Policies & Safety

Policies

It is the policy of the Structures and Materials Testing Laboratory (SMTL) at the University of Colorado (CU) to make the facility and its staff available for laboratory research and industrial testing to all qualified users. Every attempt will be made to accommodate concurrent use of the Laboratory when practical. Where conflicts arise, priority use of the equipment will be given to the faculty of the Civil, Environmental & Architectural Engineering Department (CEAE) at CU.

As of October 2009, a fee structure was being developed for the use of the STML to replace the fee structure during NEES operation.

Safety and Risk Mitigation

Training is provided to all laboratory users. Emphasis in this training is placed on safe operating procedures; hazards related to specific equipment usage and general laboratory safety. Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is issued to each laboratory user while working in the facility. This PPE includes, but is not limited to, hardhats, safety glasses and goggles, hearing protection, and masks and respirators as needed. Numerous first aid kits and fire extinguishers are mounted throughout the Laboratory. Eye wash stations and showers are easily accessible to all laboratory users. A medical facility on campus is available to treat most injuries and Boulder Community Hospital Emergency Room is within 1.5 miles of the Laboratory.

Personnel employed by the University of Colorado (CU) are covered for on-the-job accidents through Worker's Compensation coverage provided internally through the Office of Risk Management. CU employees are covered through this insurance while traveling off-campus and performing job-related tasks. This coverage is limited to employees of the University, however. Therefore, it is expected that visitors to the Laboratory have similar worker's compensation coverage from their own institutions. It is required that visitors to the Laboratory not on the University of Colorado payroll sign a waiver indemnifying the University of liability for accidents or injuries as a result of activities in the Laboratory, and provide evidence of the aforementioned insurance coverage.

Neither the University of Colorado, nor its agents intend to provide or imply any insurance coverage for any individuals not directly employed by the University.

Site Access Policies

The Director and staff at the Colorado FHT site recognize the importance of opening the facility to all members of the earthquake engineering community for their research needs. Modifications have been completed on expanding the accessibility to the testing areas within the Laboratory while maintaining a safe, secure working environment for participants and visitors. There are, however, some areas within the Laboratory that remain open to employees of the facility alone. In general, these are consistent with standard safe industry practice and reflect a cautious approach in the interest of safety. As an example of such, our hydraulic pumps and electrical service equipment will remain closed to all visitors, including those working on projects. Additionally, the hydraulic actuators and control system will be operated exclusively by the facility staff. These systems require extensive training and experience to operate properly and are integral to the FHT test platform. Improper operation poses significant risk to the system and persons in the Laboratory.

The Structures and Materials Testing Laboratory (SMTL) that houses the research facility is a ground floor laboratory fully compliant with ADA requirements. Offices within and adjacent to the SMTL are also handicap accessible. Special accommodations may be arranged with advance notice.

The Colorado equipment site offers office spaces with Ethernet access for visiting researchers and students. These offices are located either within the SMTL or are directly adjacent to the Laboratory. While the Laboratory does not operate on a 24-hour basis, the facility and its offices are accessible at all hours. The control room for the Fast Hybrid Test System has a full window wall facing the test equipment and is designed to accommodate up to 4 researchers with computer access available. During testing, researchers will be asked to refrain from entering the test area for safety reasons. The control room affords an ideal viewing platform during testing of both the test area and test object.

The larger SMTL facility has numerous load frames and testing apparatus available for use by the community. A formal training session must be completed satisfactorily prior to any unassisted use. The same is true for use of the Laboratory's general machinery such as drill presses, mills, band saws, etc. The staff of the SMTL is available to assist and/or perform most common jobs requiring use of these tools. Trained members of the SMTL staff will operate the Laboratory's forklift and overhead crane. Operation of this equipment poses a safety and potential liability risk to the University.

Chemical safety within the SMTL is of great importance and receives corresponding attention. No chemicals are to be brought or shipped to the SMTL without the prior written consent of the Operations Manager. These chemicals include, but are not limited to, concrete additives and curing agents, degreasers, strain gage application chemicals, and household cleaning products. Generation of hazardous waste from experimental procedures will be closely monitored and projects will be held accountable in traditional “cradle to grave” policy for any waste generated and may incur charges related to proper waste disposal. In general, the University's Environmental Health and Safety Department will remove hazardous wastes generated (and handled properly) at the SMTL at no charge. The SMTL stores hazardous waste in a secured area for no longer than one week. This area is off-limits to visiting persons for obvious reasons.

Other site-specific hazards within the Laboratory will be identified in an official orientation walkthrough provided at the earliest opportunity to all visitors. The staff of the SMTL is committed to providing the safest and most accessible environment to all visitors to the facility. A wide range of personal protective equipment (PPE) is available on a loan basis through the laboratory office. All visitors are encouraged to bring their own PPE where possible. Outside of the specific limitations identified here, the Laboratory is an open facility frequently bustling with the activities of graduate and undergraduate students, faculty, and researchers, with numerous projects occurring simultaneously throughout the Laboratory. Though some access limitations are necessary, it is unlikely and unintentional that visitors should find the facility restrictive. Every effort will be made to address and remedy specific concerns should they arise and special circumstances may require special accommodations.