II. ENSURING LABORATORY SAFETY
A. Unit Safety Coordinator
Each faculty chair/unit head is obligated to ensure a safe working and learning environment. Essential to an effective safety program is the Unit Safety Coordinator (USC). Each faculty chair/unit head must assign a person or team that has an understanding of the relevant activities and safety issues of the unit to perform the following functions:
- work with administrators, Public Safety, and unit employees to develop and implement appropriate laboratory safety and hygiene policies and practices specific to their area;
- assist with monitoring the procurement, use, and disposal of the unit's chemicals;
- assure that the appropriate audits, inventories and inspections are performed;
- assist Laboratory Directors in developing precautions to ensure adequate facilities;
- maintain and disseminate current legal requirements for all regulated substances in their unit.
B. Laboratory Director
The Laboratory Director (LD) shall be defined as:
- the person in charge of an exclusive use laboratory or;
- the person in charge of the instruction or project in a multiple use laboratory.
The LD shall ensure that:
- appropriate safety and emergency procedures have been developed and are followed;
- adequate emergency equipment is available and in working condition;
- all personnel receive training in use of emergency equipment;
- information on any special or unusual hazards in non-routine procedures is provided for any personnel;
- the appropriate safety orientation has been given to all project participants.
