Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)

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.

For questions or more information, please contact ehslaboratory@ucr.edu or call (951) 827-5528.

When do I need to have an SOP?
How often do I need to write an SOP?
How do I access completed SOPs?
Who needs to sign the SOP?
SOP Library and Templates
Resources
Working with Pyrophorics?

SOPs must be developed, reviewed, approved, and signed before using chemicals. At minimum, an SOP must be developed for any substance from the Chemical Classification List.

SOPs should be updated as processes / procedures change. They should be current, and reflect laboratory practices.

You can download completed SOPs from the EH&S Sharepoint site. This site contains examples of Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and SOP templates developed by various individual researchers for their labs. The information and exemplars provided here are intended to assist Principal Investigators (PI) and laboratory personnel in developing SOPs appropriate for their own laboratories. While many procedures and precautionary measures will be applicable to multiple laboratory environments, every PI should carefully review any information contained in these exemplars before adopting it for use in SOPs for their own labs

The Supervisor / Principal Investigator (PI) and all Laboratory Personnel must sign the SOP before beginning work with any chemicals, and whenever hazards change.

Although some templates contain one, please download (and attach) the SOP Signature Sheet. This acknowledgement page must be attached to the end of your SOP, and signed by the Principal Investigator / Supervisor and Laboratory Personnel.

UCR SOP Templates

Please use the SOP template below to write your laboratory-specific SOPs. All sections on the SOP template must be completed. Please refer to the corresponding Safety Data Sheet (SDS) from the same manufacturer of the chemical to add important information on the SOPs per the manufacturer recommendations. All SOPs must be reviewed and signed by laboratory members. Alternatively, you can customize the following chemical-specific SOPs to match your laboratory chemical-specific operations. Do not cut and paste contents or certain sections from the SOPs without careful review, as the SOPs in the library must be customized for your specific laboratory operations.

Note: The SOP library is not a comprehensive list of the chemical inventory of the campus, nor should it be implied that all of the chemicals included in the inventory are currently in use on campus. For more information, please feel free to visit other campus websites involving SOPs: UCB, UCI, UCLA. In addition, you can view more templates through the UC Center for Laboratory Safety SOP Library.

To access the SOPs on the UCR Sharepoint Site: