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 Want to avoid frequent safety mistakes, but don’t have the time? Try adjusting your approach and even imagining a few safety hacks. Simple changes in everyday habits can go a long way towards keeping your lab in compliance. Not every solution is one size fits all, but click here to see some illustrations on how some common issues can be mitigated by changing your approach.
Another Hydrogen Explosion in a Laboratory
 The photograph to the right is from the accident scene where a researcher using hydrogen lost an arm in an explosion which happened in a basement lab at the Pacific Ocean Sciences and Technology Building. UH officials said the researcher was working with hydrogen, oxygen and carbon dioxide when a compressed gas cylinder exploded because of a spark from a digital pressure gauge that was not designed for use with flammable gases.
To watch a news conference about the explosion please click here. Because we have hydrogen on this campus and are also conducting research into alternative energy using hydrogen, I am asking that you please click here to read more about hydrogen safety.
EHS Updated Website 
Have you visited our website lately? If not, please be aware that the IUPUI Office of Environmental Health and Safety website has a new look. The site has been updated so please click here to browse the site and feel free to email me at leestone@iupui.edu with any comments or suggestions.
Nitric Acid Safety
 Nitric acid that has been added to waste jugs containing alcohol has caused numerous container to rupture at institutions across the nation because of the pressure build up from the gases released by these incompatible chemicals when mixed together.
The issue with this reaction is that it can often take minutes to hours after combining these chemicals before the gases are released. Please click here to watch a video produced by the Northwestern Office of Research Safety that demonstrates the delayed and violent release of gas by these chemicals.
Always label your waste jugs with all the chemicals that have been added and please ensure you do not mix incompatible chemicals when you fill your waste jug. This simple step can present a catastrophic rupture.
Is Your Laboratory Prepared for Severe Weather?
As spring weather approaches, so does the potential for severe weather. Indiana is located in a region known as Tornado Alley where weather conditions can deteriorate to severe conditions or tornadoes rapidly.
As with any emergency, preparedness is your best defense. Please click here to read about how to make sure you are prepared for violent weather should it appear outside of your laboratory.
The picture below is a photograph of a funnel cloud near the University of Utah in Salt Lake City Wednesday, Aug. 11, 1999. At least four people were killed and more than 100 were injured
on that afternoon when a sudden tornado touched
down in the downtown Salt Lake City area, causing wide-
spread damage.(AP Photo/Daniel Wright) |
