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LSB teaching lab services policies

Procedure

Solid Biohazardous Waste

  • All biohazardous waste should be double bagged (to minimize spilling of contents when holes form) in biohazard autoclave safe bags and each bag should be independently, loosely (but securely) closed with either a twist tie or lab or lab/autoclave tape. The bags should be loose enough for steam to penetrate and vent. The outer bag should be labeled with the lab name, room number, date filled, and initials of the person prepping the waste using a bold marker.
  • Bags should be placed in autoclave safe bins such as these that have been labeled with the lab name and then placed on the green, Lab Services racks found in LSB B141. LSB Lab Services staff will collect the waste for sterilization and disposal and the buckets will be returned to the racks as quickly as possible. All tubs must be in reasonably good condition, free from large cracks, any breaks, or handles that are deteriorating to the point where sharp edges are present or in immediate chance of breaking.
  • Do not overfill biohazard bags (no more than 2/3 full), they should be able to reasonably fit in the autoclave safe tubs and have room to expand in the autoclave. This also helps prevents excessive pressure of contents that lead to punctures of the bag.
  • Any bag found to contain sharps items (see next two categories) will be left behind until deficiencies corrected.
  • Biohazard waste should be taken to LSB B141, Media Room Storage and placed on the green racks. The autoclave safe bins will be returned to these racks for pickup after sterilization.

Biohazardous Lab Glass and Plastic (including serological pipets and pipet tips)

  • If you have biohazardous glass and plastic, such as Pasteur pipettes, pipet tips, etc., they should be collected in sturdy cardboard boxes lined with a biohazard bag. Please keep the weight of the boxes to a reasonable weight as staff will have to be lifting these boxes onto autoclave racks and into dumpsters. Once full, the boxes should have a biohazard sticker placed on them or labeled as biohazard in bold marker, sealed (just across the top and bottom major seams) with “Lab Glass” tape (available from stock room) and then labeled with the lab name, room number, date, and initials of whoever prepared the box for pickup using a bold marker. This box can then be placed on the green, Lab Services racks in LSB B141
  • Alternatively, biohazardous lab glass and plastic can also be collected in pipet keepers or boxes. Label the keepers or boxes with the lab name, room number, and initials of whoever prepared them. Then placed on the green Lab Services racks in LSB B141.
  • Non-biohazardous glass waste should be packaged according to EH&S guidelines and left near the Slim-Jim (tall) trash cans found on the north end of the benches for custodial services to take.
  • Use the Packaging Sharps and Lab Glass poster for guidance. Any container found to not be in compliance will be left behind until deficiencies corrected.

Biohazardous Sharps Waste (see EH&S sharps definition)

  • Needles, syringes with attached needles, razor blades, scissors, scalpels, and like items should be disposed of by placing them in a red, hard sided sharps container. The container, once full (to built-in marker line, not lid), should have the lid be securely closed but do not block vent holes, and the container labeled with the lab name, room number, date and initials of the person who prepared it. This can then be placed on the green, Lab Services rack in LSB B141.
  • Use the Packaging Sharps and Lab Glass poster for guidance. Any container found to not be in compliance will be left behind until deficiencies corrected.

