UCR

Environmental Health & Safety



Laboratory & Research Safety


About the program

Laboratory / Research Safety incorporates the safety guidelines for hazards found in the laboratory setting including the following areas:

Biosafety
Chemical Safety
Radiation Safety
Field Research Safety
General Safety  
Laboratory Audits

Maintaining laboratory safety guidelines and rules will promote a safe and healthy environment for faculty and students to expand research ideas, develop new techniques, and master their subject matter. 

Programs and Services

Training

Forms

Guides

Laboratory Safety Orientation
Biosafety
Bloodborne Pathogens
Chemical Hygiene 
Ergonomics for the Laboratory
Hazardous Waste Management
Laboratory Audits
Laboratory Safety Manual
Personal Protective Equipment


For more information
Refer to the Training
Schedule of Classes

Use the Needs Assessment tool to find out which courses you should take

Carcinogen Report of Use.pdf

Chemical Hygiene Plans (CHP)
     [See also:CHP Template]
Chemical Inventory
database (eCompliance)
Door Placards (eContact)
Field Operational Planner
Hazard Report

Hazardous Waste Pickup request
Standard Operating Procedures
     (SOP library of templates)
Declared Pregnant Woman Checklist
Declaration of Pregnancy [General | Radiation]

Laboratory Safety Manual
Chemical Segregation 
Guide to Responsibilities (HSE)
Laboratory Design Guide
Laboratories of Excellence
Laboratory Safety Rules
     [Size: 8.5 x 11" or 11 x 17"]
Laboratory Relocation Guidelines
Laboratory Safety Officers
Reproductive Health
Supervisor / PI Responsibilities
 
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
UC Regents Agreement NEW!
Particularly Hazardous Substances and UC Regents Agreement Appendix A List requiring SOPs (excel)
For more information
     Carcinogens
     Cryogens
     Nanomaterials 
          [SOP]
     Organithium Compounds
          [SOP | Video]
UC EH&S Lab-related Draft Policies
 

What are my responsibilities?

Review the Laboratory Safety Rules (size 8.5 x 11 or 11x17). Researchers can refer to the Guide to Health Safety and Environmental Responsibilities and use the follow the five safety system to develop safe reliable experiments. Principal Investigators (PIs) and/or Supervisors can review the list of Supervisor / PI responsibilities.

Labeling Chemical Container Guidance

Commercially available labels (Lab Safety & Supply)  
Example using an Abbreviation List (ONLY possible for labs with a Chemical Hygiene Plan)

Safety Tips

Personal Protective Equipment

Respirator Use
Glove Use
Optical Density (OD) Calculator   
Selecting Eyewear for short pulse lasers   
Reliability of Laser Safety Eye Wear in The Femtosecond Regime
Reference: Lenne, Fiedler, & Spielmann. (2004). Optical Society of America, 12:7.

Safe Use of Laboratory Fume Hood Videos

Labconco Fume Hood Airflow & Operation  
UC Berkeley Proper Use of Fume Hood

 Ergonomics

 

Laboratory work is inherent to some form of a hazard whether biological, chemical, or radioactive. However there is another hazard that is quite often overlooked in a laboratory setting, ergonomics.  The body can be strained after looking through the microscope or a fatigued hand may slow the pipetting process.  For more information, refer to the ergonomics in laboratory information for researchers at UCR.

Common Chemicals and their Hazards

Chemicals in the laboratory are hazardous and understanding the hazard(s) associated with a specific chemical will provide the user the knowledge to use the chemical appropriately. Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) are often the first place to obtain hazard information on a chemical. In order to make the process more universal to the laboratory setting instead of industrial setting the American Chemical Society created the Chemistry Laboratory Information Profiles (CLIPs). Chemical users can check the profile of common laboratory chemicals and their hazards.

 

Hydrogen Fluoride (HF) Exposure Information

Tetramethylammonium hydroxide (TMAH)

Integrated Safety and Environmental Management (ISEM)

 

Follow the Five

Step 1. Define the scope of the experiment.

Step 2. Identify the hazards involved in the experiment.

Step 3. Develop controls to reduce the hazards.

Step 4. Perform the experiment within the developed controls.

Step 5. Provide feedback and note what controls are successful and which one were not.

Learn more about ISEM.

 

National Academy of Sciences

Prudent Practices in the Laboratory Handling and Disposal of Chemicals

Green Chemistry   Green Chemistry logo

12 Principles of Green Chemistry (EPA)  
Sustainable Chemistry Hierarchy  
Growing the Green Economy through Green Chemistry and Design for the Environment   
Incorporating Green Chemistry in the Classroom by James Hutchinson at the University of Oregon

 Interesting Information

Sigma-Aldrich's Interactive Periodic Table  
University of Nottingham Periodic Table of Videos  
The Elements by Theodore Gray and Nick Mann  
The Periodic Table of Radioactive Isotopes  
Interactive Chart of the Nuclides  
Lessons Learned (University of Arizona)  
The Periodic Table of Rejected Elements (Chemistry Humor)

Equipment information

Explosion-Proof Blenders http:// www.gardco.com/pages/dispersion/mx/waring_blenders.cfm

 Field Safety Sites:

Signs and Labels

Cornell University Laboratory Safety Signs and Labels

 

For more information

Laboratory Standard
Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in the Laboratory
(29 CFR 1910.1450, CCR Title 8, Article 110, Section 5191)

Hazard Communication Standard
29 CFR 1910.1200, CCR Title 8, Article 109, Section 5194)

Bloodborne Pathogens Standard
29 CFR 1910.1030, CCR Title 8, Article 109, Section 5193)

Center for Laboratory Safety
University of California

 

Safe Handling of Hazardous Drugs for Veterinary Healthcare Workers

UC Campus Lab Safety Connections:

the Lab Safety Institute Memorial Wall 


More Information

General Campus Information

University of California, Riverside
900 University Ave.
Riverside, CA 92521
Tel: (951) 827-1012

Career OpportunitiesUCR Libraries
Campus StatusDirections to UCR

Environmental Health & Safety

Environmental Health & Safety
Environmental Health & Safety

Tel: (951) 827-5528
Fax: (951) 827-5122
E-mail: ehs@ucr.edu

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