Electrotechnology Lab Procedures

Familiarize yourself with these procedures to ensure that you have a safe and positive learning experience in our laboratories.

Student Requirements and Procedures
Lab Access
General Safety
Personal Electronics, Cell Phones, Laptops …
Safety Eyewear and Electrotechnology Eyewear Safety Requirements
Food and Drink
Proper Apparel and Dress
Soldering
Power Tools
Hand Tools
Laboratory Housekeeping
E229A Lab
Lab PCs
Go Green! Enviromental Sustainability
E229 Technical Support Shop

1. Student Requirements and Procedures

Know your rights and responsibilities and read the Student Policies and Procedures.
You are responsible for your actions at all times. Ignorance of the rules, regulations and standards of conduct will not be accepted as a defense against disciplinary action.

2. Lab Access

Students are only permitted to enter an Electrotechnology lab if they have a scheduled class or Open Access lab and the instructor or a college staff member allows entry. Please wait outside of the lab until your class starts and your instructor arrives.
Do not enter any open or unlocked labs that are not supervised by a college staff member. Immediately report any such labs technical support in E229 and security.
Students may not work alone in a laboratory. They must be supervised by an instructor or a college staff member.

3. General Safety

Always work in a safe manner and be respectful of others around you.
Do not perform any activity that you feel is unsafe. Ask your instructor for guidance.
Horseplay of any kind can be extremely hazardous in a lab or shop area and is forbidden at all times.
CSA approved Safety glasses are required as stated in the Electrotechnology Eyewear Safety Requirements
Turn off all instrumentation (power supply, oscilloscope, etc.) at the end of the lab.
Unplug any equipment or tools (soldering iron, drills, etc.) when not in use. Always pull the plug and NOT the cord.
Do not stack anything (this includes additional lab equipment, instrumentation, books, soldering irons, tool boxes, tools etc.) on the equipment shelves at the benches or on any piece of equipment, instrumentation or PC on the bench.
Report any equipment that is damaged or not working properly to the instructor.
Immediately turn off and unplug equipment that is hot, generating smoke, sparking, unsafe or you suspect is not working properly and immediately report this to your instructor!
Unplug AC power cords by gripping the power plug. Do not pull on the power cord.
Equipment, tools and workstations must be left clean and in an orderly state after each use.
Any person working or using equipment in an unsafe manner is a risk to themselves and others and will be asked to leave the lab.
You can’t be graded if you are not present in the lab.

4. Personal Electronics, Cell Phones, Toys, Laptops …

Personal electronics or toys for entertainment purposes such as MP3 players, iPods, Game Boys, KerPlunk, etc. are not permitted to be used in the lab.
Cell phones are a distraction and disruption in the lab and should only be used for emergencies.
The use of laptops in the lab is at the discretion of the instructor.
Wireless internet access is available at the College for students.
You may NOTconnect your laptop to the physcial network connections in the Electrotechnology labs.

5. Safety Eyewear

The Electrotechnology Eyewear Safety Requirements requires all persons working in our labs to wear CSA approved Class 1A - Spectacle-type safety glasses with side protection.
Clear lenses are the most appropriate for our lab environment.
Persons with prescription safety glasses can wear CSA approved “over-the-glass” eyewear or purchase customized prescriptive industrial safety glasses (usually from an optometrist or ophthalmologist) and request “industrial protection” lenses and frames.
Purchase safety glasses that are comfortable and a good fit as you will be wearing them at all times in the majority of ET labs.
Safety Eyewear can be purchased in the bookstore, the ET Shop or outside of the College.
The MSA provides a short term loan of safety glasses if required.

6. Food or Drink

Food or drink is NOT permitted in any of the Electrotechnology labs. There are no exceptions to this.
Food or drink at any workstation with a PC, electrical equipment or electronic instrumentation is a source of contamination to equipment and the benches and a potential safety hazard.
Drinks (even closed bottles) are to be kept off of the workstations. Please leave the room to drink if you are thirsty and need replenishing.
You are handling materials and electronic components in the lab with residue from the manufacturing process. You must wash your hands after each lab and before eating.

7. Proper Apparel and Dress

Appropriate apparel and dress is required in labs where machining operations, soldering, power tools, etc. are present.
You will be advised by your instructor of proper apparel and dress requirements for your lab.
Engineering Skills (Elec10037) in E209, E229, E229A and E229D are examples of labs where appropriate apparel and dress must be worn.
Loose clothing, neck ties, jewelry, long hair and open toed shoes may be hazardous in many lab and shop situations.
Rotating machinery can not tell the difference between metal, clothes or flesh. Loose apparel and long hair can be easily drawn into machinery and you with it!
Do not perform any activity that you feel is unsafe. Ask your instructor for guidance.

