Team:TU Darmstadt/human practices/safety

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Safety

Safety is a crucial aspect in laboratory work, so we designed a safety poster. In case of various emergencies, all needed information can be found accordingly. The poster consists of three sections. First, German emergency numbers, such as ambulance and fire brigade, which provides you urgent assistance in case of serious accidents. The second section informs about safety contacts in building B101, where our lab is located. You can find the telephone numbers of first-aiders and the BBS (biological safety officer), who needs to be informed in case of emergency. The third section instructs on specific measures in case of fire, a GMO accident, or a medical emergency. If we have to leave the building during emergency, the safe meeting point is marked on the map.

Figure 1. Safety Poster Template. This poster can be used as a template for lab safety posters, yet names and telephone numbers need amending.

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It is hung up next to our lab door, so it is easily accessible for everyone. As some of the internships for bachelor and master students are taking place in our lab, the next generations of students will have the ability to work in a safer lab. The working group of Prof. Dr. Heribert Warzecha decided to hang up our poster in their lab as well, as they did not have such a neatly arranged and extensive poster before. As their lab is located in the same building, names and telephone numbers did not need amending.

Safety Course in CloneCademy

Another approach concerning the teaching of lab safety is the interactive learning website CloneCademy. Next to the courses about “Synthetic Biology”, the section “Safety and Ethics” was created. The idea is to give information about fundamental lab safety in a fast and simple manner employing short texts and quizzes. The course covers topics which are usually discussed during ordinary safety briefings, e. g. workplace hygiene, proper handle of chemicals, H and P statements and how to avoid and act properly in emergency situations. The goal is to ensure a basic understanding of safety and thus ensure a safe working environment. The user will know how to prevent dangerous situation and reduce hazards to the minimum after completing the course. They should also know what to do in case of an emergency. If you are interested in learning about the other aspects of CloneCademy, feel free to visit CloneCademy.net or our page about CloneCademy.