Dishwashing

  • LSB Lab Services Staff will provide labware cleaning & sterilization services for LSB research labs. Items will be washed with items belonging to other labs/floors. It is critical that all items going to dishwashing be labeled with the lab name or floor number (if your floor shares glassware. It is recommended that items be labeled with a paint pen or other pen that can tolerate alkaline detergent, heat, and high-water pressure. Items that aren’t labeled will be collected and kept aside but staff will not actively search for owners. Please contact the lab services manager if you believe you have items missing.
    •  Lab services can wash a wide range of items including serological pipettes, petri dishes, test tubes & spatulas.
  • Dirty items should still be prepared by the labs themselves. Lab services staff will not do any pre-rinsing, scrubbing, or bleaching of glassware.
    • For example, Erlenmeyer flasks or glass test tubes that have had bacterial or yeast cultures, should be rinsed with a 10% bleach solution by lab members, allowed to sit for 15 minutes, then emptied, rinsed and placed in a tub which is then placed on the lab services rack in LSB B141. Lab services will then send these through the dishwasher and sterilize (if desired)
  • All items sent to glassware must be in safe condition. Glassware that is broken or has a high chance of breaking will not be cleaned by staff and shouldn’t be sent down in the first place. Containers that have had biohazardous materials in them should be bleached beforehand and rinsed well before being sent to glassware services.
  • Reusable notes have been made that labs should use to distinguish if items in tubs should be washed and/or sterilized and also will be used to indicate if the task has been completed and there is a section for notes to be added. Vis-à-vis pens can be used on these signs and easily removed with 70% ethanol or isopropanol. All items sent to glassware are assumed to be autoclave and drying oven (at 50℃) safe. If a particular item should not be autoclaved or placed in a drying oven, please make sure it is labeled with a note as such.
  • Items like stir bars, spatulas, etc., will be cleaned but not autoclaved unless there is a specific note asking for sterilization. If sterilization is requested, items will be placed into individual sterilization pouches. Please only sterilize items that require it.
  • Dishwashing will be using an alkaline detergent in its dishwashers, please make sure the items you send down are compatible with such. If you have concerns about the detergent, please contact the LSB Lab Services Manager.

NOTES

  • Dishwashing should be placed in B141 by 8am M-F for an attempted return of the following business day. Depending on the amount of dishwashing sent by research and teaching labs on any particular day, the return of dishwashing may be delayed but we will do our best to get it returned the next business day. Anything placed in B141 after 8am may not be processed until the following day.
  • Waste will be processed daily as quickly as possible.
  • The closest location for RO/DI water and ice is one the 2nd floor of LSB. Students will not have access to research floors so class instructors will need to obtain those items ahead of time themselves or through arrangement with teaching support (if available).
  • LSB Lab Services Contacts
    • Lab Services Manager: Aaron E. Hernandez, aaroneh@uw.edu, 206.543.7381
    • Lab Services Technician: Collin Sedlacek,

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      Solid Biohazardous Waste

    • All biohazardous waste should be double bagged (to minimize spilling of contents when holes form) in biohazard autoclave safe bags and each bag should be independently, loosely (but securely) closed with either a twist tie or lab or lab/autoclave tape. The bags should be loose enough for steam to penetrate and vent. The outer bag should be labeled with the lab name, room number, date filled, and initials of the person prepping the waste using a bold marker.
    • Bags should be placed in autoclave safe bins such as these that have been labeled with the lab name and then placed on the green, Lab Services racks found in LSB B141. LSB Lab Services staff will collect the waste for sterilization and disposal and the buckets will be returned to the racks as quickly as possible. All tubs must be in reasonably good condition, free from large cracks, any breaks, or handles that are deteriorating to the point where sharp edges are present or in immediate chance of breaking.
    • Do not overfill biohazard bags (no more than 2/3 full), they should be able to reasonably fit in the autoclave safe tubs and have room to expand in the autoclave. This also helps prevents excessive pressure of contents that lead to punctures of the bag.
    • Any bag found to contain sharps items (see next two categories) will be left behind until deficiencies corrected.
    • Biohazard waste should be taken to LSB B141, Media Room Storage and placed on the green racks. The autoclave safe bins will be returned to these racks for pickup after sterilization.

    • Biohazardous Lab Glass and Plastic (including serological pipets and pipet tips)

    • If you have biohazardous glass and plastic, such as Pasteur pipettes, pipet tips, etc., they should be collected in sturdy cardboard boxes lined with a biohazard bag. Please keep the weight of the boxes to a reasonable weight as staff will have to be lifting these boxes onto autoclave racks and into dumpsters. Once full, the boxes should have a biohazard sticker placed on them or labeled as biohazard in bold marker, sealed (just across the top and bottom major seams) with “Lab Glass” tape (available from stock room) and then labeled with the lab name, room number, date, and initials of whoever prepared the box for pickup using a bold marker. This box can then be placed on the green, Lab Services racks in LSB B141
    • Alternatively, biohazardous lab glass and plastic can also be collected in pipet keepers or boxes. Label the keepers or boxes with the lab name, room number, and initials of whoever prepared them. Then placed on the green Lab Services racks in LSB B141.
    • Non-biohazardous glass waste should be packaged according to EH&S guidelines and left near the Slim-Jim (tall) trash cans found on the north end of the benches for custodial services to take.
    • Use the Packaging Sharps and Lab Glass poster for guidance. Any container found to not be in compliance will be left behind until deficiencies corrected.

