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Hazard Control Plan

Learn how to use the Hazard Control Plan Application.

The Hazard Control Plan Application provides Hazard Control Plans (HCPs) for researchers working with hazardous chemicals, biological materials, equipment, or processes. At UC San Diego, a hazard control plan is a standard operating procedure. HCPs incorporate risk assessments, planning, and step-by-step safety protocols.

Requirement for researchers

UC San Diego requires investigators to implement standard operating procedures in the form of HCPs. The Hazard Control Plan Application manages these HCPs. Researchers are required to review, acknowledge, and adopt HCPs assigned by the investigator.

Principal investigators will use this application to:

  • Determine what HCPs are required in their laboratories and then adopt those HCPs.
  • Provide detailed instructions on how to safely work with the chemicals, biological materials, equipment, or processes.
  • Assign lab personnel to each Hazard Control Plan.
  • Serve as the repository for all of their HCPs.

Access the HCP Application from My Research Safety

Follow these steps:

  1. Go to the My Research Safety
  2. Click the Hazard Control Plans (HCPs) tile.
  3. Log in through Single Sign-On to open the application.

Note: The Hazard Control Plan Application is on the My Research Safety* Web portal and is operated and maintained by Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). You must have a UCSD Business Systems (sometimes referred to as Single Sign-On) username and password to access the application.

See How to Get Access to UCSD Business Systems for simple instructions. Contact your departmental security administrator (DSA) if you need assistance.

Need help with the Hazard Control Plan Application?

Maintaining Your Personnel List

The Hazard Control Plan Application is only as accurate as the personnel list for your lab. You need to keep your personnel list as accurate as possible.

  1. Click the My Profiles tab on the toolbar at the top of the page within the HCP application.
  2. Click Lab Personnel on the dropdown.
  3. If you do not see all of your lab personnel listed, add the missing names.
  4. Click the Search button at the bottom of the page.
  5. The 'People Search' box will open. Enter the first and last name of the person and click ‘search’.
  6. When your Lab Personnel list is complete, assign an appropriate Hazard Control Plan to each employee.

Note: If you have difficulty finding personnel using the search feature please contact your RAP specialist.

Need help with the Hazard Control Plan Application?

Hazard Control Plan

Hazard Control Plan (HCP) templates are essentially safety SOPS and are available for chemical and biological hazards, as well as various pieces of equipment and laboratory processes. These templates are drafted by EH&S safety professionals and are vetted either by researchers, or other EH&S safety professionals for accuracy and applicability.

There are three categories of Hazard Control Plans templates:

  1. Chemical Hazard Control Plans

These templates are approved by UC San Diego's Chemical Safety & Surveillance Committee (CSSC) for work with materials identified as hazardous chemicals. These HCPs may be individual or grouped by hazard class (Carcinogens, etc.). If your lab uses any chemicals classified as “High Hazard” then you are required to use the chemical-specific Hazard Control Plan. (e.g., arsine, phosphine, trifluoroacetic acid, sodium cyanide etc. See the "High Hazard Chemical List" below).

  1. Biological Materials Hazard Control Plans

These templates are approved by UC San Diego’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for work with biological materials. Based upon materials listed on your lab’s Biohazard Use Authorization (BUA), you may be assigned HCPs for certain biological materials. When the PI adds materials to the BUA, the associated HCPs are assigned to the laboratory. These HCPs may be agent-specific (e.g. Influenza Virus) or grouped by hazard classification (e.g., Aerosolized Transmissible Disease Pathogen). All material listed under a Biological Materials HCP (BIO HCP) must also be listed on an approved BUA and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocol, as applicable.

  1. Hazardous Equipment and Processes Hazard Control Plans

These are Hazard Control Plan templates for work with hazardous equipment and processes. These may include equipment like autoclaves or microtomes, or processes such as animal perfusion.

Principal Investigators are required to adopt these HCP templates for everything that applies to their research and are responsible for ensuring their lab-specific HCP will provide a safe working environment.

Every HCP template has core template language in various sections throughout the document. These core template sections are uneditable and must not be modified or weakened by research staff in their finished documents. In every template, there are links to other resources that must be followed.

