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How to Get a Decontamination Clearance for Equipment or Facilities
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| What to do |
How to do it |
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Follow these procedures if equipment has been in contact with radioactive material or has a radioactive material label. |
- Clean the item so it's free of all unassociated material (e.g., labware and chemicals found in refrigerators, freezers, fume hoods, etc.).
- Survey the item using a radiation survey meter and wipes.
- When the item has been decontaminated to background radiation level, use the Decontamination Clearance Request form to have Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) perform a clearance survey.
- Items are considered free of radioactive material when an EH&S specialist:
- Removes Radioactive Material labels
- Attaches a Clearance label to the item
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Follow these procedures if equipment has been in contact with biohazardous material, has a biohazard label, or has been used in a BSL-2 or BSL-3 lab. |
- Biosafety cabinets (BSC): If a BSC (biosafety level 2 or greater) is to be moved, do the following:
- Have the BSC gas-decontaminated by an approved vendor before the move.
- Have the BSC recertified after it has been installed in a new location.
- If the BSC is not being moved and repair work will not open the contaminated inner space, a surface decontamination with an appropriate disinfectant and contact time is sufficient.
Other equipment: Clean the item by using a disinfectant and contact time known to be effective for the infectious agents contaminating the equipment.
- Use the Decontamination Clearance Request form to have EH&S perform a clearance survey.
- Items are considered free of biohazardous material and additional requirements and controls when an EH&S specialist:
- Verifies the item has been disinfected
- Removes the Biohazard symbol and labels
- Attaches a Clearance label to the item
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Follow these procedures if equipment has been in contact with hazardous chemical material. |
- Wash or wipe away any visible chemical contamination.
- If perchloric acid has been used in the chemical fume hood, notify the Chemical Safety Officer, (858) 822-1579.
- Use the Decontamination Clearance Request form to have EH&S perform a clearance survey.
- Items are considered free of chemical hazards when an EH&S specialist attaches a green clearance label to the item.
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Request a clearance survey by EH&S before service, repair, or remodeling begins in research facilities.
Red clearance card indicates decontamination and clearance procedures are in progress
Green clearance card is posted by EH&S when a facility is cleared of known hazards |
- Use the Decontamination Clearance Request form to have EH&S perform a clearance survey.
- EH&S posts a red tag when researchers vacate a lab, to indicate decontamination and clearance procedures have begun in the facility. A red tag will still allow custodians to enter and empty regular trash.
- EH&S posts a green clearance tag after hazards are removed, indicating the facility is safe for contractors and other non-laboratory service personnel to enter and begin work.
- Provide contractors and other non-laboratory personnel performing work in research space with a copy of Guidelines for Non-laboratory Personnel Working in UCSD Laboratories.
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