Rules and regulations to accessing and using the SPS teaching Laboratory Facilities, Faculty of Science, NUS (S16-02-04 and S16-02-03)

The SPS teaching lab is part of the SPS facilities that are provided by the Faculty of Science. SPS share the lab with the Science Demo group, bookings are made when SPS uses the lab. This is to prevent anybody from double-booking the lab. All the practical sessions that you will undergo in the “The Cell” course and other SPS courses will be carried out there. Besides, regular lab classes for the courses, you may also like to work in the SPS lab for your SP2172 project or another project. For that, please email Dr Robert Lieu and ask for permission prior to working in the laboratory.

1. Please note that under NUS, OSHE guidelines, undergraduate/SPS students are restrictedly not allowed to work in the SPS/Science Demo lab without a direct supervision from a graduate mentor or SPS staff. Please also noted that working hours for undergraduates are restricted to official working hours (8.30-6 pm, Monday to Friday) only. After office hours and weekend, access are not allowed unless supervised or given permission by SPS staff.
2. The SPS Lab facility is co-shared with Demo Lab; therefore, Demo lab staff also have the right to use the labs. If SPS Lab is booked by Science Demo Lab staff for their enrichment classes, please do not go in and use the lab, even though you are given permission to do so.
3. All the users must be certificated by completing and passing OSHE online “Biological safety and Chemical safety training”. The certificate must be valid and should be sent to Dr Robert, prior to working in the SPS teaching Lab. Students are expected to know how to do RISK assessment as well.

 General Laboratory Safety

The top priority in any research or teaching lab must be safety. The Faculty of Science and the Special Programme in Science is committed to providing a safe working environment for student and staff to work in. SPS adheres to and adopts the guidelines in NUS General Laboratory Safety Manual compiled by OSHE, which covers safety aspects under the categories: Fire, Electrical, Biological, Chemical, Mechanical and Office Safety.

Risks can be minimized by understanding the hazards (when you conduct a risk assessment) and safety procedures. For SPS, safety training is mandatory before commencing lab work. If in doubt or any accident occurs, please notify SPS staff or the headmentors immediately.

1. Do not run in the laboratory unless there is an emergency that warrants it.
2. Personnel protective equipment (PPE) is to be worn when working in the laboratory.  The minimum PPE would be lab coat, gloves, safety glasses and covered shoes (front and back). It is compulsory for lab users including practical classes to wear safety glasses when working in the laboratory.
3. Long hair or loose clothing should be secured before commencing work to avoid the possibility of their entanglement in equipment, or contact with chemicals or possibility of a fire accident.
4. Wearing a headphone while working in the lab is prohibited.
5. No storage of food, eating and drinking are allowed in the laboratory. You may leave your water bottle outside the lab. If you want to take a drink, do it outside the laboratory.
6. The Bench tops must be disinfected with 70% ethanol immediately after use
7. Wash your hands with soap and water before leaving the laboratory.
8. By NUS OSHE rule, no open flame (e.g. Bunsen burner or spirit lamp) can be used in the laboratory. However, if you heard the fire alarm, please drop everything that you are doing and then calmly exit the lab to nearest fire escape route. The emergency assembly point for Blk S16 is at the NUS field just beside Blk S17.
9. To avoid power overloading, ideally, one electrical outlet should connect only to one equipment.
10. If the outlet is used for more than one connection, the adaptor with the Singapore Productivity and Standard Board (PSB) logo (i.e. PSB approved adaptors) should be used.
11. All incidents and accident in the laboratory must be reported to either SPS staff or your mentors.

1. Getting Access to the SPS teaching Laboratory

The SPS teaching lab (S16-02-04) is a Biosafety Level 2 facility, thus all personal with access to the lab needs to complete and passed the following NUS safety training.

1. Chemical Safety (OSHCHM01): This training is recognised and approved by the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s Working Group on Safety & Health in Higher Education and Research Sector. The course is an online course and can be accessed through the NUS Luminus system.
2. Biosafety for BSL-2 Laboratories (OSHBIO08): This training is recognised and approved by the Workplace Safety and Health Council’s Working Group on Safety & Health in Higher Education and Research Sector. The course is an online course and can be accessed through NUS Luminus system.
3. Faculty Safety Induction Course: Besides the University-wide courses, The Safety office at the Faculty of Science also conducts safety induction training for new staff and students. You must either complete the faculty safety induction programme or have undergo the induction course by Dr Robert Lieu for SPS students.
4. In addition, you might want to consider doing the following training. Risk Management for Laboratories (OSHGEN06): Recommended for staff and students who are involved in conducting risk assessments for their laboratory activities. 

