What Area Safety Coordinators Need to Know

Learn about the role and responsibilities of an Area Safety Coordinator and how to update your safety contact information.

If you are a principal investigator (PI), manager, or supervisor of an area where hazardous materials are stored or handled, you must designate an Area Safety Coordinator (ASC) or act in that capacity yourself.

PIs, managers, or supervisors remain accountable and ultimately responsible for workplace safety and compliance in areas under their control, even if they designate an Area Safety Coordinator.

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Responsibilities of an ASC include

  • Serve as a contact person for safety audits conducted by Environment, Health & Safety (EH&S). EH&S will review area safety performance during scheduled audits and work cooperatively with ASCs to address any problems.
  • Follow up on issues identified during EH&S safety audits within 10 days of receiving audit results. Correct problems identified in the audit, or notify the person(s) responsible for the violation.
    • Perform an area self-audit 3 months after the EH&S safety audit. Target the issues revealed during the audit to identify persisting problems. EH&S will send out a reminder when this audit is due.

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Resources to help you do the job

You don't have to start from scratch.

Update your safety contact information

Most UCSD labs, shops, and studios already have a designated safety contact for their area. Research facilities have historically called these contacts "Lab Safety Contacts." The current contact name, "Area Safety Coordinator," acknowledges that areas handling hazardous materials include not only labs, but also shops and studios.

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How Area Safety Coordinators (ASCs) differ from Department Safety Coordinators (DSCs).

  • ASCs do not serve an entire department. An ASC is assigned to a specific facility where work with hazardous material occurs, typically a lab, shop, or studio.
  • DSCs represent all their co-workers, regardless of the kind of work performed. Every UCSD department should have at least one DSC. Large departments and departments with multiple locations may need more than one DSC to be effective. Read What DSCs should know.

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Contacts