Safety Information

Nanoscience holds safety to be a top priority, and is committed to operating in a manner that ensures the safety of our members and our community.

Potential hazards are chemical, laser and electrical, in addition to those hazards normally encountered in a laboratory, industrial and office environment. There are also hazards associated with the incorrect use of respirators - do not use these without medical clearance, fit-testing and training.

A range of gases is in use at CHTM. If you use these, inform yourself as to their safe usage, and always follow CHTM Procedures for Safe Handling of Cas Cylinders.

Please familiarize yourself with the appropriate safety precautions for the area you work in. A copy of the UNM SHEA safety manual is available at CHTM and can be used for reference by any visiting user at the CHTM facility upon request . The manual is also available on the web at http://shea.unm.edu. Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are located in CHTM in the MSDS vestibule, opposite Room 126B, the Electrical Shop.

For your own protection, if you have any accident, however minor, you MUST report it to the Lab Manager, Rick Bradley, within 24 hours.

For further information, see the UNM Safety, Health & Environmental Affairs Department (SHEA)

Safety - your own and your colleagues' - is YOUR responsibility.

Laser Safety
Andrew Frauenglass (Tel:505 272 7920), chairman of UNMs Laser Safety Subcommittee, will help to interpret specific laser safety issues you may have, and can provide safety guidance upon request. For general questions please refer to the Laser Institute of America Laser Applications and Safety Page, available on-line.

Respirator Safety
You must have medical clearance, fit-testing and training before using a respirator. Contact Mark Denis at 277-0306 for information about the Respiratory Protection Program, and to obtain a medical clearance form.