Entomology Research Lab Receives Outstanding Inspection of the Month Award
Former building safety liaison Sherry Ellison, left, and ERL building proctor Allen Dean, right, stand with Environmental Cherie Fischer with their award.
This piece of lab equipment in the ERL was fitted with a shatter shield, one of many safety improvements Dean and Ellison have done this year to comply with safety regulations.
Chemicals throughout the building have been updated and moved to a centralized storage area within the building.
Laboratory safety is important to any research program. Just this past July, members of the Entomology Research Laboratory received the Outstanding Laboratory of the Month award by the Environmental Health and Safety Department at Texas A&M University.
Members of the ERL were honored during a special luncheon held in August at the EHSD offices at Research Park.
The building’s labs were given the award from EHSD for the hard work members have done over the past several months on improving safety within the labs in the building.
EHSD manager Christina Robertson said that building proctor Allen Dean and former safety liaison Sherry Ellison were instrumental in keeping the labs safe and compliant with safety codes
The building, which houses Dr. Brad Vinson's lab, as well as Dr. Marvin Harris and Parencia space, has been undergoing several improvements this year in order to keep up to date with safety regulations and lab safety codes.
Some of the improvements include upgrading older eyewash stations to newer stations, removing outdated and expired chemicals from storage, and clearing clogged walk spaces.
Keeping eyewash stations clean and in working order are very important in case of eye injuries or if someone splashes chemicals in his or her eyes. Some of the safety guidelines regarding the stations include ensuring the stations are clear of obstruction and that it is within 10 seconds to reach in case of emergency.
Additional safety measures taken by the lab include cleaning fume hood workspaces to reduce air flow blockage and moving chemicals to a centralized chemical storage area.
According to the EHSD’s lab safety checklist and the Texas A&M Laboratory Safety Manual, having cluttered workspaces in the fume hoods or storing chemicals in the hood’s work areas present a spill hazard for workers and can present a blockage in the air flow system, preventing the hood from operating properly.
Each month, the award is given to the lab that has met or exceeded safety requirements and guidelines set by the EHSD. "We really appreciate all that you have done," Robertson said.