PHARMACEUTICAL SCIENCES
LAB SAFETY TRAINING
SAFETY ON SITE REPRESENTATIVE (SR)
The PI is responsible that every employee who enters the work space receives the required safety training, and a Safety on Site Representative (SR) will assist in ensuring this is done. “Employee” includes, but is not limited to: Graduate Student Researchers, Postdocs, Project Scientists, Specialists, and lab staff titles.
Each lab must name its SR and report this information to the Personnel Analyst, who in turn will report this to Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S). The SR needs to complete training through the Safety on Site website: http://www.ehs.uci.edu/programs/iipp/index.html
Each lab is responsible for maintaining its own training records, which may be electronic or on paper, but must be available upon request. EH&S has designed an optional binder for organizing Safety on Site records; this binder is available upon request by contacting EH&S at x6200.
GENERAL SAFTEY TRAINING FROM THE UCI LEARNING CENTER
At the time of hire, the Personnel Analyst will instruct new employees to complete the Safety Training Self-Assessment on the UC Learning Center website. The employee is expected to complete any required training identified in the self-assessment within three (3) months of their start date. Note: Training will include sexual harassment and ethics training. In addition, continuing lab employees must complete periodic, supplemental training and will be notified by email when such assignments are required.
Pharm Sci receives a monthly report of employees who have not yet completed their self-assessment and/or training, as well as a list of employees whose training has expired. The Personnel Analyst will forward lab specific data to the SR, who will then ensure that their employees complete any required training.
LAB SPECIFIC SAFETY TRAINING
The ultimate responsibility for laboratory safety rests with the faculty member directing the research, and each lab will have its own lab-specific safety training. The SR and the most experienced lab employees are responsible for ensuring on a day-to-day basis that procedures for handling hazardous materials or conducting potentially dangerous procedures are carefully scrutinized and thoroughly discussed before being carried out by inexperienced co-workers, preferably with direct supervision. It is strongly suggested that each lab produce a lab-specific manual of procedures with a particular emphasize on safety; doing so will likely become a requirement in the near future.
The SR is to review the Laboratory Site Specific Training Checklist with each employee.
General safety considerations in the laboratory itself are monitored by EH&S, which may conduct informal inspections regarding compliance with fire regulations, earthquake preparedness, proper chemical and solvent storage, waste disposal, and other general issues. The SR serves as the primary contact with EH&S and will ensure that all lab personnel are aware of requirements in these areas.
This EH&S link provides procedures, guidelines, and other resources to support the activities of Principal Investigators and their laboratory staff: http://www.ehs.uci.edu/labres.html.
2/2014