Emergency phones

• Faculty emergency: 073-378-5222
• Faculty lobby: 073-378-5217
• Rambam Hospital: 1255-144
• Ambulance: 101

General biosafety

• New users should read the BCF policy and register to the online reservation system. Equipment usage is permitted only through the user’s personal account.
• Before using any equipment for the first time, users must receive instruction from BCF staff.
• If you experience any problems, please notify the person responsible.
• After-hours (18:00-07:00) and weekends, access to BCF is possible to trained users via magnetic card (contact Ofer Shenker). Entry doors should be kept closed when no users are present in the lab. Working after hours is at the user’s responsibility.
• In case of emergency exit through the main door or from the Flow cytometry room emergency exit.
• Users must notify staff about viable pathogens or biohazards before these are brought into the facility.
• Users should wear lab coats and personal protective equipment (gloves, goggles, etc.) wherever necessary.
• Smoking, eating or drinking are not permitted in the labs.
• In case of skin burn, cover the burn with a sterile wet pad and go to the local health clinic for additional treatment.
• In case of eye injury from laser or other equipment, cover the eye with a sterile wet pad and seek immediate diagnosis and treatment at Rambam Hospital.
• In case of eye injury from liquid or pathogen, use the eyewash located in the lab. If needed seek diagnosis and treatment at Rambam Hospital.
• In case of ignition of a flammable material, use the fire extinguisher, located at either side of the corridor, and immediately contact Security (tel. 5222).
• Glass items should be disposed of in sharps biohazard waste boxes; tissues and cells should be discarded in biohazard bins.

Laser safety

• Lasers in BCF labs are classified as Class 4 and Class 3B. During normal operation, users are protected from direct and reflected laser beams.
• Lasers are calibrated only by staff or professional technicians. Users are not allowed in the lab during laser calibration.
• Direct or reflected laser beam has the potential to ignite flammable materials, to cause retinal or skin burn.
• In case of skin burn, cover the burn with a sterile wet pad and seek additional treatment at the local health clinic.
• In case of eye injury, cover the eye with a sterile wet pad and seek immediate diagnosis and treatment at Rambam Hospital.
• Any laser incident should be immediately reported to the Laser Safety Officer David Yanuka.
• In case of ignition of a flammable material, use the fire extinguisher, located at either side of the corridor, and immediately contact Security (tel. 5222).

Working with Cell Flow Cytometry Analyzer/Sorter

• Cell sorters create aerosols during operation. In order to minimize any risk, don’t forget to turn on the Aerosol Management Option (AMO) system. This device promotes the containment of aerosols by evacuating the air in the sort collection chamber and passing it through a HEPA filter.
• Waste fluids must be disposed of when the waste tanks are full. Add 500ml bleach to the empty waste tank of the cell analyzers before returning it to the machine.
• For any problem or safety matter, please contact Amir Grau (054-2100778) or Ofer Shenker (052-4568846).