Lab & Space Safety

for UCLA Samueli Engineering Student Organizations

KEEP OUR COMMUNITY SAFE & DO NO HARM

Guiding principles for students, engineers and future leaders.

 

Information on this website is in no way exhaustive.  Contents includes general guidelines for managing your space on campus and safety protocols for student leaders as established by the UCLA Samueli Engineering and UCLA Environment, Health and Safety.   Ultimately it is the responsibility of the student organization, its faculty advisor, and sponsoring department (or the School for school-wide organizations) to safely operate their facility, keep its users safe, and reduce the impact to our community and environment.

Creating a culture of safety in all that we do.

a message from Bruce Dunn, Associate Dean of Research and Physical Resources.

Responsibility

As members of the UCLA Engineering community it is our responsibility to manage our physical space and activities to ensure the safety of our participants and reduce impact to our community and environment. As leaders, it is important to lead by example and emulate appropriate behaviors.

Professional Training

Safety, training, and ethical implications of your work will be a part of your life as a professional engineer. Entire courses have been created to review case studies of engineering design disasters, work-place accidents, and outcome of irresponsible disposal and dumping of harmful chemicals. The goal is to provide the education to propagate a more informed and responsible work-force of professional engineers.

Expand on Resources & Activities

An injury, death, damage to property, or a associated financial burden is an excellent way to end our activities (game-over). Our goal is to support the expansion of extra-curricular design activities, tinkering, DIY, and innovation that enrich the experience and professional training available to UCLA Samueli Engineering students. We need your help.

Work-place Accidents, Violations, and Consequences

Examples of Work-place Accidents and Violations

Violations can result in; but, are not limited to these consequences:

  • Immediate shut-down on activities, access to your lab, space, and equipment until violation is resolved.

  • Notification to Dean of Students, administration, and law enforcement (where required).

  • Financial reparation for any damages incurred by the violation,

  • Financial responsibility for retrieval or disposal of waste.

  • Citations/fines from UCLA Police Department or LA Fire Department

  • Violation is recorded by the School.

  • Could lose affiliation with the School of Engineering and access to School resources.

Training Topics

Setting-up your campus space

  • Accessibility
  • Fire-safety
  • Earthquake-safety
  • Emergency preparedness

Maintaining your campus space

  • Access
  • Cleaning & trash disposal
  • Dealing with maintenance issues

Required UCLA Environment, Health & Safety online trainings for
Student Organization membership

Reducing Hazards in the Workplace

  • Equipment Safety
  • Safe Work Practices
  • Personal Safety

Before you Begin Check-list form

Chemical safety

  • How to determine if you are using or storing a chemical
  • Creating a Chemical Inventory
  • Hazard communication – an obligation to inform users of risks
  • Safety Data Sheets (SDS)
  • General chemical safety

 

Job Safety Analysis (JSAs)

  • When to create one
  • Repository of JSAs

Safety Inspections

  • Pre-EH&S Inspection walk-through with Faculty Advisor
  • EH&S Safety Inspections

Policies & Resources

  • Paint & SandBox Facility
  • Policy on Painting & Sanding
  • 2nd Floor Boelter Hall Courtyard multi-use area
  • Temporary storage of large shipments

Roles & Responsibilities

  • Student organization leaders
  • Membership
  • Faculty advisor
  • Department (or School for school-wide organizations)

Lab & Space Safety Agreement Form

Due October 15, 2021

After attending training and/ or reviewing this Lab & Space Safety website, student organizations will need to complete the UCLA Engineering Lab & Space Safety Protocols Agreement form. This will need to be signed by the president or leader of your organization or design team, your Lab or Space Manager (whomever is responsible for managing the space you occupy), and your Faculty Advisor.

Here is the link to the Lab & Space Safety Protocols Agreement Form.

Instructions to submit your completed Lab & Space Safety Protocols Agreement Form:

  • Save all pages of teh form into one .pdf file.
  • Name your file as follows: Organization (or Project Team)_LSSPA_2021  (For example – BajaRacing_LSSPA_2021.pdf)
  • Upload your file here: https://forms.gle/4hSZGAqNnX79iyS86.

