Dear Colleagues, I am writing to those of you who oversee research laboratories to make you aware of two recent events that have focused national attention on laboratory safety in academia. On December 27, 2011, the Los Angeles District Attorney filed felony charges against a UCLA professor and the Regents of the University of California for violations of labor laws in the death of a researcher that occurred almost three years earlier. The tragic death resulted from a laboratory accident in which a pyrophoric chemical ignited and caused severe burns that were ultimately fatal to the researcher. Among the findings from Cal-OSHA, the researcher was not wearing a lab coat and had no documented training. If convicted, the professor could face more than four years in prison and UCLA up to $1.5 million in fines on each of the three counts. According to at least one news report, this criminal case may be the nation's first stemming from an academic laboratory accident. More information at http://articles.latimes.com/2011/dec/28/local/la-me-1228-ucla-death-20111228 On October 19, 2011, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released a report on a laboratory explosion at Texas Tech University in 2010. The explosion resulted in the loss of three fingers, eye damage, burns, and other injuries to a graduate student. The CSB attributed this accident to a lack of a hazard determination, hazard specific training, and a lack of documentation and communication. The CSB is an independent federal agency charged with investigating industrial chemical accidents. It also reviews the effectiveness of agency regulations and enforcement activities. Though the CSB has no regulatory authority, the Board's findings must be taken seriously. The CSB produced an excellent video entitled “Experimenting with Danger� that I encourage you and your researchers view. http://www.csb.gov/videoroom/detail.aspx?VID=61 These are just two cases over the last four years that have made national news. These events reiterate the need and expectation that universities and faculty must work hard to incorporate safety into research laboratory operations to ensure that their students and employees work safely. Both UCLA and Texas Tech University have undergone profound institutional changes as a result of these incidents. It is prudent that we at UK learn from these tragedies and take action to improve our safety culture. UK Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is currently in the process of reviewing campus laboratory safety guidance and policies, developing tools to enhance our laboratory safety program, and working closely with investigators to ensure the safety of all our laboratory workers. Here's what you can do: 1. 2.
3. 4.
5. 6.
Be aware of the assigned safety responsibilities as set forth in Administrative Regulation 6:3 http://www.uky.edu/regs/files/ar/ar6-3.pdf Maintain a consistently strong safety culture in your laboratories. Ensure that you and all researchers working in your lab are trained on all safety expectations. See the EH&S Laboratory Safety Training Checklist http://ehs.uky.edu/classes/lab_safe_checklist_0001.php. Ensure your lab has a Chemical Hygiene Plan http://ehs.uky.edu/ohs/chp/ and is in compliance with all of its requirements. Ensure that an assessment has been performed of the physical and chemical risks that will be encountered. Prior to initiating high hazard experiments/tasks, a specific Standard Operating Procedure is required for each of these operations. http://ehs.uky.edu/docs/pdf/SOPform.pdf Provide and document lab specific training based on the hazards identified from the assessment of the risks. http://ehs.uky.edu/docs/pdf/AwarenessCeritfication.pdf Periodically assess your laboratory and researchers for safety. Respond promptly to findings of EH&S inspection activities associated with your laboratory. http://ehs.uky.edu/ohs/inspections.php
Your leadership is critical in establishing and maintaining a strong safety culture. Incorporate safety into lab meetings. Discuss your experiences with your researchers. Openly review accidents that make the news and safety issues that arise in your lab. Contact the Director of EH&S, David Hibbard dwhibb0@uky.edu or the Department Manager of Occupational Health and Safety, Lee Poore lpoor2@uky.edu with your ideas for improving laboratory safety at UK.