Laboratory Safety

For immediate emergencies, please call university police department (UPD) at 408-924-2222 (by any phones) or use Bluelight emergency phones, or dial 911 (by campus phones)

For all non-urgent Health & Safety concerns/inquiries, please email the EE department System Analyst ee-techsupport-group@sjsu.edu and CC to the EE department office electrical.engineering@sjsu.edu. 

For additional health and safety policies and programs, visit the College of Engineering Environmental Health and Safety website, the Facilities Development and Operations Environmental Health and Safety webpage, the University Personnel Report Injuries webpage and the University Accidents and Injuries webpage.

• Injuries and Potentially Dangerous Incidents Report

  • All injuries and potentially dangerous incidents must be reported.  An SJSU employee who is involved in the accident must immediately take the steps described on the University Personnel website.  For students or visitors that are involved in an accident, please follow the steps on the Finance and Business Services website.

• Electric Shock 

  • In case an electric shock happens, please follow the steps below.

    1.If possible, remove the power or safely shut down the source that caused the electric shock.  If it is not possible to remove the power or shut down the source, use a dry, nonconducting object made of cardboard, plastic or wood to move the source away from the injured person.

    2. Call the university police department (UPD) at 408-924-2222 (by any phones) or use Bluelight emergency phones, or dial 911 (by campus phones) and follow the instructions given by the emergency responder.

    3.Remain available in a safe place to provide information to the rescue crew.

    4. Once the incident is resolved, send an email describing the incident to the EE department System Analyst ee-techsupport-group@sjsu.edu and CC to the EE department office electrical.engineering@sjsu.edu.  Report the incidents as described in the “Injuries and Potentially Dangerous Incidents Report” above.

• Working with High Voltages

  • If you have to work with high voltages, please follow the precautions below:

    1. Make sure to have proper safety mechanisms in place and contact the EE department System Analyst ee-techsupport-group@sjsu.edu and the lab director (see the laboratory webpage) for instructions, safety training, personal protective equipment, proper signage, etc.

    2. Do not rush, be cautious and aware at all times.

    3. Always unplug an active power source before attempting to disconnect equipment.

    4. Wear proper Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) at all times, including electrical safety gloves when working with high voltages.

• Instructions for Lab Instructors

  • 1. The lab should be kept neat, clean, and safe at all times.  While each student is responsible for house keeping his/her workstation, the lab instructor should always monitor if the student is following proper lab rules.
          a. The student should clean his/her workstation before leaving the lab.
          b. During the first lab session, please tell the students the importance of keeping their workstations neat, clean, and follow safety instructions in using the equipment.

    2. Before each lab, the lab instructor is required to check if all lab equipment is operational and safe to use.  If the lab instructor finds any unsafe and/or nonfunctional equipment or software, email the technical support team at ee-techsupport-group@sjsu.edu.  Your message should include the following: 
         a. Description of the problem/complaint
         b. Name of the equipment
         c. Workstation location (This can be found on the top left corner of the corresponding computer. e.g., E290-03)

    3. Do not leave students in the lab on their own; a lab instructor should be in the lab with students at all times.

    4. The student should be aware of lab rules and regulations when receiving lab access code.  Make them understand their responsibility of keeping their workstation clean, neat, safe, and let them know the consequences of not doing so.

    5. Tell the students to be careful when plugging anything into the electric outlets, make sure that there’s no metal wire running through the outlet and the plug.

    6. There are locks and zip ties at every station.  These are maintained for security and safety purposes.  Please make sure that the students do not break or cut them.  If you find any zip ties that were cut, please send an email to the support team at ee-techsupport-group@sjsu.edu immediately along with the station number.

    7. Please be aware of how to operate the equipment in the lab.  If you are unsure of a particular functionality, go through the equipment manual and update yourself as soon as possible, or contact the lab support team at ee-techsupport-group@sjsu.edu for help.

    8. Tell students to turn off all equipment before leaving the lab, except for the computers.

    9. In any situation where a student is in need of medical attention, the lab instructor should call the university police department (UPD) at 408-924-2222 (by any phones) or use Bluelight emergency phones, or dial 911 (by campus phones) and stay with the student until the crew arrives.