Core HCP template sections:

  • Opening header
  • The name of the template. This section contains general information about the chemical, biological material, equipment or process.
  • Required Training/Approvals. This section contains specific training and approval requirements.
  • Administrative Controls. This section contains critical administrative controls to help manage or eliminate the risk prior to performing research activity.
  • Engineering Controls. This section contains facility requirements and important measures you need to take to manage the risks of possible exposure prior to performing research activity.
  • Personal Protective Equipment. This section describes what personal protective equipment (PPE) is required to safely perform your research.
  • Handling/Storage/Purchasing. This section describes additional considerations or important measures that need to take place in the laboratory to ensure the safety of research staff.
  • Spill Response. This section describes what do in the event of a spill.
  • Exposure Response. This section describes what to do in the event of an exposure or injury.
  • Hazardous Waste Disposal. This section will help you manage the hazardous waste produced by your research.
  • References and Resources. This section provides some useful references and resources for this specific hazard control plan.

Each adopted HCP template also contains two editable fields that are for the labs to complete. These fields must be completed before the PI can approve the HCP.

Editable sections:

  • Summary section - A short summary on why or how you are using this material, equipment, or process.
  • Lab Specific Instruction section - This section is an ideal way to communicate safety requirements pertaining to every HCP. The overall goal is to provide risk management strategies to all of your HCPs. Provide detailed instructions on how to safely work with the chemicals, equipment, or processes by considering the actual details of your research protocol and any other aspects of the specific nature of your research. Consider the following when populating this field: quantities, concentrations, conditions of use, unusual or dangerous characteristics, PI restrictions, where it will be used, scale-up restrictions and physical process highlights such as heating, pressure, cooling, etc. It is the PIs responsibility to provide sufficient instructions in each HCP to ensure safe research activity within their lab. NOTE: Please do not copy existing core template material in this section.

Chemical Hazard Control Plan Templates

These templates are approved by UC San Diego's Chemical Safety & Surveillance Committee (CSSC) for work with materials identified as hazardous chemicals. If your lab uses any chemicals listed on the "High Hazard Chemical List" (below), then you are required to use the chemical-specific Hazard Control Plan. Chemical HCP templates grouped by hazard class include, but are not limited to:

  • Acutely Toxic Materials
  • Beryllium Compounds
  • Carcinogens
  • Engineered Nanomaterial Category 1
  • Engineered Nanomaterial Category 2
  • Engineered Nanomaterial Category 3
  • Flammable Class I
  • Health Hazard
  • Organic Peroxides
  • Piranha Solution
  • Potentially Explosive Materials
  • Pyrophorics
  • Reproductive Hazards
  • Strong Corrosives
  • Strong Oxidizers
  • Strong Reducing Agents
  • Volatile Anesthetics
  • Water Reactive Materials

High Hazard Chemical List of HCPs

If your lab uses any chemicals classified on the High Hazard Chemical List, you are required to use the chemical-specific Hazard Control Plan.

Determine What Hazard Control Plans You Need

Chemical Evaluator

The Chemical Evaluator quickly determines what chemical-related HCPs you need for your laboratory. It evaluates your inventory and helps you determine what HCPs are required.

  1. Roll your mouse over the Chemical Evaluator tab at the top of the toolbar within the HCP application.
  2. Click on Inventory HCP Requirements. This will compare the chemical inventory for the laboratory.
  3. Select PI. Within seconds you will get results that will list the Chemical Name, CAS number, Required HCP, and what Action is required.
    1. Chemical Name – The chemical name in the EH&S chemical inventory system.
    2. CAS RN – The Chemical Abstract Number Registration.
    3. Required HCP – The assigned HCP for that chemical.
    4. Action – The actions that are available:
      1. Create HCP – Click ‘Create HCP’ if you see this action for any chemical. That will create that specific HCP. Once created the HCP will need to be completed before it is approved by the PI.
      2. View HCP – Displays an HCP that has already been created. It can be found by clicking on the My HCP tab in the top toolbar. 
      3. Add to HCP – Adds the chemical to the chemical list of an HCP.

Lab-Created Individual HCP

There are two ways to create an individual HCP.

  1. Click the My HCP
  2. Click the Create HCP
  3. Choose the Principal Investigator from the left dropdown.
  4. Choose the HCP Template from the right dropdown.
  5. Click on Create.
  6. Your HCP is now in draft and viewable under My HCPs.

Or

  1. Click the HCPTemplates
  2. Click the radio button to the left of the template you are interested.
  3. Scroll to the bottom of the page and click Create LabHCP
  4. Select your PI in the left dropdown.
  5. Click on Create.

Your HCP is now in draft and viewable under My HCPs.

Important – The PI must approve Hazard Control Plan assignments and lab personnel must review the plan and acknowledge receipt of their assignment notification e-mail, before beginning work with biological material. All personnel listed on a Chemical Hazard Control Plan must also be listed on a Primary Investigator’s lab roster and an approved Laboratory Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT).

