ROWAN UNIVERSITY POLICY
Title:
...
Laboratory Safety Policy
Subject:
...
Research Integrity
Policy No:
Applies:
Issuing Authority:
Responsible Officer:
Adopted:
Last Revision:
...
01/15
...
/2015
I.
...
PURPOSE
Rowan University is committed to promoting a healthy and safe working place and safe work practices for its faculty, staff, students and visitors. Rowan University's laboratory safety program depends on everyone's participation and cooperation and their commitment to perform their laboratory functions in a way that is safe for themselves and their coworkers. Failure to follow safety precautions not only exposes the individual to risks, but often compromises the safety of fellow workers and the surrounding community, and may result in injury, loss and/or damage.
The laboratory safety policy at Rowan University is committed to meet all the requirements of State and federal laboratory safety standards, which are intended to safely limit laboratory workers' exposure to hazardous substances. Laboratory workers must not be exposed to substances in excess of the permissible exposure limits (PEL) specified in Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) rule 29 CFR 1910, Subpart Z, Toxic and Hazardous Substances. Likewise, the Toxic Substances Control Act administered by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency requires that prudent laboratory practices be developed and documented for research involving new chemicals that have not had their health and environmental hazards fully characterized. OSHA's Occupational Exposure to hazardous Chemicals in laboratories standard (29 CFR 1910.1450), referred to as the Laboratory Standard, cover the laboratories where chemical manipulation generally involves small amounts of a limited variety of chemicals. This standard applies to all hazardous chemical meeting the definition of "laboratory use" and having the potential for worker exposure. The OSHA (29 CFR 1910.1200) and New Jersey Worker and Community Right to Know standards (N.J.A.C. 8:59) require communicating information about hazardous materials used, produced or stored at work sites within the Commonwealth. These laws and Acts provide minimum standards that employees must adhere to and responsibilities of the employer for informing employees about occupational-health hazards in the work place.
Over the past two decades, Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories (BMBL) has become the code of practice for biosafety—the discipline addressing the safe handling and containment of infectious microorganisms and hazardous biological materials. The principles of biosafety introduced in 1984 in the first edition of BMBL1 and carried through in the fifth edition remain steadfast. These principles are containment and risk assessment. The fundamentals of containment include the microbiological practices, safety equipment, and facility safeguards that protect laboratory workers, the environment, and the public from exposure to infectious microorganisms that are handled and stored in the laboratory. Risk assessment is the process that enables the appropriate selection of microbiological practices, safety equipment, and facility safeguards that can prevent laboratory-associated infections. The purpose of periodic updates of BMBL is to refine guidance based on new knowledge and experiences and to address contemporary issues that present new risks that confront laboratory workers and the public health. In this way the code of practice will continue to serve the microbiological and biomedical community as a relevant and valuable authoritative reference.
The purpose of Rowan's policy is to inform and train the employees specifically about physical, chemical, microbiological and other laboratory hazards. This Laboratory Safety Policy requires procedures for the use of personal protective equipment, practices that minimize the risk of injury or illness and ensures that employees have the training, information, support they need to work safely in the laboratory. The policy also recommends a wide spectrum of safety precautions ranging from daily housekeeping responsibilities to procedures to follow in emergency situations addressing specific issues related to general laboratory practices, biological safety, chemical safety, radiation safety and emergency procedures.
II.
...
ACCOUNTABILITY
Implementation of laboratory safety standards at the University is a shared responsibility of employees, supervisors, department heads, deans, senior administrative staff and EH&S.
...
All questions related to laboratory safety should be directed to Environmental Health and Safety, 856 256-0000 or Office of Research, 856 256-0000.
III.
...
APPLICABILITY
This policy applies to all laboratories being used for research or clinical purposes under the auspices of the University by all Schools/Units/Departments located in all Rowan University- owned, leased or operated facilities.
IV.
...
DEFINITIONS
Laboratory - a facility where relatively small quantities of hazardous chemicals or biological agents are used on a non-production basis for research or clinical purposes.
