Physical

In a move that could have huge implications for national security, researchers have created a very sensitive and tiny detector that is capable of detecting radiation from various sources at room temperature. The detector is eight to nine orders of magnitude –100 million to as high as 1 billion — times faster than the existing technology, and a Texas A&M University at Galveston professor is a key player in the discovery.

A University of California, Los Angeles chemist facing criminal charges after a lab accident that killed his research assistant in 2009 avoids a public trial and jail time.

The Safety Guys alert you to a potential significant radiation hazard present in the workplace: UV.

Stanford University researchers have received Bio-X funding to develop a tiny moving probe to study the mechanical properties of sensory cells in the ear. Their research could lead to new treatments for hearing loss, and the probe may advance other scientists’ research as well.

Can you identify the hazards that are present? Are they chemical, physical, biological, mechanical, electrical, radiation, noise, stress, or high/low pressure? Those are life’s nine hazards and you should look for them before beginning an experiment.

Hardware, maintenance, and training requirements for safety showers and eyewash stations

Creating the best slip, trip, and fall prevention program for your lab

Checklists and advanced management planning can keep your lab up and running

How to design and implement a successful lockout/tag out program for your facililty.

Broad analysis of many radiation studies finds no exposure threshold that precludes harm to life.

The National Safety Council reports that about 1000 people are electrocuted each year in the United States. That means grounded plugs on all electrical equipment in the lab are very important.

Firetrace International manufactures a fast-acting and reliable automatic fire detection and suppression system designed to protect against laboratory fume hood fires.

So how often should you run a fire drill? How do you know if employees are taking them seriously enough to be effective?

It's important that every lab be prepared with the correct fire extinguisher, inspection requirements and training.

While electricity is in constant use by the researcher, both within and outside the laboratory, significant physical harm or death may result from its misuse.

Labs, especially those using solvents in any quantity, have a very high potential for flash fires, explosion, rapid spread of fire, and high toxicity of products of combustion.