Training & Resources

Setting Up Your Space

Learn about:

  • House-keeping
  • Electrical Safety
  • Seismic Safety
  • Fire Safety
  • Access

Setting-up your space webpage.

Emergencies - what do I do?

Learn about

  • Creating an emergency & evacuation plan
  • What to do in the event of an emergency
  • Evacuations

Emergencies webpage.

Proper Disposal

Learn about

  • How to properly dispose of waste.
  • Disposal of hazardous and chemical waste.

Disposal of Waste webpage.

Maintenance Issues

Maintenance issues – HVAC, door locks, plumbing issues, etc.

  • Facilities Trouble Desk – http://www.troublecall.ucla.edu/tcall_plsql/pkg_tc.newTicket

  • Please cc Anthony Redon, Engineering Facilities Manager, aredon@seas.ucla.edu, on the Facilities Management Trouble Ticket online system when submitting a request.

  • Send an email to your executive board and Wes Uehara, Engineering Student Organization Coordinator, wuehara@seas.ucla.edu, so that we know a request has been sent to Facilities.
  • Email your members with any information they need to know about the maintenance issue.

Wifi-networks – SEASnet – https://www.seasnet.ucla.edu/seasnet-wireless-network/

Required Training

Learn about

  • UCLA EH&S Trainings required by your membership.
  • Training that your organization should create.

Required Training webpage.

Reducing Hazards in the Workspace

Learn about

  • Equipment Safety
  • Safe Work Practices
  • Personal Safety

Reducing Hazards in the Workspace webpage.

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

Learn about

  • What is PPE?
  • Where do I get PPE?
  • Facemasks and hand sanitizer?

Personal Protective Equipment webpage.

Before You Begin & Temporary Storage

This is a guide to help you plan for an activity, check out the Before You Begin Checklist webpage.  You will also find information on requesting temporary storage for project supplies. 

My Org Works with Chemicals

Learn about

  • What’s a chemical anyway?
  • Creating a Chemical Inventory to be reviewed by your Faculty Advisor
  • Hazard Communication – your organization’s obligation to communicate the hazards of working with chemicals
  • Chemical Safety

Chemical Safety webpage.

What's a Job Safety Analysis?

Learn about

  • Job Safety Analysis (JSA)
  • When & how to create one

Job Safety Analysis webpage.

Safety Inspections

Learn about

  • Required Faculty Advisor walk-through inspections (quarterly)
  • UCLA Environment, Health, and Safety Inspections

Safety Inspection & Faculty Walk-through webpage.

Policy on Painting and Sanding

Learn about

  • Painting & sanding on campus policy & requirements 
  • The Paint & SandBox facility

Painting & Sanding Policy webpage.

UCLA Innovation Lab Equipment & Training

Learn about

  • Available equipment at the UCLA Engineering Innovation Lab (MakerSpace)
  • How to request access.

Information about the UCLA Engineering Innovation Lab resources, training, and access webpage. 

Info for SCC tenants

Learn about

  • Master Inventory list of equipment and furnishings owned by the School
  • Important Lab & Space Safety issues regarding the SCC

Additional information on Lab & Space Safety for SCC tenants webpage. 

Link to Student Creativity Center website.

I Have More Questions!

Contact:

Roles & Responsibilities

Executive Board

  • All officers, project leads, lab/room managers understand and implement the Lab & Space Safety Policies and Protocols created by UCLA Samueli & UCLA Environment, Health & Safety that are listed in this website.

  • Assign to an officer or elect an officer who has the duties of day-to-day managerial oversight of operations and safety in your organization’s space. This includes, but is not limited to the responsibility of maintaining:

    • A safe office or lab space for your membership,

    • Training other members and users of their space on Job Safety Analysis or Standard Operating Procedures for equipment or chemicals that could cause harm if used incorrectly,

    • Keeping a log on membership that has been trained and has access to use equipment and engage in processes that requires training,

    • Uphold University Policies with regard to safety and health. In AY 2021 – 2022, this also includes upholding university policies in relation to COVID-19 and reducing the hazard to avoid membership contracting the virus. Campus information on COVID-19 can be found here: https://covid-19.ucla.edu/.