8. Soldering

Safety glasses are required as stated in the Electrotechnology Eyewear Safety Requirements.
Soldering is only to be done at properly designated soldering stations.
Soldering is only to be done on a “Soldering Board”; this is a thin rectangular piece of brown wood material.
NEVER file the tip of a soldering iron; they are to be cleaned with a wet sponge. Filing is for the old copper clad tips only and we do not use these.
Soldering is NOT permitted at any workstations with equipment, instrumentation or PCs. See your instructor first if you need to solder in a lab.
Soldering IS permitted at workstations in E209 which is a designated soldering lab.
You may only solder in the lab under the direction and supervision of an instructor or technical support.
Only the recommended soldering irons for electronics work may be used. Open flame (such as butane) or “cold” soldering irons are not permitted.
Read the MSDS sheet for the solder you are using.
A common solder is M.G. Chemicals 4900 (MSDS sheet) and 4901(MSDS sheet) Lead Free Solder and once used is Kester “44” Rosin Core Solder (MSDS sheet).
Work in a well ventilated area.
Do not directly inhale solder fumes. Use a fan (when available) to draw fumes away from you or a smoke absorbers such as the Weller WSA350 Smoke Absorber.
Workstations should be free of any clutter that may make contact with the soldering iron.
The soldering iron and your work must be done on a soldering board; these are available in the lab.
The soldering iron tip must be safety directed away from equipment, the workstation or any persons working nearby. Use a solder stand to hold the iron when not in use.
The soldering iron cord must be safely directed away from the hot iron tip at all times so they do not make contact.
The soldering iron cord should be kept short (use twist ties or a strap) and must not be caught or pulled by any equipment, the workstation or any persons working nearby.
A sponge must be used to clean soldering iron tips.
Shaking or splashing solder off the tip is a safety hazard and not permitted in the lab. You will be asked to leave the lab if you are doing this. You can’t be graded if you are not present in the lab.
Do not touch the hot soldering iron tip. Ouch!
When finished using the soldering iron you MUST:
- Clean the soldering iron tip
- Re-tin the tip to preserve the life of the iron.
- Unplug the soldering iron by the pug and not by pulling the cord.
- Allow your soldering iron time to cool before storing it.
- Clean the sponge and discard the solder in the “Solder Waste” can.
All solder waste must be removed from the workstation and discarded in the “Solder Waste Can” in the lab. Solder waste is NOT to be discarded into the common waste containers.
Wash hands thoroughly after handling solder containing lead. Lead is known to cause cancer and birth defects.
Equipment, tools and workstations must be left clean and in an orderly state after use.
You may not leave any solder contamination or mess at the workstation.

9. Power Tools

Safety glasses are required as stated in the Electrotechnology Eyewear Safety Requirements.
You may only use power tools (drill press, hand drills, etc.) in the lab under the direction and supervision of an instructor or technical support.
Drilling is not to be done at any workstations with equipment, instrumentation or PCs. Particles, dust and debris entering any vented electronic instrumentation is a safety hazard.
Drilling is only to be done at properly designated drilling stations or the drill press; the small tables in E209 and E227 (front of the lab) are designated for drilling.
Particles and debris are generated by power tools and must always be directed away from any exposed circuits, equipment or persons nearby.
Equipment, tools and workstations must be left clean and in an orderly state after each use.

10. Hand Tools

Safety glasses are required as stated in the Electrotechnology Eyewear Safety Requirements.
Hand tools such as wire cutters, wire strippers, hacksaws, hammer, etc. may generate particles and debris that must always be directed away from any exposed circuits, equipment or persons nearby.
PC keyboards should be turned over when doing laboratory exercises that require cutting or stripping of wire.
Equipment, tools and workstations must be left clean and in an orderly state after each use.

11. Laboratory Housekeeping

Laboratories PCs, equipment, tools and workstations are cleaned and in order prior to the start of each semester.
It is the responsibility of all persons using the lab to maintain it cleanliness and ensure that it is in an orderly state after each use.
Laboratory PCs, equipment, tools and workstations must be left clean and in an orderly state after each use.
If a workstation is found in an unacceptable condition you must inform your instructor and technical support staff.

12. E229A Printed Circuit Board Development Lab

The use of this room and equipment is restricted to full-time college staff only.
Students and part-time staff that are working in this room must be supervised by a full-time staff member present in the room.
Students and part-time staff that require after hours access to the PCB development equipment will require written permission from the Associate Dean, Jay Notay.
Chemicals required for PCB development are available from technical support.
For safety reasons you are required to inform technical support if you will be working in this room.
Technical Support is located in Room E229 at Ext. 2232 (John) and Ext. 3393 (George)

13. Lab PCs

Know the College Policies that pertain to use of information technology resources in our labs:
At the end of the lab all PCs:

Must have a working network connection.
Must be restored to the common lab image by the instructor. Note: This does not apply to labs that are DeepFreeze'ed.
Must be properly shutdown. This is done for security, administration (prepares the machine for imaging) and conserves power.

A proper shutdown of the PC is required at the end of the lab.

14. Go Green! Enviromental Sustainability

Visit the Go Green Enviromental Sustainibility website!
Students are encourage to be stewards of our planet and recycle where possible:

An E-waste can is provided in each lab for e-waste generated in the lab.
Please use the recycling bins provided by the College.

15. E229 Technical Support Shop

Students are not permitted in the E229 technical support room unless accompanied by a staff member.

Please see the E229 door or the ET Shop website for technical support shop hours for kit sales.

Updated September 6, 2010, George Voros, Electrical and Computer Engineering Dept., Mohawk College