Emergency Procedures

In the event of an emergency:

Call 911 and specify a fire at

10100 Burnet Road, Austin, TX 78758 Building 24 FSEL (Ferguson Structural Engineering Lab) Read Granberry Tr. and Neils Thompson Dr.

and to use the Burnet Rd. entrance.

In the event of an unintended or uncontrollable fire:

For a small fire: Use fire extinguisher or garden hose, and if not under control, then proceed to the section below.

For any other fire: Call 911 and alert everyone in FSEL to evacuate towards the south end of the lab.

For a ruptured tank with no fire / ignition source:

Attempt to close the tank valve, and then the propane line ball valves.

For a ruptured tank on fire:

Do not attempt to extinguish the flame on the tank.
Evacuate the surrounding area and call 911.

For a medical emergency:

In case of a medical emergency - call 911.
UT Nurse Advice Line: (512) 475-6877

FSEL (Ferguson Structural Engineering Laboratory):

Before working at the burn structure for the first time, students must meet with FSEL staff and take the required safety training courses
Safety information: http://fsel.engr.utexas.edu/about/safety
Staff directory: http://fsel.engr.utexas.edu/people/staff

General Rules

Safety is the number one priority!

Safety is each person's’ responsibility. You must have a 100% understanding of what you are doing. You are not required to do anything you feel is unsafe. If you feel uncomfortable about anything you see or are asked to do, talk to your advisor, the lab staff or the Faculty Coordinator.

Note that the lab staff can stop, at any time, experiments they feel are unsafe. If agreement between students and lab staff can not be reached on how to proceed, then the Faculty Coordinator will be consulted.

Preparing to work at the Burn Structure

Notify the Faculty Coordinator or lab staff of the schedule that you will be working at the Burn Structure. This is to ensure that the equipment you need will be available and for accountability of personnel.

No student may conduct experiments alone at the Burn Structure. At least one other person who understands the safety precautions of the experiment and the emergency notification procedures must be present. In cases not involving open flame or hazardous materials, the students’ advisor (or the Faculty Coordinator) may grant special permission to work alone.

Appropriate clothing and personal protective equipment (PPE) as described below must be worn. This is for your safety... no exceptions!

No eating or drinking is allowed while any experiment is running in the lab.

Working at the Burn Structure

Work area and apparatus

Do not use any apparatus you have not been trained on.
To allow easy movement within the Burn Structure, do not block any travel paths or exits.
Access to emergency equipment, fire extinguishers, showers, eyewash stations and exits should never be blocked by anything, not even temporarily.
Each student must be prepared for emergency procedures BEFORE initiating any experiment.
Maintain a safe and neat work area at all times. Be organized and keep all work areas clear of clutter and obstructions. Good housekeeping should be practiced in the lab and storage areas.
Do not leave an experiment unattended at any time. Turn off cell phones when conducting an experiment.
No eating or drinking is allowed while any experiment is being conducted in the lab.
Clean up after yourself at the end of the workday and experiment completion, including tools, workbenches, and floor.

Injuries and Accidents

Do not handle emergencies alone. NOTIFY others nearby and call 911 if necessary.
Do not apply medical aid procedures without the proper training.
If a person has been splashed with a chemical, wash the victim with plenty of water for at least 15 minutes, remove contaminated clothing, and notify lab staff.
If a person has been overcome by inhalation, get the victim to fresh air and notify lab staff.
All injuries, accidents and “close calls” must be reported to the lab staff.

Malfunctioning Equipment

All non-operable or malfunctioning equipment and instrumentation must be immediately reported to the lab staff.

Visitors

Visitors must follow all safety rules and their adherence is the responsibility of the person being visited. You are responsible for your visitor!

Personal Protective Equipment

Safety Glasses and Goggles

Safety glasses, which protect from impact hazards, are to worn when conducting or observing any fire experiment and during cutting, sanding and drilling.
Safety goggles, which protect from splashes, are to be worn when working with chemicals and solvents. Also when cutting a material which produces hazardous dust, i.e., cutting fiberglass composites, Kaowool, or fiberboard.

Appropriate Footwear

Leather shoes or boots (preferably steel toe) must be worn when performing experiments. Sneakers are NOT TO BE WORN while conducting large scale experiments since they may melt when exposed to high heat flux. Sandals, high heels, clogs or open toed shoes may not be worn while conducting or observing experiments.

Clothing, Hair and Jewelry

No loose clothing or jewelry may be worn when using any power equipment or conducting experiments.
Tie back long hair while using any power equipment or conducting experiments. Do not wear shorts or skirts while conducting experiments.

