Administrative Procedures for Researchers

As the PI/PD in your laboratory or research space, it is essential that you establish a proper standard operating procedure that complies with the applicable federal, state, local, and university rules and regulations. You must also create and maintain a safe and healthy research environment.

When beginning to design your standard operating procedure for your lab, you should first write a specific Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). You must review this plan annually, allowing any necessary adjustments to be made as you progress in your research. In your CHP, you should identify individual PI/PD procedures and any other special situations. A Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO) must be desingated for your home department.

Departmentally, a safety/audit committee needs to be established and be active. This means that there should be student safety policies established that mirror all employee/lab standard practices. A department needs to establish a communication system/mechanism to quickly disseminate environmental, health, and safety information. A departmental policy should be created for dealing with small quantity purchases and waste minimization. Lab maintenance and testing duties should be assigned to appropriate staff members. This includes the posting of House Bill 308 “Public Employees OSHA” poster on all department public bulletin boards, as well as the posting of all lab rules (standard operating procedures), assuring that fumehoods are available and working properly, assuring that the OHIO Hazardous Materials Policies (44.101 and 44.108) are being followed and that all appropriate chemical and safety reference materials, books, etc. are available as needed.

Should you have visitors to your lab space, there should also be a visitor policy developed which requires compliance with the lab safety requirements. Visitors, contractors and maintenance personnel must be informed of all lab hazards and requirements. Before beginning your research involving EHS monitored materials, your research project must have the appropriate institutional approvals and numbers (Radiation Safety Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee, etc.) before an account will be established. The EHS staff will work closely with the ORSP staff to ensure that all conditions have been met before research can begin.

DON'T FORGET: Before beginning your research involving EHS monitored materials, your research project must have the appropriate institutional approvals and numbers (Radiation Safety Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee, Institutional Review Board, Institutional Animal Care & Use Committee, etc.) before an account will be established.

Once you have begun your research, you must be certain to keep detailed records that include:

• Written CHP and Material Safety Data Sheets
on file
• Training records for staff (general CHP)
• Training records for staff (lab/chemical specific)
• Annual review of CHP documented
• Incident reports and follow-up

All accident/incidents occurring in the lab (including “near misses”) must be reported to EHS on an OU Operational Hazard Report Form. State needle-stick forms are available. Preventive actions are initiated.In coordination with EHS staff, a department should have a policy established and enforced for faculty lab cleanout and/or departure from the university. All of the above procedures should be communicated to the department staff before beginning a research project through an employee training program. EHS Forms are available: http://www.ohio.edu/ehs/general/forms.htm .


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