Laboratory Safety Manual

Read about My Research Safety, a Web portal for centralized access to your Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) audits, inventory, and authorizations.

• Link to My Research Safety at myresearchsafety.ucsd.edu.

Laboratory personnel duties and responsibilities include:

1. Complete all required health, safety, and environmental training.
2. Review and follow relevant laboratory authorizations and safety manual(s).
3. Follow oral and written laboratory safety rules, regulations, and standard operating procedures (SOP) required for assigned tasks.
4. Keep your work areas safe and uncluttered.
5. Review and understand the hazards of materials and processes in your laboratory prior to conducting work.
6. Take appropriate measures to control identified hazards, including consistent and proper use of engineering controls, personal protective equipment (PPE), and administrative controls.
7. Understand the capabilities and limitations of PPE issued to you.
8. Get prior approval from your PI/laboratory supervisor for the use of restricted chemicals and other materials.
9. Consult with PI/laboratory supervisors before using highly hazardous materials or conducting certain higher risk experimental procedures.
10. Report accidents and unsafe conditions immediately to the PI/laboratory supervisor.
11. Participate in the medical surveillance program, when required.
12. Inform the PI/laboratory supervisor of any work modifications ordered by a physician as a result of medical surveillance, occupational injury, or exposure.

Related links:

• Guidelines for Non-laboratory Personnel Working in UCSD Laboratories
• Minors in UCSD Laboratories
• What Area Safety Coordinators Need to Know

• Research Safety Authorizations for Principal Investigators
• Research Safety Resources for New Principal Investigators

Questions? Contact the EH&S Research Assistance Program specialist assigned to your building.

UCSD Chemical Hygiene Plan

Related links:

• Chemical Safety Resources
• ChemCycle, chemical reuse program
• Chemical Hazard Use Application (CHUA)
• Specific Chemical Safety Guidelines
• Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals
• Material Safety Data Sheet (MSDS) Sources
• Lab and Chemical Safety Training
• California Green Chemistry Initiative, California Department of Toxic Substances Control

• General Lab Safety and Chemical Safety
• Safety Training for Lab and Research Employees
• Laboratory Safety Videos
• UC Systemwide Lab Safety Training

Notice: See PPE Support for Researchers for information about UC San Diego's laboratory PPE distribution intitiative.

• Personal Protective Equipment
• Glove Overview

Related links:

• Laboratory Clean Areas

Emergency phone numbers

Call 9-1-1 from campus phones

From other phones:

• UCSD Police (858) 534-HELP (4357)
• Medical Center Security (619) 543-6111
• Poison Control (800) 222-1222

See the UCSD Emergency Guide for essential phone numbers and "what to do in case of...?" information for UCSD employees, students, and visitors.

Hazardous materials spills

Important! Chemistry / Biochemistry personnel must:

• Report serious incidents immediately: Call 9-1-1
• Immediately secure any incident scene from all access and preserve all evidence for no less than 24 hours.

How to:

• Clean Up Chemical Spills in Laboratories
• Small-Scale Chemical Spill Kits
• Clean Up Minor Radioactive Contamination
• Get Material Safety Data Sheets

Emergency preparedness

• Building Evacuation Procedures
• Corridor Safety Requirements
• Eye Wash and Emergency Shower Guidelines
• If You Discover a Fire ...
• How to Use a Fire Extinguisher
• Prepare for a Power Failure in a Lab
• Reduce Workplace Earthquake Hazards
• Respond to Indoor Floods

Report work-related injury or illness immediately:

• See What to Do if a Work-Related Injury or Illness Occurs for procedures.

Important! Chemistry / Biochemistry personnel must:

• Report serious incidents immediately: Call 9-1-1
• Immediately secure any incident scene from all access and preserve all evidence for no less than 24 hours.