Gloves

Wear leather fire (“Firefighter”) or aluminized fire gloves to protect against thermal materials. Disposable latex gloves are available for use with non hazardous materials and are located by the medical supply cabinet near the shipping/receiving area of FSEL.

Hearing protection

Hearing protection is to be used when performing any activity that creates a noise hazard. This includes using power tools. Disposable ear plugs are available near the medical supplies.

Lab coats, jumpsuits, and firefighter gear

Lab coats or jumpsuits are to be worn to protect skin from hazardous materials. Firefighter gear is to be worn to protect from thermal hazards of large scale fires.

Respirators

Wear disposable respirators for nuisance dust when cutting or sanding, or cutting fiberglass composites, Kaowool, or fiberboard. These can be found by the medical supply cabinet near the shipping/receiving area of FSEL.

Fire Testing and Experiments

Preparing

Read Standard Operating Procedures or your Experimental Plan for non-typical testing.
Thoroughly investigate the material to be tested. If you don’t know what it is, don’t burn it until you talk to your advisor or the Faculty Coordinator.
Schedule testing time with the lab staff or Faculty Coordinator. More than two people may be required at the time of testing due to the complexity of the experiment.
All visitors and observers must be approved by your advisor or the Faculty Coordinator.
Conduct small-scale preliminary tests before running your material if necessary.
Prepare for emergency shut down procedures and evacuation before initiating any experiment.
Remove all combustible materials located around experiment location.
All pool fires are required to have a secondary container.
Protect all in-place instrumentation.
You must wear full turn out gear and face shield to protect from radiant heat.

Conducting

Each person involved must fully understand the experiment and each persons’ role in conducting that experiment.
Coordinate people involved in running the experiment. Each activity associated with the experiment must be assigned to a specific person. Ensure all persons involved understand what is happening.
Each person must feel fully comfortable with the experiment. Any person, including the students, advisor, lab staff or Faculty Coordinator, involved in running a large-scale fire can decide to discontinue testing. The pre-determined procedure according to the Experimental Plan is to be followed.
Do not block any travel paths or exits. Do not block access to emergency equipment, showers, eyewash stations, or emergency exits.
Do not leave an experiment unattended at any time.
No eating or drinking is allowed while conducting an experiment. Turn off cell phones.

Extinguishing

Natural Gas Line
- Shut off flow at bottle/tank, allowing line to bleed fully.
Non-typical testingTurn off all gas flows before attempting extinguishment.
- Extinguishing procedures and strategies must be pre-approved as part of your Experimental Plan. Ensure that you have all the necessary equipment required and they are in operating and charged condition.
- Steam expansion from water extinguishing may cause exhaust hood overflow. Be prepared.
Room fire extinguishment must be accomplished without entering room.
- Exceptions are made for trained firefighters, who may enter room with appropriate gear.
- The room can hold a substantial fire. It is an effective containment structure for large fires. Hence, there is no need to panic about a problem. Calmly follow all extinguishing procedures.

Concluding

Clean up after yourself at experiment completion. Clean apparatus, tools, workbenches, and work area. Ensure all bottles are closed and equipment is off.
Ensure that burned materials are cool to the touch. Dispose of waste as described in the appropriate Standard Operating Procedures or your Experimental Plan.

Compressed Gas and Liquefied Gas Bottles

Purchase/ordering

Propane tanks or cylinder gases can not be purchased using the ProCard.

Storage

Storage of compressed gas and liquefied gas cylinders shall be in the FSEL storage area, which is the building directly south of FSEL. Bottles must be closed and capped.

Moving

All bottles are to be capped and strapped before moved with an approved gas cart. Using towing or ratchet straps, secure bottles to a sturdy fixed object during use.
Close bottles during non-use. Regulator and lines must be depressurized.

Regulators

When using a compressed gas or liquefied gas bottle, first determine the appropriate regulator connection.
Do not modify any gas regulator or connection.

Use

Once you have chosen a regulator with the appropriate connection, screw the connection into the female port on the gas bottle. There should be no resistance until it is almost completely on. Do not cross thread. Then tighten with an adjustable wrench.
Note that connections marked with a scribe are left handed and they tighten to the left.
Next connect the downline components. Ensure you are using appropriate material for the expected pressure range.
Then open regulator to a low pressure and check the rest of your downline components for leaks. If none are found, then open the regulator until you reach the desired pressure and check one last time for leaks.
If using a flammable gas, you must have the ignition source activated at the burner BEFORE starting gas flow.

