Lab Safety at SEAS

In light of the recent tragedy involving an undergraduate student at Yale University, we are stepping up efforts at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences (SEAS) to keep everyone safe in the lab.

Emergency Management and Environmental Safety & Health (EMESH) collaborates with schools and departments to provide training, perform safety assessments for machine shops and to provide guidelines for the safe operation of machines and machine tools.

Two important focus areas of machine shop safety are:

• All users must be aware of and abide by the machine shop safety rules for their shop—these should be based on the Machine Shop Safety Guidelines
• All users must be trained and evaluated in the safe operation of the particular machines they will be using.This training and evaluation is conducted by the Shop Supervisor or users are required to attend training such as the program offered at the Physics/SEAS Instructional Shop.

Access to shops should be limited to trained users. Work in shops should not be conducted alone.

Below is a letter (with recommendations) from Michael R. Labosky of Harvard Emergency Management and Environmental Safety and Health and a response and plan of action from Dr. Anas Chalah, Director of Instructional Laboratories and Director of the Safety Program at SEAS.

In the meantime, please direct any concerns or questions about lab safety to:

Dr. Anas Chalah
Director of Instructional Laboratories and Director of Safety Program
Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Science
Pierce Hall G2A
29 Oxford Street
Cambridge, MA 02138
(617)-495-8991
achalah@seas.harvard.edu

Letter from Michael R. Labosky, CIH, Associate Director of Harvard University Emergency Management and Environmental Safety and Health

The importance of machine shop safety has become more pressing with the death last week of an undergraduate student at Yale University. Machine shops, and especially those where our students are learning how to use machines, must be managed safely.

Not unlike laboratory safety,there is discussion on a nationwide level on academic safety culture—see this story published online by Nature.

For example, Yale currently has a training program for their undergraduate shop users, not unlike the training required for access to the Physics/SEAS Instructional machine shop conducted by Stan Cotreau.

In order to assure that users of machines are properly trained, EH&S is recommending that users be instructed in both the overall EH&S safety principles/rules of the shop as well as the specific details and practicum on how to use machines safely.

See the EH&S web link

SEAS should review their current training requirements and access for the use of the undergraduate shop. (See below)

I have attached the model Machine Shop Safety Guidelines put forth by EH&S. These guidelines are intended to form the basis for the shop rules for all of our shops. In particular, shop access should be restricted to trained users and there should not be shop access to anyone working alone. Users should be required to follow the Buddy System.

In terms of use of machines by undergraduates while unsupervised—a policy should be established by SEAS regarding the training required for such students.

There are many safety related problems that can be prevented or headed off by a trained supervisor of the shop. Such an individual must have training and experience beyond casual machine use—the best resource is a trained machinist who also possess the skills to be able to work with students. Anyone who is instructing students in projects or overseeing use of the shop should be able to meet minimum qualifications. SEAS should clarify these qualifications and make them requirements for those responsible for teaching courses in the shop.

In closing, I suggest that SEAS work with Stan to evaluate the current classes/projects undergraduates are working on and determine what training should be required (beyond the EH&S training) including a specific machine practicum. Stan can also advise on other shop related features and use that have a safety impact.Cordially,Michael

Response from Dr. Anas Chalah, Director of Instructional Laboratories and Director of the Safety Program at the Harvard School of Engineering and Applied Sciences

I am requesting your assistance in sharing EH&S message with our instructors, teaching fellows/ assistants, and students. It is extremely important that all users adhere to the machine shop safety guidelines.

Please help us complete all running projects at Pierce Hall G11 and G12A/B safely this semester. This involves following all 18 steps listed clearly in the guidelines document. No exceptions will be made.

Beginning summer, I have invited Stan Cotreau and the EH&S team to:

• (1) Evaluate the current safety condition of both machine shops and project areas at SEAS teaching labs; and
• (2) Address the level of safety and tool training we need to implement (for students, teaching fellows/assistants, and instructors) starting next semester per each course that uses mentioned areas.

I am available to address any questions or concerns you may have (achalah@seas.harvard.edu).Lets work together to keep Harvard students and SEAS labs safe.

Best regards,

Anas

Additional Information and Documents

• Machine Shop Safety Guidelines
• Hands-on Machine Shop training program at the Physics/SEAS Instructional Shop
• EMESH Machine Guarding fact sheet
• Machine specific SOPs for safe use