General Laboratory Safety

Policies, procedures, and practices common to all Penn State Laboratories and Research Locations.

General Laboratory Safety Documents on SharePoint

All researchers must review the Work Specific Training Guide and all supplemental materials to stay informed and compliant with safety protocols.

General Laboratory Safety Training

EHS provides flexible training—online, in-person, or hands-on—and can customize courses to fit your team’s needs.

Ruifeng Liu

Your EHS contact for General Laboratory Safety

rjl6094@psu.edu

814-863-3780

Compliance

Researcher Responsibilities

Laboratory Records

LionSafe Risk Assessment, LRA

New PI Checklist (coming soon)

Protocol Registration (coming soon)

Chemical Inventory

Audits and Inspections

Signage (coming soon)

Laboratory Waste (coming soon)

Emergency Showers and Eye Washes

Incidents, Accidents, and Emergencies (coming soon)

Standard Research Safety Practices

Develop Knowledge and Skills

Dress appropriately for the work area

Prepare for Incidents, Accidents, and Emergencies

Follow Good Laboratory Hygiene and Housekeeping Practices

Establish Routine Work Hours

Be Alert and Aware of your Surroundings

Avoid Working Alone

Manage Experiments that Run Unattended

Critical Operations Shut-down

Maintain Security and Access Control

Lab Security and Access

It is imperative that researchers implement appropriate security precautions to prevent unauthorized individuals from gaining access to laboratory materials and equipment.

Security Procedures:

Identify potential security risks in the laboratory (e.g., doors left open, doors left unlocked when the room is unattended, or unsecured hazardous substances storage areas).
Develop and implement laboratory security procedures to prevent unauthorized entry to the laboratory and access to hazardous substances
Develop and implement laboratory access restrictions to protect the health and safety of individuals entering the laboratory. Hazards and access restrictions should be clearly indicated at the entrance to all laboratories.
Train laboratory personnel to implement security procedures.

To secure the laboratory, identify potential security risks, establish and enforce access restrictions and procedures to prevent unauthorized entry and exposure to hazardous substances, clearly post hazard warnings at all entrances, and ensure all personnel are trained in these protocols.

The following security procedures must be followed in all laboratories:

Keep doors closed at all times and locked when no authorized personnel are present.
Do not leave hazardous substances unattended or unsecured at any time.
Restrict access to freezers, refrigerators, storage cabinets, and other equipment where hazardous substances are stored.
Limit laboratory access to approved laboratory personnel who are properly trained with regard to the hazards present in the laboratory and the work they will perform.
Challenge or question unfamiliar or suspicious individuals that gain access to restricted areas or to the laboratory. Report the incidents to University Police. Escort visitors to and from the laboratory.
Report any missing inventory and all acts of vandalism, theft, or suspicious activities to University Police.

Restricted Access for Visitors

Visitors should not be allowed to enter laboratories unattended and should be escorted to and from the laboratory by Penn State personnel. Prior to allowing visitors to tour or observe in a laboratory, the supervising employee must conduct a basic safety orientation, including both general safety information and any hazards particular to the location. A signed Acknowledgement for Risk for Laboratories form is required for visitors to enter a laboratory. The Principal Investigator or Laboratory Supervisor should maintain documentation of dates of training, a list of attendees. This requirement does not include trained Penn State employees, visiting scientists who must attend EHS training, or inspectors.

Restricted Access for Support Services Staff

Visitors must be escorted by Penn State personnel and receive a safety orientation before entering a laboratory. A signed Acknowledgement of Risk form is required, and the Principal Investigator or Supervisor must document training dates and attendees; trained Penn State employees, visiting scientists attending EHS training, and inspectors are exempt from this requirement.

All support services staff (e.g., housekeeping, facilities management, police, Information Technology Staff, etc.) must receive appropriate training prior to entering laboratories or laboratory support rooms. Once trained, support services staff may enter laboratories and laboratory support rooms.

For non-restricted laboratories and laboratory support rooms, support services staff must notify the unit of non-routine services (e.g., mopping and waxing floors, light bulb replacement, and equipment inventory) at least 10 university working days in advance of when the work is to occur. Researchers may request that services be scheduled at a time that does not interfere with ongoing laboratory operations or critical experiments. Support services staff have been instructed that they need not perform any services which make them uncomfortable; specifically, housekeeping staff has been instructed that they should not clean pools of liquid on laboratory floors.