Chemicals, Solvents, and Flammable Liquids

Ordering

Most flammable or combustible liquids can not be purchased using the ProCard. Check with lab staff or Faculty Coordinator before ordering.
Upon delivery, the student who ordered the material shall review the MSDS and the safety guidelines to determine safe storage. The students’ advisor (or the Faculty Coordinator) shall be consulted.
The lab staff shall be informed immediately of the delivery and whereabouts of the material. The MSDS should be included in the Experimental Plan.

Storage

Storage of compressed gas and liquefied gas cylinders shall be in the FSEL storage area, which is the building directly south of FSEL. Bottles must be closed and capped.
Use only approved storage bottles. Do not use glass bottles for flammable liquids.
Label all bottles and store in the chemical cabinet, even if it contains only water.

Handling

Handling, transport and storage of chemicals and solvents should be in accordance the provisions outlined in the MSDS. Use safety carriers and the proper protective clothing.
Filling small storage containers or gasoline-driven devices (PPV fan) from a larger main source requires proper grounding of the container to prevent possible explosions. Consult with the lab staff before attempting to refill containers.
Wash promptly if skin contact is made with any chemical.
Avoid inhalation of chemicals, do not “sniff” test chemicals.

Spills

Report all spills immediately to those nearby. Cleanup non-hazardous materials with the proper absorbent. This then becomes hazardous waste, which must be disposed of according to the hazardous waste policy.
Notify lab staff for hazardous material spills and evacuate the area.

Tools and Equipment

General rules

No tools are to be tossed from one person to another.
Use the right tool for the job. If you are unsure of what to use, ASK!
Examine before use. Do not use if damaged. Report damaged tools and equipment immediately to the lab staff.
Use the appropriate personal protective equipment.
Replace clean tools & equipment to the exact location you got them.
Do not remove equipment from the Burn Structure or FSEL without prior permission from the staff.
Standing on a chair or table is prohibited. Use a ladder for reaching high locations.

Power tools

Proper training is required for all power tool use.
Operate in accordance with the manufacturers’ instructions.
Disconnect tools when not in use, before servicing or when changing accessories such as blades, bits and cutters.
Keep good footing when using power tools.
Never yank a cord to disconnect tool from the receptacle and never carry a tool by its cord or hose.

Hand Tools

Do not use a tool for other than its intended use.
Do not store tools or equipment above shoulder height, even temporarily.

Sharps

Used razors, blades, cutters and broken glassware should be disposed of in a proper container. They are not to be placed in a trash can as is. If you are unsure of what is a proper container, ask the lab staff.

Compression fittings

Compression fittings, such as Swagelock work by means of a flared ferrule and back that attaches to tubing, hence, they must be tightened properly. See safety references in the lab office. *Instructions can be found in any new box of fittings.
Always check ferrule tightness when using a compression fitting. Do not tape or goop compression fittings.
Do not mix and match parts from different manufacturers.

Fittings, pipe and tube

There are two main types of pipe fittings. These are “straight” and “tapered.” Ensure that you are using the proper type for your application. Note that pipe threads are tapered and use pipe tape and straight threads require an o-ring seal.
“Pipe” and “tube” are different sizes. Do not interface without the proper adapters. See safety references in the lab office.
Each size pipe fitting requires a certain “minimum required thread engagement.” See safety references in the lab office.
Do not force a fitting or you may cross thread it. Use a vise to secure your work.
Tube comes in different material and wall thickness. Ensure that you use the proper wall thickness for the expected pressure range.

Electrical Safety

Grounding

Use proper grounding for all equipment. Do not use two pronged converters, floaters or extension cords.
Even low voltage can be dangerous. Use proper wiring techniques.

High voltage

Use extra caution when working with high voltage. Ensure that all equipment is properly rated.

Servicing equipment

Shut off and disconnect power before servicing any equipment or rewiring an experimental apparatus. Lock out any disconnects you turn off.

Material Safety Data Sheets

Basic information

MSDS are developed by chemical manufacturers to meet certain government requirements. They allow you to become familiar with the chemical hazards, appropriate personal protective equipment and emergency procedures relating to the material.
Use your own good sense as to the information contained in the MSDS. Even if something is not listed there could still be a hazard. Treat all materials with proper caution and respect. Talk to your advisor and check other appropriate references.

Proprietary materials

Sometimes a company will provide a sample for testing but won’t define what it is. In this case, you MUST consult with the Faculty Coordinator to determine the proper precautions to take when handling and testing this material.

How to use

In summary, a MSDS should tell you (a) what a chemical is (b) where the manufacturer can be located (c) why the chemical is hazardous (d) how you can be exposed to the hazard (e) what conditions could increase the hazard (f) how to handle the substance safely (g) what to do if exposed (h) what to do if there is a spill or emergency and (i) what protection to use while working with the chemical.