Laboratory Personnel - employees, students and other persons conducting research and clinical activities in Rowan laboratories, regardless of Rowan University employment status.
Particularly Hazardous Substance - any substance which meets the criteria defined in the PEOSH Laboratory Safety Standard of "select carcinogen," reproductive toxin, or substance with a high degree of acute toxicity (rat oral LD50 less than 50 mg/kg).
Responsible Investigator - Rowan University faculty member who has been assigned or sharing laboratory space.
Responsible Facility Official (RFO) - ensures management oversight of the transfer of select agents, consistent with the CDC Guidelines.
Recombinant DNA and Synthetic Nucleic Acid Molecules - Consistent with the NIH Guidelines, recombinant DNA molecules are either: (i) molecules that are constructed outside living cells by joining natural or synthetic DNA segments to DNA molecules that can replicate in a living cell; or (ii) molecules that result from the replication of those described in (i) above.
Select Agent - Select agents are specific pathogens and toxins as defined by Title 42 CFR Parts 73.4 and 73.5. Registration with the Secretary of the Department of Health and Human Services and approval by the Institutional Biosafety Committee is required before possession, use, and transfer of select agents and Toxins.
V.
...
REFERENCES
A. The Public Employees Occupational Safety and Health Act, (PEOSHA) 29 CFR l9l0-l450, as implemented by the New Jersey Department of Labor, NJAC l2:l00-4.2
B. The NIH Guidelines for Research Involving Recombinant DNA Molecules http://oba.od.nih.gov/oba/rac/Guidelines/NIH_Guidelines.htm.
C. The Biosafety guidelines set out in NIH's publication "Biosafety in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories" http://www.cdc.gov/biosafety/publications/bmbl5/BMBL.pdf.
D. Federal requirements for Facilities Possession, Use, and Transfer of Select Agents and Toxins, 42 CFR Part 73; Code of Federal Regulations, Title 42, Section, Part 72, Interstate Shipment of Etiologic Agents, Additional Requirements for Facilities Transferring or Receiving Select Agents. http://www.cdc.gov/phpr/dsat.htm.
E. USA Patriot Act 2001, Public Law 107–56. http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/PLAW-107publ56/html/PLAW-107publ56.htm.
F. Public Health Security and Bioterrorism Preparedness and Response Act of 2002, Public Law 107–188, (g) Guidelines of the Center for Disease Control.
G. Department of Labor. Occupational Health & Safety. Code of Federal Regulations Title 29 - Labor; Subtitle B – Regulations Relating to Labor, Chapter XVII – Occupational Safety and Health Administration (DoL), part 1910 – Occupational Health and Safety Standards.
H. Energy Restructuring Act of 1974, Nuclear Regulatory Commission Standards and Regulations. Department of Energy. Code of Federal Regulations Title 10 – Energy; Part 20 – Standards for Protection against Radiation.
I. Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Management of Chemical Hazards, Updated Edition (2011) Board on Chemical Sciences and Technology. National Research Council.
...
- General Laboratory Safety manual.
- Biosafety Manual
- Chemical Hygiene Plan
- Blood borne pathogen Manual
- NJ Workers and Community Right-To-Know
VI.
...
POLICY
Rowan University provides a comprehensive health and safety program for all University laboratories which is described in the Laboratory Safety Plan. The program will be coordinated with other University health and safety policies, including those outlined in Section II of this Policy to ensure comprehensive, customized and non-redundant coverage. Pursuant to this program, minimum laboratory safety standards, which comply with applicable Federal and State regulations and guidelines, are established in a written Laboratory Safety Plan for each School/Unit/Department. The exact requirements of such plans are decided by EH&S, in conjunction with representatives from each School/Unit/Department. The Laboratory Safety Plan contains minimum safety standards which apply to all University laboratories. In addition to the Laboratory Safety Plan, the Select Agents Program is described in this policy.
...