know it is important to “shut the sash” when the hoods aren’t in use. But this advice extends to when you are actively using the hood as well. The vertical sashes and horizontal sliding windows (see photo) should be positioned between you & your experiments in the hood at all times to best protect yourself from unsafe situations (e.g., explosions, leaks, etc.).

 

(Dr. Travis Thornell, PhD MSE 2018,

performing a controlled radical polymerization

in ARMS B160)

**** Annual Indemnification Process Starting Soon for IMI, ARMS, MSEE, and KEPN ****  
As part of our Integrated Safety Plan (ISP) 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 using this self-audit checklist. After our self-audit checklists are submitted, REM staff will inspect select lab spaces in each building. To prepare for these self-audits and inspections, please be proactive in identifying and abating (fixing) any lingering lab safety and hygiene issues in the lab space where you most frequently work. The indemnification timeline is as follows:

Please watch for future announcements and deadlines from Jenni about this important process.

**** ISP Grad/Post-Doc Survey Results **** 
Every spring, MSE grad students and post-docs are surveyed in preparation for the ISP Indemnification. This survey not only helps MSE track where our researchers are but provides an opportunity for researchers to tell us how safe they feel in our labs and areas we can improve as a school. MSE researchers work in 15 different buildings as well as off-campus locations (see image). Of the 15 campus 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. From the survey, MSE researchers believe 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! 

  

**** Hazardous Waste Labelling Change ****

A welcomed simplification to our current practices, Purdue REM will now allow orange hazardous waste stickers to contain both the user’s name (the person who generated the waste) and the PIs name. See the image below. The second waste label – the fluorescent “user” sticker – is no longer required.

 

 

**** New Portal for MSE-Related Software ****

ECN has launched a new portal for accessing MSE-related software directly on your computer - without the need to use VPN. You can access software at: https://appsanywhere.ecn.purdue.edu/login  Relevant software for MSE includes: Ansys, Anaconda/Python, Autodesk, Catia, Granta-EduPack, Inventor, Mathematica, Matlab, Origin, RStudio, Solidworks, Thermo-Calc. Note that this software is generally available to both Windows and Mac users, but macOS Ventura support is currently limited. If you have technical questions about launching the software, please contact ECN at: https://engineering.purdue.edu/ECN/AboutUs/ContactUs

 

**** Reminder: ARMS 2130/2132/2136 First Thursday Clean-Ups ****

The MSE Safety Committee in consultation with REM facilitates monthly clean-up sessions for the Sample Prep / Polishing / Microscopy lab spaces in ARMS (ARMS 2136, 2132, and 2130).  All active lab users of these spaces are required to help with 2 clean-up sessions per year, which take place on the first Thursday of every month from 3-4 pm. The next cleaning session will be March 2nd. To sign-up for this session or any future session, please click here: https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10C0D49A5AD2CABF5C25-arms

 

**** 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!

Prof. Erk, Jenni, and the MSE Safety Committee

 

 

 

Kendra A. Erk

Associate Professor of Materials Engineering

Purdue University

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