Environmental Health & Safety

Laboratory Safety

• Chemical Hygiene Plan

  UCR's Chemical Hygiene Plan provides guidance on working safety with chemicals in the laboratory, including administrative requirements and responsibilities, general safety precautions, and how to identify hazards and reduce risks associated with chemical use, handling, storage, and disposal in laboratories.

• Chemical Inventory

  UCR is responsible to report the storage and use of hazardous materials on campus. Laboratories are required to maintain a Chemical Inventory within UC Chemicals and certify annually. In addition, chemical inventory should be updated within 30 days of any significant changes to the inventory, such as a room relocation, additions of large amounts of new chemicals, or changes in the names and phone numbers of key contacts. 

• Emergencies and Incidents

  Understand how to respond to different emergencies and incidents that occur in the laboratory. Each laboratory should have an Emergency Procedures poster posted in a conspicuous place. 

• Hazardous Waste Management

  Review and understand how to properly prepare and dispose of hazardous waste. Use WASTe to create and view hazardous waste tags, and to notify EH&S when hazardous waste is ready for pick up.

• Laboratory/Equipment Relocation & Clearance

  Moving labs or need to remove an equipment from your lab? Review the Laboratory/Equipment Relocation and Clearance guidance document to understand what actions need to be taken to successfully move your equipment or lab. Submit a request to notify EH&S of your move and we will schedule a time to provide additional guidance. 

• Laboratory Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT)

  The Laboratory Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT) is a web-based application that enables researchers to identify hazards in their labs or research areas. When completed it provides a list of personal protective equipment (PPE) necessary for lab members to wear when working with hazardous materials/processes. All lab members should review and acknowledge your PI's laboratory hazard assessment prior to working in the laboratory. 

• Laboratory Safety Evaluation

  Laboratory safety evaluations provide an opportunity to assist departments, faculty, staff and students to identify and correct potential health and safety hazards in research and teaching laboratories.  Laboratory safety evaluations are conducted annually by EH&S personnel to ensure that each laboratory conforms with the safe and healthy work conditions and practices as identified in in the Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP), UCR's Chemical Hygiene Plan, federal and state regulations, standards and UC policies. 

• Laboratory Safety Manual

  The Laboratory Safety Manual is a collection of resources for individuals working in research and teaching laboratories. It includes safe work procedures, chemical safety information, laboratory equipment safety information and links to resources. It is a web-based living document, with new items being added or revisions taking place at any time. This manual includes the Injury and Illness Prevention Plan (IIPP) and Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). 

• Laboratory Safety Training

  Guide for Completing Training in a Laboratory Setting

  1. Review and complete the Laboratory Site Specific Training Checklist for each lab personnel.
  2. Identify and complete additional required training based on hazards present in the laboratory.
  3. Review the Laboratory Safety Manual, which include the Injury & Illness Prevention Plan, Chemical Hygiene Plan, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), etc. 
  4. Document training. 
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)

  UC Riverside uses the Laboratory Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT) to identify and communicate hazards present in the laboratory or research area. Once hazards are identified, laboratory members must review and acknowledge the laboratory hazard assessment, complete a Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training module via LHAT, and print a voucher to be exchanged for PPE.

• Standard Operating Procedures

  Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are written instructions that detail the steps that will be performed during a given experimental procedure; and include information about hazards and how these hazards will be mitigated.

  • Biosafety SOPs
  • Chemical SOPs
  • Laser Safety SOPs
• Safety Data Sheets

  Access Safety Data Sheets (SDS) from various manufacturers.

• Resources

  Guide for New PIs & Lab Supervisors Checklist

  Laboratory Site-Specific Training Checklist

  Research Approval and Training Requirement

   

Chemical Safety

• Chemical Segregation Chart

  Use the Chemical Segregation Chart to familiarize yourself with hazard symbols and to properly segregate chemicals.

• Controlled Substance Use Authorization (CSUA)

  Controlled substances are drugs or chemicals whose manufacture, possession, and use are regulated by the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA). At UCR, controlled substances include all DEA-scheduled substances, DEA List 1 chemicals, and California Precursor Chemicals. To use controlled substances for research or teaching purposes, submit a Controlled Substance Use Authorization prior to procuring the materials. 

• Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)

  Hydrofluoric acid (HF) is an corrosive acid with unique properties.  Hydrofluoric acid spill and exposure response are unique to the chemical, and standard lab response can be ineffective or create additional hazards.  Review the Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) Program Document which outlines the basics of safely handling HF and responding to HF spills and exposures.

  Hydrofluoric Acid (HF) SOP

  Medical Treatment for HF Acid Exposure

• Nanomaterials

  Review and understand the best practices, standards and guidelines for engineered nanomaterials. 

• Pyrophoric Materials

  Pyrophoric materials are materials that will spontaneously ignite in air at room temperature. Use of pyrophoric materials requires special care. Review the Pyrophoric Materials program document which outlines the requirements for working with pyrophoric materials. 

Biosafety

• Biological Use Authorization

  The Biological Use Authorization (BUA) application is submitted by Principal Investigators to document the scope of their teaching or research projects. Delegates may initiate and fill out the application, but only Principal Investigators (PIs) who meet the eligibility as defined in UCR Policy 527-3 can submit. 

• Biosafety Manual

  The UCR Biosafety Manual defines the responsibilities, procedures, and guidelines for the safe handling, use, storage, and disposal of biohazardous materials in research and teaching activities performed at UCR. 

• Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)

  The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) functions as the UCR review body responsible for approval and oversight of activities involving the use, storage, and handling of biohazardous materials, in accordance to NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant or Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules (NIH Guidelines), the CDC Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL), and other regulatory or guidance documents.