  • Assign and ensure completion of the Required Training (see Required Training below) by your membership.

  • Share this Lab & Space safety website with your membership and ask them to review it before beginning any activity that has the potential of causing harm.

  • Ensure that every activity begins with the “Before you Begin Check-list” (see below), an exercise that will help you think about the potential hazards involved in your activity.

  • Review, implement, and disseminate policies and information related to space and safety from Campus and the School of Engineering to your membership throughout the year. Organizations must make sure ESUC has your current contact information throughout the year to ensure information is being delivered to your organization. Contact ESUC Board: esuc.ucla.president@gmail.com, if your contact information has changed.

  • Schedule a quarterly ‘walk-through’ of your campus space with your Faculty Advisor to ensure your space is in compliance with EH&S Safety Regulations and any activities that could result in someone getting hurt.

  • Sign the UCLA Engineering Lab & Space Safety Protocols Agreement Form.

Lab, Space Manager, and Project Leads

In addition to assisting your Executive Board duties listed above, Space Safety Officer, Lab Manager, or Project Leads must review and manage the following:

  • Identify, create, or update any trainings or Standard Operating Procedures for tools and processes that your organization will use by:

    • Creating a Job Safety Analysis to determine how to control hazards for any activities that could cause injury,
    • Reviewing Safety Data Sheets for any chemicals that your organization uses, identify appropriate storage, use, and disposal of materials and chemicals,
    • Reviewing these activities and materials with your faculty advisor before implementing, and
    • Determining a method to make this information accessible to your membership and EH&S at any point of the year.

  • Create an ‘Authorized-use Log’ or record of who has completed the necessary trainings and, should thus, have access to participate in the activity, use the tool/ equipment, or handle the supplies.

  • Create a repository where training tools, curriculum, and authorized-use logs are kept to pass on to next year’s officers.

  • Sign the UCLA Engineering Lab & Space Safety Protocols Agreement Form.
Faculty Advisor
  • Faculty Advisors assume ultimate responsibility for the safety of the members of the student organization and the impact on our community of any activity that the organization takes on.  Operationally, advisors will provide guidance to organizations on how to reduce the hazards in their activities to ensure no one gets hurt.
  • Faculty Advisors will ensure student organizations are in compliance with Space & Safety Protocols on this website and any UCLA Environment, Health and Safety policies. Advisors will help the organization to determine a solution to any activity or situation that is not in compliance.
  • Assist student organization to review activity, and identify tools, equipment, chemicals or substances that they use that requires the creation of a Job Safety Analysis, Standard Operating Procedure, or review of Safety Data Sheets.
  • Review and approve all Standard Operating Procedures and Job Safety Analysis for your organization’s activities.
  • Quarterly walk-through (at least) of the student organization’s physical space to provide guidance on EH& S space and safety compliance and review activities.
  • Advocate with Department or School on behalf of the student organization for resources needed to reduce the hazards and impact on the community associated with their activities.
  • Sign the UCLA Engineering Lab & Space Safety Protocols Agreement Form.
Departments

  • Address any violations regarding space & safety incurred by the student organization and ensure compliance with Space & Safety Protocols created by UCLA Samueli and EH&S policies on safety and managing space.

  • Cover any costs associated to violations of Lab & Space Safety by the student organization. Examples from the past include the cost of air filter replacements in the building when an organization uses toxic chemicals near the building air-intake or disposal fees for an organization dumping chemicals in the green-space around our buildings.

Membership

  • Review this website and all Lab & Space Safety protocols before starting an activity.

  • Compliance with all applicable health and safety regulations, policies, and work practices as stipulated by the University (including EH&S, UCLA Samueli, or your organization).

  • Receive approval to operate machinery, power tools, hand tools, equipment, or chemicals from an officer or project lead prior to use.

  • Complete the required EH & S Trainings and any trainings required by your organization and submit your certificate of completion to your officers or project lead:

  • Any new activities must be authorized by completing the Before you Begin Check-list, having it reviewed by your officers or project leads and approved by your organization’s faculty advisor.