Tag Out Chemicals Not in Use

"Tag out" chemicals to keep them in inventory for future use without having to write an HCP by attaching HCP Required sticker (PDF) to the container.

The HCP Required sticker signifies the chemical is "tagged out" and may not be used by anyone until these conditions are met:

  1. A Hazard Control Plan has been generated
  2. Research staff have been assigned to the Hazard Control Plan
  3. All individuals comply with and sign off on all aspects of the Hazard Control Plan prior to its use
  4. The PI approves and signs the Hazard Control Plan

Contact the Research Assistance Program specialist assigned to your area to request a supply of "HCP Required" stickers.

 

Biological Materials Hazard Control Plan Templates

These templates are approved by UC San Diego’s Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for work with biological materials identified as hazardous. These HCPs may be agent-specific (e.g. Influenza Virus) or grouped by hazard classification (e.g., Aerosolized Transmissible Disease Pathogen). All material listed under a Biological Materials HCP must also be listed on an approved BUA and/or Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocol, as applicable.

For guidance with navigating and completing your Biological Materials HCPs, please refer to Navigating Your BIO HCPs.

These templates are approved by UC San Diego's Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) for work with biological materials identified as hazardous. Some HCPs are agent-specific, others are grouped by hazard class. HCP templates grouped by hazard class include, but are not limited to:

  • Aerosolized Transmissible Disease Pathogen
  • Biosafety Level 2
  • Bloodborne Pathogens
  • Environmental Sample
  • Exempt Select Toxins
  • Infectious Prions
  • Macaque Tissue
  • Reproductive Hazards (Infectious Agents)
  • Viral Vector (containing oncogenes)
  • Zoonotic Pathogens in Aquatic Animals

Agents designated individual HCP templates include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Clostridium tetani
  • Coxiella burnetii (Goat tissue)
  • Diptheria Toxin
  • Escherichia coli (Shiga-toxin Producing Strains)
  • Haemophilus influenza type b
  • Hepatitis B Virus (HBV)
  • Hepatitis C Virus (HCV)
  • Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), BSL-2+ or BSL-3
  • Human Papillomavirus
  • Influenza Virus
  • Listeria monocytogenes
  • Lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV)
  • Measles, Mumps, and Rubella Virus
  • Mycobacterium tuberculosis BSL-3
  • Pertussis Toxin
  • Rabies Virus or Rabies Viral Vector
  • Salmonella typhi
  • Shigella dysenteriae
  • Simian Immunodeficiency Virus (SIV)
  • Streptococcus pneumoniae
  • Toxoplasma gondii
  • Vaccinia Virus or Vector
  • Varicella-Zoster Virus
  • Vibrio cholerae
  • Yellow Fever Virus, Vaccine Strain
  • Zika Virus

Important – The PI must approve Hazard Control Plan assignments and lab personnel must review the plan and acknowledge receipt of their assignment notification e-mail, before beginning work with biological material. All personnel listed on a Biological Materials Hazard Control Plan must also be listed on an approved Biohazard Use Authorization (BUA) and/or Intuitional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC) protocol as applicable.

 

Hazardous Equipment and Processes Hazard Control Plan Templates

Use the following Hazard Control Plan templates when working with hazardous equipment and processes e.g., autoclaves or microtomes equipment, or animal perfusion processes. Hazardous Equipment and Processes HCP templates include, but are not limited to the following:

  • Animal Perfusion
  • Atomic Layer Deposition
  • Autoclave
  • Centrifuge
  • Compressed Gas
  • Flame Sterilization
  • Flash Chromatography
  • Gel Electrophoresis
  • Glove Box
  • Microtome
  • Rotary Evaporator
  • Sand Blasting
  • Schlenk Line
  • Soldering
  • Solvent Purification Systems
  • Sonicator

Important – The PI must approve Hazard Control Plan assignments and lab personnel must review the plan and acknowledge receipt of their assignment notification e-mail, before beginning work with biological material. All personnel listed on a Hazardous Equipment or Process Hazard Control Plan must also be listed on a Primary Investigator’s lab roster and an approved Laboratory Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT).

Complete Your HCP, Add Personnel, Add Materials and Approve

Every laboratory HCP contains 3 steps that must be completed before the PI can approve the HCP.

  • Step 1: Complete the Project Summary/Lab Specific Instructions
  • Step 2: Assign personnel under HCP Laboratory Personnel section
  • Step 3: Update chemicals in the Current Chemical List section – This step is not applicable for BIO HCPs

If the PI attempts to approve the HCP before these 3 steps are completed, the PI will get a pop-up error indicating that the HCP cannot be approved until all steps are complete.