    • Biohazardous Sharps Waste (see EH&S sharps definition)

    • Needles, syringes with attached needles, razor blades, scissors, scalpels, and like items should be disposed of by placing them in a red, hard sided sharps container. The container, once full (to built-in marker line, not lid), should have the lid be securely closed but do not block vent holes, and the container labeled with the lab name, room number, date and initials of the person who prepared it. This can then be placed on the green, Lab Services rack in LSB B141.
    • Use the Packaging Sharps and Lab Glass poster for guidance. Any container found to not be in compliance will be left behind until deficiencies corrected.

    • Dishwashing

    • LSB Lab Services Staff will provide labware cleaning & sterilization services for LSB research labs. Items will be washed with items belonging to other labs/floors. It is critical that all items going to dishwashing be labeled with the lab name or floor number (if your floor shares glassware. It is recommended that items be labeled with a paint pen or other pen that can tolerate alkaline detergent, heat, and high-water pressure. Items that aren’t labeled will be collected and kept aside but staff will not actively search for owners. Please contact the lab services manager if you believe you have items missing.
      •  Lab services can wash a wide range of items including serological pipettes, petri dishes, test tubes & spatulas.
    • Dirty items should still be prepared by the labs themselves. Lab services staff will not do any pre-rinsing, scrubbing, or bleaching of glassware.
      • For example, Erlenmeyer flasks or glass test tubes that have had bacterial or yeast cultures, should be rinsed with a 10% bleach solution by lab members, allowed to sit for 15 minutes, then emptied, rinsed and placed in a tub which is then placed on the lab services rack in LSB B141. Lab services will then send these through the dishwasher and sterilize (if desired)
    • All items sent to glassware must be in safe condition. Glassware that is broken or has a high chance of breaking will not be cleaned by staff and shouldn’t be sent down in the first place. Containers that have had biohazardous materials in them should be bleached beforehand and rinsed well before being sent to glassware services.
    • Reusable notes have been made that labs should use to distinguish if items in tubs should be washed and/or sterilized and also will be used to indicate if the task has been completed and there is a section for notes to be added. Vis-à-vis pens can be used on these signs and easily removed with 70% ethanol or isopropanol. All items sent to glassware are assumed to be autoclave and drying oven (at 50℃) safe. If a particular item should not be autoclaved or placed in a drying oven, please make sure it is labeled with a note as such.
    • Items like stir bars, spatulas, etc., will be cleaned but not autoclaved unless there is a specific note asking for sterilization. If sterilization is requested, items will be placed into individual sterilization pouches. Please only sterilize items that require it.
    • Dishwashing will be using an alkaline detergent in its dishwashers, please make sure the items you send down are compatible with such. If you have concerns about the detergent, please contact the LSB Lab Services Manager.

    • NOTES

    • Dishwashing should be placed in B141 by 8am M-F for an attempted return of the following business day. Depending on the amount of dishwashing sent by research and teaching labs on any particular day, the return of dishwashing may be delayed but we will do our best to get it returned the next business day. Anything placed in B141 after 8am may not be processed until the following day.
    • Waste will be processed daily as quickly as possible.
    • The closest location for RO/DI water and ice is one the 2nd floor of LSB. Students will not have access to research floors so class instructors will need to obtain those items ahead of time themselves or through arrangement with teaching support (if available).
    • LSB Lab Services Contacts
      • Lab Services Manager: Aaron E. Hernandez, aaroneh@uw.edu, 206.543.7381
      • Lab Services Technician: Kayla Higgs, khiggs@uw.edu, 206-543-4829
    • Kayla Higgs is the Lab Technician in the media rooms in Hitchcock and LSB. Kayla is available to help produce media for lab classes and provide some basic dishwashing and sterilizing. Kayla can be reached at khiggs@uw.edu, please be sure to CC her supervisor, Aaron Hernandez (

      (link sends e-mail)) as well. Media/solution/culture request form can be found here. When completed, please send to Kayla and CC Aaron.

Scope

Faculty
Postdocs
Graduate Students
Staff
Undergraduates

Policy group

Facilities
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