Research Assistance Program (RAP)

Learn how the Research Assistance Program benefits your research activities and how to contact the RAP specialist for your area.

Program overview

Research Assistance Program (RAP) specialists assist researchers with their chemical, radiation, and biological laboratory safety needs.

• Find out who the RAP contact is for your area.

The Research Assistance Program unifies support and auditing services into one efficient group. Concentrating on specific areas enables RAP specialists to understand the unique needs of each research facility. Laboratory employees develop relationships with their representatives, which improves customer service.

Laboratory audits

RAP specialists audit labs for safety and compliance twice per year. Audit results help both researchers and Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) identify and correct problems to maintain a safe work area and regulatory compliance.

• See the UCSD Lab Audit Form used by RAP specialists.

RAP audit and consultation services cover most labs. Certain labs and other high-hazard areas are also audited by additional EH&S divisions when any of the following are present:

• Biosafety containment levels greater than BSL-2+
• High activity or large quantities of radioactive materials
• Class 3b or 4 lasers or laser systems

• Controlled substances

Audit scoring system

The laboratory safety audit scoring system assigns 1, 4, or 16 points to violations, depending on severity. Points double for repeat violations.

The audit score is the total number of violation points. A laboratory with three 4-point violations would receive a score of 12 points. The goal for all laboratories is zero points.

Principal investigator (PI) responsibilities

PIs must:

• Respond in writing within 10 working days of receiving an EH&S audit report, describing actions taken by the lab to correct violations noted during the inspection.
• Use the Lab Self-Audit Form (PDF) checklist to conduct a self-audit between regularly scheduled EH&S inspections.

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

Safety

Laboratory

• Centrifuge
• Clean Areas
• Close or Relocate a Lab
• Decontamination Clearance for Equipment & Facilities
• Engineering Controls
• Eye Wash & Emergency Shower
• Lab Notes Newsletter
• Lab Safety Videos
• Magnets
• Minors
• Non-laboratory Personnel Guidelines
• Power Failure
• Preventing Reproductive Hazards
• Research Assistance Program
  • Contacts
• Resources for New PIs
• Safety Labels