The effectiveness of the Laboratory Safety Program depends on the cooperation and
understanding among all parties involved, particularly among faculty and the laboratory
safety committee. The general safety responsibilities of each of these key participants
is summarized below:
Principal Investigator/Lab Supervisor:
- Enforce safety rules with lab personnel, students, and visitors.
- Ensure that proper safety equipment, such as safety showers, eyewash stations, and
fire extinguishers are readily available, operable, unobstructed, and the location
known to all people in the laboratory.
- Ensure that the lab is equipped with adequate fume hood facilities and other applicable
safety equipment.
- Ensure that appropriate warning signs for potential hazards are placed at the entrance
and within the laboratory.
- Provide direct training on hazard information, safety rules, and recommended good
lab practices, etc for all lab personnel.
- Document the training received by all lab personnel and have the documentation available
during lab inspections.
- Ensure that Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for chemicals used and stored in the laboratory
are readily available for personnel.
- Develop Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for particularly hazardous chemicals and
procedures used in the lab.
- Review the safety manuals and guidance documents provided by Safety and Risk Management
and perform self-lab inspections on a regular basis.
Lab Safety Committee:
- Hold regular meetings to address the department's safety concerns.
- Follow up on Safety and Risk Management inspection reports.
Laboratory Safety Officer (Safety & Risk Management Office):
- Update safety manuals and guidance documents.
- Conduct laboratory safety inspections and provide corrective action reports in a timely
manner.
- Conduct Chemical Fume Hood inspections and certification annually.
- Monitor hazardous material storage and disposal.
- Investigate hazardous material incidents.
- Administer safety training programs for lab personnel.