The New Employee Quick Guide to Safety contains important information about the Desert Research Institute (DRI) environmental, health and safety programs, including, but not limited to, chemical safety, personal protective equipment, emergency response procedures, ergonomics, safe work practices, and hazardous waste disposal. The purpose of the Guide is to provide new employees with pertinent environmental, health, and safety information before they start performing work assignments and to serve as an environmental, health and safety reference document during their employment at DRI.

DRI is committed to providing our employees with a safe and healthy workplace . However, the effectiveness of all safety programs depends upon the active support and involvement of all employees. Please read the Guide on your first day at DRI and bring any questions you may have to your new supervisor�s attention.

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The Workplace Safety Plan (WSP) is DRI�s general safety program and it applies to all employees, including graduate students and temporary workers. This program describes the means, policies and practices DRI will use to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses and lists individual responsibilities for safety. The WSP serves as the "umbrella" safety program, encompassing all other

DRI safety programs. More specific safe work practices and procedures have been developed and are detailed in Environmental, Health and Safety (EH&S) Programs, Policies and Procedures. Your supervisor will provide environmental, health and safety information specific to your job and department specific procedures to you.

As a DRI employee, you have certain responsibilities to ensure a healthy and safe workplace. These responsibilities are the following:

• Performing every job in the safest possible manner;

• Following all safety rules, regulations, programs, policies and procedures and when uncertain, requesting clarification or explanation of proper safe work practices or information regarding the handling and use of materials which you suspect of being hazardous;

• Immediately reporting discovered safety deficiencies to your supervisor or manager or correcting the unsafe condition and reporting the corrective actions taken to your supervisor or manager;

• Reporting all occupational injuries, illnesses and near misses to your supervisor immediately; and

• Attending scheduled safety training programs and department safety meetings.

Your department will hold safety meetings on a regular basis as a means of communicating important safety issues to you. In addition, the DRI safety committee meets regularly to discuss safety issues brought to its attention by individual employees or resulting from accident investigations.

To report any of the following emergencies, dial 911:

• All fires, SMOKE of undefined origin and EXPLOSIONS

• Medical Emergencies
• HAZARDOUS MATERIAL SPILLS greater than an incidental release
• EARTHQUAKE
• BOMB THREAT
• VIOLENCE in the WORKPLACE
• TERRORIST ACTIVITY

Then notify, EH&S via the emergency only phone, 775-742-6330. (More information is found in the DRI Emergency Procedures, posted throughout DRI.)

• UNCONTROLLED OPEN FLAME
• UNCONTROLLED COMPRESSED GAS RELEASE or a SIGNIFICANT HAZARDOUS MATERIALS RELEASE
• ANY SITUATION WHICH POSES IMMINENT THREAT TO HUMAN HEALTH OR SAFETY

Your supervisor will advise you of your evacuation route(s). Emergency evacuation maps are also posted throughout DRI buildings.

When the alarm sounds, follow the designated evacuation route. If the designated evacuation route is blocked, or has a hazardous condition associated with it, choose an alternate route. If you have visitors at DRI, ensure they are aware of exit locations and assist them during an evacuation.

Walk, do not run, during an evacuation. If you are away from your normal work area during an evacuation, use the nearest evacuation route for the area you are in. Once you have evacuated, remain out of the way of responding emergency vehicles and do not re-enter the building until you hear an announcement from your supervisor or fire, police, or DRI Facilities personnel that you can safely return to your work area.

Follow these procedures if any release of a hazardous material greater than an incidental spill (or unknown spilled material) is encountered:

• Clear the affected area;
• Check for personal contamination; and

• Call or have someone call the EH&S emergency only phone (775-742-6330) to report the spill.

Any chemical substance which gets into the eye must be washed out under the nearest eyewash for a minimum of fifteen minutes and then reported to both your supervisor and EH&S. Any clothing that gets saturated with a hazardous material shall be promptly removed. Go to the nearest emergency shower, activate the shower and remove clothing under the running water. If your hair, face or head is contaminated, leave safety glasses/goggles on until you have thoroughly rinsed these areas. Stay under the shower for a minimum of fifteen minutes. Then notify your supervisor and EH&S.

