The Molecular Foundry aims to integrate safety into its organizational culture, and by doing so demonstrates that research that is safe is also innovative and productive. In order to support the safety-oriented culture at the Foundry, we have established a standing committee to assist the Division in solving complex safety problems.
As with scientific success, safety success at the Molecular Foundry relies on strong partnerships between users and staff. Both staff and users need to be vigilant while in the laboratory and to stop the work of their colleagues when unsafe behavior or conditions are observed. The Foundry promotes a “just culture” that prioritizes systemic solutions, rather than individual blame, for most stop work cases. However, temporary suspension of laboratory privileges for process assessment and retraining is often required.
EHS Team
There is a lot of available information on how to work safely, and stay in compliance with requirements at LBNL. Unfortunately they are not always easy to find. The fastest way to find this information is to ask the Foundry EH&S team.
| Mike Wisherop Foundry EH&S and Facility Director | Ian Quesada Foundry Division Safety Coordinator | Evelyn Davies EHS Liaison | Scott Clingenpeel EHS Safety Rep | Jaime Romo Qualified Electrical Worker |
Safety Training
Every user must begin safety training with courses MFD-0010 and MFD0015.
Your Assigned Scientist and other staff contacts will inform you of all other necessary safety training required for your work at the Foundry. Safety training is a combination of online courses, in-person courses, and on-the-job training by Foundry scientists and technicians. All required safety training must be completed and any controls specific to your project must be implemented before you may begin work. More about safety training.
Shipping Laboratory Materials (of any form) Hazardous or Otherwise
The Berkeley Lab Shipping and Receiving department facilitates all off site transportation via Fedex, UPS or other approved shipping companies to your parcel’s final destination.
There is no direct shipment of unexamined non-Hazardous chemicals and/or hazardous materials from the Molecular Foundry.
Learn more about Shipping of Laboratory Materials.
Safety Resources
| Berkeley Lab Safety Resources Hub |
| Berkeley Lab Work Planning and Control (WPC) |
| Berkeley Lab EHS Resource Page |
| Best Practices for Handling Inorganic Nanoparticles Waste in a Laboratory Setting, an article written by the Foundry’s Tracy Mattox, Carleton Falzone, and Jeff Urban |
| Impact of Source Position and Obstructions on Fume Hood Releases, an article written by the Foundry’s Tracy Mattox, Carleton Falzone, Tevye Kuykendall, and Jeff Urban |
| 2021 Foundry ISM Plan |
| Foundry Cold Trap & Dewar Use Policy and Procedure |
| Foundry Samples and Splits Best Practices Guide |
| Foundry Badge Access and Escort Policy |
| Foundry Incident Scene Preservation Policy and Procedure |
| Berkeley Lab Pub 3000 ES&H Manual |
| Berkeley Lab Requirements and Policies Manual (RPM) |
Molecular Foundry Safety Committee
The Foundry Safety Committee assists the Division in solving complex safety problems, utilizing their collective knowledge and analytical skills to make recommendations to Foundry leadership. The objectives of the Safety Committee are to:
- Assist with clear and concise safety communications;
- Review and provide input to safety related documents (such as Division Self Assessments), reports and policy;
- Assist with the planning of division-wide safety events (such as the annual Foundry Safety Retreat);
- Present new or previously unidentified hazards and recommend controls.
Safety committee members help staff and users identify the appropriate EH&S resources to report and correct issues.
Safety Committee Members
| Chair: | Mike Wisherop |
| Foundry Leadership: | Jim Ciston |
| Operations: | Suksham Barun, Ian Quesada (also Chemical Safety Committee representative and Division Safety Coordinator) |
| Imaging and Manipulation: | Paul Ashby |
| Fabrication: | Ari Gashi |
| Theory: | Liang Tan |
| Inorganic: | Tev Kuykendall |
| Bio: | Michael Connolly (also Lab Safety Advisory Committee representative) |
| Organic: | Liana Klivansky |
| NCEM: | Chengyu Song and Rohan Dhall |
| Foundry Shop: | Ari Gashi |
| Laser Safety Committee: | Ed Barnard |
| User Executive Committee: | Matthew Ryan |