• Biosafety Topics
• Biohazard Use Authorization (BUA)
• Biosafety Training

Select Agents

• Select Agents Overview
• Select Agents List

• Classification and Requirements Overview
• Safety Requirements by Hazard Class
• Toxic and Hazardous Gas Classifications
• Use and Storage Guidelines
• Anesthetic gases in research environments

• Controlled Substances Program
• Controlled Substance Use Authorization (CSUA)
• Training

• Electrical Safety Guidelines
• Prepare for a Power Failure in a Lab
• Hazard and Caution Signs
• Laser Safety Program: Non-Beam Hazards

• If You Discover a Fire ...
• Fire Safety Resources
• Flammable & Combustible Liquids
• Special Refrigerators for Flammable Liquids Storage
• Corridor safety requirements
• Building Evacuation Procedures

Engineering Controls for Laboratory Safety

Fume Hoods

Biosafety Cabinets Overview

• Hazardous Waste Topics
• How to:
  • Get a Waste Generator Number (WGN)
  • Use UCSD Hazardous Waste Tags
  • Request Hazardous Waste Collection
• Online Waste Tag Program (OTP)
• Training

• Human Research Protections Program
• Institutional Review Board (IRB)
• How to Submit a New Project Application

• Ergonomic Awareness: Risk Factors for Laboratory Workers
• Ergnomic Resources
• Ergonomic Training

Equipment

• Autoclaves
• Centrifuge Safety
• Decontamination Clearance for Equipment or Facilities (Green tag)
• Defrosting Your Research Freezer (PDF)
• Environmental Rooms
• Eye Wash and Emergency Shower Guidelines
• Magnet Safety Guidelines
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Special Refrigerators for Flammable Liquids Storage
• Tissue Culture Rooms: Hand Washing Sink Requirement

Supplies

• Items Restricted From FinancialLink Department Order
• Carbon Dioxide - Dry Ice Safety, from Praxair
• Shipping Hazardous Materials

How to:

• Close or Relocate a UCSD Laboratory
• Get a Decontamination Clearance for Equipment or Facilities (Green tag)

• Laser Safety Program
• Laser Use Authorization (LUA)
• Laser safety training

• Nanotechnology: Guidelines for Safe Research Practices

• Radiation Safety Topics
• Radioisotope Use Authorization (RUA)
• Radiation Safety Health Physicist (HP) Contacts
• Radiation safety training

• Research Assistance Program Contacts
• Research Assistance Program / laboratory audits
• My Research Safety web portal – Manage your Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S) audits, inventories, and authorizations online

• Vivarium Safety Topics
• How to Get an Animal Use Protocol
• Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
• Occupational Health Policy for Employees or Affiliates With Research Animal Exposure
• Animal research training

Learn about hazard and caution signs and labels you may see at UC San Diego and what they mean.

• Hazard and Caution Signs
• Laboratory Clean Areas
• Laboratory Safety Labels

Learn about the Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals (GHS). GHS-compliant labels that include a harmonized signal word, pictogram, and hazard and precaution statements for each hazard class and category will begin to appear in our chemical inventories soon.

• See Globally Harmonized System of Classification and Labeling of Chemicals for details.

• UC Lab Safety Training
• UC Lab Safety SharePoint site – The UC Lab Safety SharePoint site is a single repository for materials related to laboratory safety within the University of California system. The site is hosted and moderated by the UCOP Office of Risk Services. All employees with a UC e-mail account have access to the site, and may download material and participate on the discussion boards.
  • Note: You need a Single Sign-On user name and password to access the UC Lab Safety SharePoint site. See Single Sign-On: How to Self-Register for simple instructions. Contact your department security administrator (DSA) if you need assistance.

• Laboratory Safety Forms
• Laboratory Safety Labels

• California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3203 - Injury & Illness Prevention Program
• California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 3380 et al - Personal Protective Equipment
• California Code of Regulations, Title 8, Section 5191 - Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories ("The Laboratory Standard")
• Delegation of Authority and Potential Risk: EH&S - UCSD Administrative Responsibilities Handbook
• UCSD PPM 516-19 Laboratory Safety
• UCSD Campus Notice - August 24, 2012, Chancellor to All Academics at UC San Diego: Laboratory Safety