EHRS at Penn

Sign up NOW for Penn's first ever FREEZER CHALLENGE 2021! Learn about cold storage best practices, clean out old unwanted samples, and help the environment by using less energy. SIGN UP NOW AT: bit.ly/pennfreezer21

Check out the September 2020 edition of Applied Biosafety for best practices on working with COVID-19 samples and decontamination procedures.

Applied Biosafety - Volume 25, Number 3, Sep 01, 2020 Table of contents for Applied Biosafety, 25, 3, Sep 01, 2020

Calling all lab members! Join us at the Green Labs Working Group Meeting on Monday, November 2 @ 2pm via zoom

UPENN.ZOOM.US/J/92893895149

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTIONS: Where can I find Biosafety guidance for research with COVID-19 samples or SARS-CoV-2?

ANSWER: Visit Biosafety Guidance for COVID-19 Research Projects for information about appropriate practices, containment, and precautions that must be in place when conducting research involving COVID-19 patient samples and SARS-CoV-2.

Biosafety Guidance for COVID-19 Research Projects | PennEHRS Issued 4/26/20 Revised 5/5/20, 6/1/2020, 7/2/2020 Research involving COVID-19 patient specimens and SARS-CoV-2 virus is subject to enhanced oversight by the Biosafety office. Given that SARS-CoV-2 is a novel respiratory pathogen, additional precautions are necessary to protect staff and the communit...

The University has updated it's Research Resumption Plan for Fall 2020. Please stay informed with the latest information and requirements for your lab.

OVPR Home - Office of the Vice Provost For Research - UPenn Office of the Vice Provost for Research - Provost's Center - University of Pennsylvania

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: I have a large number of expired or unneeded chemicals; must I submit an individual waste request for each container?
ANSWER: No. Submit one Waste Request Form and indicate approximately how many containers need to be picked-up. Someone from EHRS will contact you soon to provide additional guidance and to coordinate the pickup

Chemical Waste Pickup Form | PennEHRS To request a chemical waste pickup or to request chemical waste containers and supplies, please complete our online chemical waste request form.  The form requires a valid PennKey and password. Note, the online pickup request form has recently been updated!  We have simplified the form to make you...

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: I think my fume hood is malfunctioning. What should I do?
ANSWER: Close the hood sash and do not use the hood until EHRS confirms it is functioning properly. Contact your building administrator to open a work order. If the hood is not put back into service within 5 days of contacting your building administrator, contact EHRS.

Building Administrator List:

ehrs.upenn.edu

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTION: Should I wear my lab coat and gloves when transporting chemical or biological samples outside my lab?

ANSWER: No. PPE (including lab coat and gloves) must not be worn in public (non-lab) spaces or outside of the building. Instead of wearing PPE, package your materials so that everything is appropriately contained. Use secondary containment to protect not only yourself, but also the rest of the University and the community at large.

LAB SAFETY QUICK QUESTIONS: Who do I contact to have my Biosafety Cabinet serviced?

ANSWER: Technical Safety Services (TSS) is a new BSC vendor available on campus that provides certification and repair services. See the BSC Certification & Repair section of the Biosafety Cabinet page on the EHRS website (https://ehrs.upenn.edu/health-safety/biosafety/biological-safety-cabinets) for more information about how to contact TSS and how to prepare your cabinet for service.

Biological Safety Cabinets | PennEHRS Biological Safety Cabinets are designed to provide three basic types of protection: - Personnel protection from harmful agents inside the cabinet - Product protection to avoid contamination of the work, experiment or process inside the cabinet - Environmental Protection from contaminants contained w...