Environmental Health and Safety

• Review the Laboratory Safety Manual for guidelines on safety in the laboratory setting.
• Complete a Laboratory Safety Plan for your lab room (where there is shared space, only one plan is required).
• Complete a Hazard Assessment for Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) by identifying hazardous material(s) (chemical, infectious, physical, etc.) and processes that necessitate the use of PPE.
• Provide lab-specific safety training to affected lab personnel:
  • Students - person-to-person instruction by the PI or lab supervisor, general laboratory safety session (offered by EHS once per semester), CITI training modules. “On-the-job” instruction must be documented; you may use the Training Certification Form.
  • Employees (faculty / staff) - CITI Training course modules, a CNU Knowledge Center course module is available for chemical hazard communication and bloodborne pathogens.
• Lab work involving certain hazardous or potentially hazardous materials or operations present a greater health and safety risk to personnel, and may warrant air sampling, exposure assessment and/or occupational health assessment of the employee(s).
• Designate a “Satellite Accumulation Area” for hazardous wastes generated within the lab. Maintain a current inventory of wastes collected in containers. Ensure all containers are labeled and stored properly. Review the Hazardous Waste Disposal Guide for Laboratories.
• Maintain records in the lab; these records may be requested for review by University committee members during official inspection or regulatory authority enforcement officers (e.g. VOSH, DEQ, State Fire Marshall, etc.):
  • Lab Safety Plan,
  • Hazard Assessment for PPE,
  • Safety Data Sheets,
  • Training records,
  • Any operating manuals or instructions on equipment for users.
• Consult with EHS for technical assistance.
• Report accidents promptly. More information can be found in Incident Reporting.

All facilities involved in the use of human pathogenic microorganisms and recombinant DNA must be appropriate for the biosafety level established by the University.

The following must be considered:

• The biosafety level (BSL) and animal biosafety level (ABSL) established for the activity.
• Current OSHA, EPA, and CDC-NIH requirements and guidelines pertaining to biohazard use.
• Education/training provisions related to to biohazard use and disposal.
• Restricted access to authorized personnel only in biohazardous areas.
• Observing the concept of “universal precautions” when infectious materials or by-products are present.

Please contact the EHS Department for additional guidance.

Laboratory safety documents are available via Google Drive. You must be logged into your CNU email account in order to access the Google Drive files linked below.

When students have an injury, illness, or exposure to hazardous materials, during laboratory activities, the faculty sponsor or instructor should complete and submit the Student Laboratory Incident Report Form within 24 hours. For complex incidents the General Incident Report Form may also be necessary. Please reach out the EHS Department for additional assistance.

Laboratories involve a greater variety of possible hazards than do most workplaces. Faculty and students who work in scientific laboratories are exposed to many kinds of hazards. Research in the laboratory involving particularly hazardous substances or processes may necessitate special permits, facility renovation, specialized engineering controls or occupational health services and require review by EHS.

Laboratory safety training must be completed by all personnel working in a laboratory setting.

Research activities involving certain hazardous or potentially hazardous materials or operations (identified in the list below) present a greater health and safety risk, and may necessitate special permits, air sampling, specialized engineering controls and/or occupational health services.

A risk assessment is required by the principal investigator (PI) to identify hazards and determine that adequate controls (appropriate facility containment, required permits, SOPs, training, safe work practices, personal protective equipment, occupational health assessment and/or monitoring) are in place and implemented to eliminate or reduce the risk.

EHS assists with risk assessment through a research review and registration process. The Research Risk Assessment & Project Registration Policy and Procedures provides the basis for and steps of the process.

EHS reviews projects that involve the following:

• Vertebrate animal contact
• Animals exposed to hazardous substances
• Biohazards (infectious biological agents/material including Dual Use Research of Concern agents, toxins, and experiment categories, infected animals):
  • Infectious agents and materials (including human blood/body fluid/tissue)
  • Biologically-derived toxins
• Recombinant DNA/RNA and transgenic plants
• Particularly hazardous chemicals, such as radioactive chemicals, poison gas, carcinogens, mutagens, teratogens, explosives and pyrophorics
  • OSHA requires medical monitoring for employees who have are exposed to certain hazardous substances and conditions above permissible limits
• Instruments producing ionizing radiation
• Hazardous material transportation (shipping, receipt, commercial or private vehicle transport)
• Controlled substances / drugs
• Field research (domestic or foreign)
• Field specimen collection
• Import/export of biological material
• Building/facility alternations or renovations

Research projects are registered and assigned an approval number for tracking purposes when permitting/licensing, periodic exposure monitoring, occupational health monitoring and/or facility inspections are needed.

To initiate review of your project, complete the Research Project Registration Form, applicable addenda and other documentation as indicated in the form, and submit to the EHS Office via interoffice mail to Forbes Hall Room 2068 or electronically scan and email to EHS@cnu.edu.

Please allow at least 2 weeks of lead time prior to the start of your work.

Research safety documents are available via Google Drive. You must be logged into your CNU email account in order to access the Google Drive folders linked below.

Field research can create unique hazards, even for activities that may be routine in a laboratory setting. The Field Safety Program and associated Field Site Safety Plan is intended to provide guidance for mitigating risks, promoting safe practices, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards during fieldwork.