2. Using the SPS teaching laboratory for experimental or project work.

1. To apply for an approval to work in the SPS/Demo Labs, please write a short description of the experiment that you intend to do in SPS teaching Labs to Dr Robert Lieu. A brief/detail protocol would be even useful for Robert to approve its feasibility and safety. The more well thought your proposal is, the higher the chance that Robert can get back to you promptly. The risk assessment of the procedure and your risk assessment will also be reviewed. If necessary, Robert will request changes until the protocol is satisfied with the risk assessment.
2. Waste disposal procedures should also be documented in the Risk assessment. The duration (i.e. starting/end dates) of the experiment) and SPS supervisors/Grad mentors must indicate clearly also.
3. Approved students may use the equipment/lab benches in the lab, please note that you must know confidently how to operate the equipment by yourself safely.  If you are a first-time user, training sessions by your supervisor/Grad mentor MUST be arranged. Consumables such as tips, tubes etc. can be used but please filled up the tip boxes and the tube container. For consumables, such as chemicals, molecular biology reagents etc already present in the SPS Lab, please ask Robert before using it. All the chemicals are not free for you to take without permission.
4. Dr Robert in consultation with the SPS staff reserves the right to reject requests if any proposal is not suitable or with highly hazardous. SPS staff also reserve the right to terminate students from using the SPS/Science Demo Labs, if students work in the Labs without a permission, or violate any lab safety rules (i.e. eating and drinking in the lab; there should be no excuses!).

General Waste Disposal

It is the responsibility of all lab users to acquire sufficient knowledge in waste treatment and are responsible for proper disposal of any lab waste. An appropriate bag should be used to dispose of hazardous and non- hazardous waste. The specially designed safety bag should only be used for disposal of hazardous waste and not for non-hazardous waste disposal. Broken glass and needles must be disposed of in a sharps bin or plastic container.

1. Acid, organic solvent, and radioactive waste should be disposed in  the designated bottles or containers (see Chemistry and Radiation Safety for detail).
2. Hazardous biological materials should be treated with 10% Bleach or should be autoclaved (see Biological Safety for detail) prior to disposal.
3. Non-hazardous waste can be disposed of in the general household garbage bag.

Biological Waste Disposal

Biohazard waste generates during the experiment need to be decontaminated prior to waste disposal. For solid biohazard waste, such as tips, tubes and bacteria plates, a yellow biohazard bag is required to collect this waste. Waste should be taped and then dispose into the big bin for collection by our contractor. Biohazard liquid waste cannot be discharged down the sink without appropriate decontamination. Liquid waste should be treated with the preset tablet, prior to disposal.

It is the responsibility of all lab user to acquire sufficient knowledge in biological waste treatment and are responsible for proper disposal of any lab waste. If in doubt, please ask Dr Robert or your mentor.

1. Autoclave all leftover cultures, contaminated media and any glassware/plasticware in contact with bacterial before disposal. The addition of presept tablet to bacteria cultures to stand overnight also decontaminated cultures.
2. Do not tip any bacterial culture down the sink without treatment with Preset tablet or bleach solution.
3. Working benchtops and other non-autoclavable items such as equipment, growth chamber that might have spills of pathogens, should be sterilized with either 10% Clorox or 70% ethanol after work.
4. Needles or sharp instruments must be disposed of in the proper sharp container.
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Chemical Waste Disposal

1. All lab workers must be familiar with recommended procedures associated with the chemicals they are dealing with and the relevant hazards. When in doubt the SDS should be referred to, for information.
2. Appropriate protective apparel must be worn when working with hazardous chemicals. These include but are not limited to gloves, masks, aprons, lab coats, face shields and goggles.
3. All work involving aqueous hazardous chemicals should be done in fume hoods.
4. Not all chemicals can be thrown into the drain. Store waste chemical in empty reagent bottles or carboys for processing and disposal by a waste disposal company.
5. As a general guideline, strong flammable and acute toxic chemicals should not be discharged into the sewer.
6. Chemical containers should be tagged with information including chemical name, description, generator name and date of disposal.
   
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