[labnetwork] After-hours work in cleanroom and laboratories

[gary.spinner@ien.gatech.edu]

At Georgia Tech we are open to our users 24/7, and do not place
restrictions on which tools research users can access after hours. We staff
our cleanroom from 7:00 AM - 7:00 PM Monday - Friday and have a couple of
staff members that live within 5 minutes of campus.  We have a select
number of our technical staff team that will do over the phone support
after hours and on weekends. For the managers of these facilities you are
always on pins and needles when the phone rings, regardless if it is normal
business hours, after hours or weekends.



We also have an activity graph on our website that we monitor daily to see
which users are violating our buddy system policy. Most of our after hour
challenges involve wet processing (wet chemical etching, housekeeping, and
overnight processing) at the fume hoods. We are in the process of
installing cameras inside of each fume hood. The few cameras we have
installed have reduced incidents and increased safety awareness.



Listed below are a few measures we have in place and a few we will try to
better govern after hours and weekends.



- Security Cameras (Fume hoods)

- Police Patrol (After Hours and Weekends)

- Staff Cell Phones

- Detail Fume Hood Training Program (
http://cleanroom.ien.gatech.edu/video/fume-hood-training/ )

- Work Study Students, Student Assistants, Co-op Students

- Notification to violators (cron jobs, emails, and paging system)

- Installing a buddy light (Thanks Dennis!)




On Thu, Nov 21, 2013 at 8:09 AM, Dennis Grimard <dgrimard at umich.edu> wrote:

> John:
>
> I think an important part of this liability and safety equation is making
> sure that the users know they are alone (our labs are so big it is easy to
> not realize you are alone ... And even with a buddy system accidents could
> go undetected even with a buddy).
>
> UM follows a buddy system after hours for wet chemistry ... However it is
> difficult to enforce.  We have no restrictions for using tools after hours
> toxic or otherwise.
>
> What we are doing to improve our performance in this areas:
>
> 1) more cameras
> 2) large name tags on the back of the suit (identification)
> 3) a new MOU with the policy clearly laid out
> 4) lights on benches which light up when the number of people in the lab
> drops to one (they can never claim they did not know they were alone and it
> is easier to enforce since you can easily see the light on or off and any
> user at a bench).
>
> We find that the nighttime is a free for all and many serious violations
> occur however we also feel that it is manageable.  However, we must strive
> to continuously improve safety and compliance after hours.
>
> We are also considering closing the lab after hours if we can't get to a
> satisfactory place safety wise.
>
> Dennis S Grimard, Ph.D.
> Managing Director
> Lurie Nanofabrication Facility
> 1246D EECS Bldg
> University of Michigan
> Ann Arbor, MI 48103
>
> (734) 368-7172 Cell
>
> On Nov 20, 2013, at 8:40 AM, "Weaver, John R" <jrweaver at purdue.edu> wrote:
>
>  Due to some headcount reductions we are re-thinking our after-hours lab
> work. Previously we had trained “lab attendants” who watched over things
> until midnight, then required the “buddy system” after that. Now we are
> looking at just using the buddy system after 5:00 pm.
>
> How do you handle things in your facility? Are you happy with the results?
>
> Thanks in advance,
> John
>
> *John R. Weaver*
> *Facility Manager*
> *Birck Nanotechnology Center*
> *1205 West State Street*
> *West Lafayette IN 47907*
> *(765) 494-5494 <%28765%29%20494-5494>*
> *jrweaver at purdue.edu* <jrweaver at purdue.edu>
> *nano.purdue.edu <http://nano.purdue.edu>*
>
>
>
>
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-- 
Gary Spinner
Senior Assistant Director of Research Operations
Institute for Electronics and Nanotechnology
Georgia Institute of Technology
Office Number (404) 894-4010
Cell Phone Number    (404) 391-9182

http://grover.mirc.gatech.edu/

"Successful people are always looking for opportunities to help others.
Unsuccessful people are always asking, "What's in it for me?""
— Brian Tracy
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