3.1.4 Laboratory and Classroom Safety

Safety in the laboratory and classroom is the responsibility of each faculty and staff member. This extends to the whole campus and includes general laboratory safety, radiation safety, biological safety, and the use of animals or human subjects.

The University has adopted a policy which specifies that safety committees be established and that these committees prepare policies and procedures to be followed by all. The committees are as follows:

Radiation Safety Committee,

Presidential Committee on University Safety and Environmental Health,

Department Safety Committee,

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (Animal Subjects),

Institutional Human Subjects Committee, and

Institutional Biosafety Committee.

In the case where classroom or research studies are carried out using radioactive materials, human subjects, animals other than humans, and DNA manipulations, University policy and federal law require that the study be reviewed by the appropriate committee before any work can start. If radioisotopes or regulated radiation producing machines are used, the person in charge must be listed on the appropriate license held by Occupational Safety and Health Services.

Radioactive materials, controlled substances, infectious materials, and other regulated or highly hazardous materials are not to be brought onto the campus without prior approval of the appropriate committee. Research that is conducted at or sponsored by the University involving recombinant DNA subject to the NIH guidelines as well as research involving biological organisms and/or biological materials that require containment at biosafety levels greater than BSL-1 will be reviewed by the Institutional Biosafety Committee.

Additional responsibilities of all faculty and staff members are described in the Occupational Safety and Health Section of the Procedures Manual. These include participation in right-to-know training of students and employees, and proper management of chemical, biological or radioactive wastes produced in their academic or research laboratories. Further information can be obtained from the appropriate