Important – The PI must approve Hazard Control Plan assignments and lab personnel must acknowledge receipt of their assignment notification e-mail before beginning work with a hazardous chemical, biological material, equipment or process.

Step 1: Project Summary/Lab Specific Section

Each HCP template has two editable fields (Project Summary section and Lab Specific Instruction section) for the researcher to complete. These two sections MUST be completed and approved by the PI for the HCP to be considered complete.

Note:  You must save your work or it will be lost! Also, there is a small triangle in the lower right corner of the editable field. If you click on it you can drag open the editable field to enlarge your working area.

  1. Click the My HCP
  2. Click the HCP that you are interested in completing. 
  3. Complete Step 1:  Project Summary/ Lab Specific Instruction.
    1. Project Summary –
      1. Click on Step 1 and the drawer will open.
      2. Click on the pencil tool and the editable field will open. 
      3. Enter your Project Summary content. Provide a short summary of how the material(s) will be used.
      4. Click on Save Project Summary when you are done. If you do not save your work it will be lost.
    2. Lab Specific Instructions –
      1. Click on Step 1 and the drawer will open.
      2. Click on the pencil tool and the editable field will open. 
      3. Enter your Lab Specific Instructions content. This section is an ideal way to communicate safety requirements pertaining to every HCP. The overall goal is to provide risk management strategies to all of your HCPs. Provide detailed instructions on how to safely work with the chemicals, biological materials, equipment, or processes by considering the actual details of your research protocol and any other aspects of the specific nature of your research. Consider the following when populating this field: quantities, concentrations, conditions of use, unusual or dangerous characteristics, genetic modifications, aerosol-generating procedures, PI restrictions, where it will be used, scale-up restrictions and physical process highlights such as heating, pressure, cooling, etc. It is the PIs responsibility to provide sufficient instructions in each HCP to ensure safe research activity within their lab. NOTE: Please do not copy the existing core template material in this section. 
      4. Click on Save Laboratory Instructions when you are done. If you do not save your work it will be lost.

Step 2:  HCP Laboratory Personnel

Associating lab personnel with pertinent Hazard Control Plans is critical to ensure effective communication between the PI and lab research staff. IMPORTANT: Your lab roster must be up to date before you try to complete Step 2.

  1. Click on Step 2 and the drawer will open.
  2. Check the current list of personnel assigned to the HCP.
  3. Click the + Add Lab Personnel to HCP link to add additional lab personnel to the HCP.
    1. Click box(es) in the Select column to the left of the name you are interested in adding. You may check the Select all box at the top of the column to add all personnel to the HCP.
    2. Click Add Select Personnel.

If you do not see the name of the person on the list.

  1. Click on Search New Personnel.
    1. A new window will open. Enter first and last name of the individual you are looking for. 
    2. Click on the radio button to the left of the person you are interested in adding to the HCP.
    3. Click Save HCP Personnel.

(Note: You may delete personnel from the HCP by clicking on the trashcan icon to the far right of every name.)

Step 3: Current Chemical List – This step is not required for BIO HCPs

Review that the chemicals listed in this step reflect your current chemical list.

If there are no chemicals listed in this step, you can add chemicals the following ways:

  • Utilize the Chemical Evaluator Tool. Instructions for using this tool are detailed above under the Chemical HCP “Determine What Hazard Control Plans You Need”.
  • Manually add the chemical using the “Add Chemical List” button
    • Search the chemical by either Name or CAS Number
    • Select the radio button next to the most applicable chemical you want to add
    • You have the option to add specific lab instructions
    • Select Add Chemical to HCP
  • You will now see the chemical under your Current Chemical List

The PI is now ready to select Approve Hazard Control Plan to approve this HCP. If the area safety contact completed the HCP, an email notification can be sent to the PI by clicking the Send HCP Notification to PI. The PI will then be prompted to log in, review, and approve the HCP.

Assignment/Confirmation Process:

When a Hazard Control Plan is assigned, your lab personnel receive a "Hazard Control Plan Acknowledgement Request" e-mail with the Hazard Control Plan attached.

  • Lab personnel must acknowledge their Hazard Control Plan assignment by clicking the 'Please click here to confirm' link in their e-mail notification.
  • Clicking the link logs the employee into the HCP application, where the employee acknowledges they have received and read their Hazard Control Plan assignment.
  • The PI and Lab Contact get an e-mail confirmation when an employee acknowledges a Hazard Control Plan assignment. Confirmation is also tracked in the HCP application.

Regulations and Policies

Questions? Contact the Lab Safety Team.

Note: This page has a friendly link that's easy to remember: http://blink.ucsd.edu/go/hcp