Lab Safety – Environmental Health & Safety

Mission

The Lab Safety Program of EHS supports the university’s research mission by providing oversight and guidance for the use, storage and disposal of materials and equipment used in research, clinical, academic, outreach and operational activities. This includes involvement in a variety of areas such as:

Lab Registration

Any time a new research or teaching lab space is started, lab registration is required. We consider a space a “new lab space” if:

A new PI or instructor, who had not previously been responsible for research or teaching at UA, is assigned to a lab space
An existing lab research program moves into a newly assigned lab space, either as a result of moving to a new location or through expansion.

In order to register a new lab, please complete the Lab Registration form or contact the Lab Safety Manager at 205-348-5905 if you have questions or concerns.

Laboratory Decommissioning guidelines and equipment/room tags are posted at Forms and Supporting Documents. Before anyone else can move into a lab room, all lab spaces MUST be decommissioned (by the exiting Lab PI or Research Group) anytime you relinquish control the space for any reason.

Committees

EHS Lab Safety activities are guided by the following institutional committees:

Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (administered by the Office of Research Compliance)
Institutional Biosafety Committee (administered by the Office of Research Compliance)
Laboratory Safety Committee
Laser Safety Committee
Nano-Research Advisory Group
Radiation Control Advisory Committee

Required Training

Training is required for all lab personnel. Required training courses depend on the hazards involved in the laboratories or departments. Information about training and the training course request can be found at Training Information.

Inspections

Inspections of laboratory spaces are conducted routinely. For more information about specific laboratory inspections, contact the Lab Safety Manager. For additional guidance related to corrective actions in laboratory spaces, review the Lab Inspection Corrective Action Guidelines. While not an all-inclusive summary of corrective actions, this document is intended to serve as guidance related to commonly observed laboratory deficiencies noted during recent laboratory inspections.

Decommissioning

Decommissioning of laboratories and other research-related areas and spaces on campus is an important step in the transition process. EHS provides oversight and guidance on decommissioning of laboratories and any research-related spaces on UA property. For additional information related to decommissioning, refer to and review Guidelines and Procedures for Laboratory Decommissioning. The information in the document is not an all-inclusive summary but is intended to serve as guidance related to decommissioning of laboratory and research-related spaces.

*** In the case of a hazardous condition related to a laboratory space, contact EHS by phone at 205-348-5905 (during working hours), or UAPD at 205-348-5454 if immediate assistance is needed.***