All occupational injuries or illnesses must be reported as soon as possible to the supervisor and to EH&S. Contact DRI's Worker's Compensation coordinator, (775) 673-7325, for any injury or illness which requires medical attention as well as to obtain Worker's Compensation paperwork which must be completed. For life or death situations, call the paramedics, 911. (NOTE: Injured temporary workers must also notify their agency and follow the agency's procedures for obtaining medical assistance and Worker's Compensation benefits.)

The supervisor will investigate all workplace incidents and applicable corrective actions will be taken to prevent a recurrence. If you experience, or witness, an occupational injury or illness you will be required to participate in the investigation process

In addition, if you experience an occupational injury or illness, you will need to complete the paperwork* required by Nevada's Worker's Compensation regulations. (*NOTE: Injured temporary workers must follow their agency's procedures for completing Worker's Compensation related paperwork.)

If you work in an area containing hazardous chemicals, the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard or "Right-to-Know" law covers you. (If you work in a research, development or non-manufacturing laboratory you are also covered by the OSHA Laboratory Standard.

The Hazard Communication Standard requires a written Hazard Communication Program that focuses on seven areas:

• hazard determination;
• chemical inventory;
• handling non-routine tasks;
• informing contractors of potential hazards;
• labeling of hazardous chemicals;
• material safety data sheets (MSDS); and
• employee training.

DRI's Hazard Communication Program has been distributed to your supervisor and is available to you from him/her during your work shift. The program contains information on the practices and procedures listed above. It is important that you review this program to understand DRI's procedures concerning communication of chemical hazards.

It is very important to understand and adhere to all signs, placards, and product warning labels. Labels provide important information about the chemical with which you are working, such as the chemical's physical hazards (fire, explosivity, reactivity, etc.) and health hazards (such as toxicity, carcinogenicity, etc.) Health hazards can be short-term (acute) effects such as skin burns and/or long term (chronic) effects, such as cancer.

A Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) is required for every hazardous chemical in use at DRI (there are some exceptions for chemicals received by non-manufacturing laboratories, see the Chemical Hygiene Program). The MSDS provides the most detailed information concerning the hazards of the chemicals with which you work.

Although there is no single mandatory format for the MSDS, the following specific information must be included on the form by the manufacturer or importer:

• what it is;
• who makes it or who sells it;
• where they are located;
• why it is hazardous;
• how you can be exposed to the hazard;
• what conditions could increase the hazard;
• how to handle the substance safely;
• what protection to use while working with it;
• what to do if you are exposed; and
• what to do if there is a spill or emergency.

Before you start any job using a hazardous chemical, read and obtain an understanding of the information found on the MSDS. Then, use the necessary personal protective equipment and follow the safe work practices given in your employee training. If you have any questions or cannot locate a specific MSDS, check with your supervisor or contact EH&S.

Before you start working with (or will otherwise be potentially exposed to) a chemical, your supervisor will inform you of the potential hazards of the chemical and how to protect yourself. You have the right to be informed of these hazards and to have access to information regarding these hazards.

You also have the following responsibilities for your safety under the Standard:

• Requesting information and clarification from your supervisor on any suspected hazard before using, handling, or storing the material or engaging in a process with potential hazards;

• Understanding the hazard information available to you;

• Requesting that any unclear information be explained to your satisfaction;

• Reporting any newly discovered or suspected hazardous materials or processes in the work place and requesting clarification or explanation of the associated hazards; and

• Utilizing available hazard information whenever necessary to protect your own health and safety and that of your coworkers.

The Laboratory Standard is a hazard communication type program that applies specifically to research and development laboratories and their use of many different chemicals in small (lab-scale) quantities. It requires a written Chemical Hygiene Plan and goes beyond just communicating the physical and health hazards of the chemicals in use.

• Standard operating procedures for laboratory chemicals and laboratory operations/experiments;

• Selection, use and maintenance of personal protective equipment;

• Criteria for implementation of control measures including air sampling, designating chemical use areas for highly toxic materials, developing housekeeping practices, identifying and procuring safety and emergency equipment and engineering controls;

• Employee information and training;

• Medical consultation and examinations;

• Special precautions for working with allergens, embryotoxins, chemicals of moderate or high acute toxicity, high chronic toxicity, etc.;

• Record keeping; and

• Chemical spills, releases and accident procedures.