Laboratory Safety Program

• Increasing lab inspections from every three years to an annual inspection cycle.
• A posted and easily accessible annual inspection schedule.
• Inspection preparation information available.
• Use of UC Inspect, a new mobile application to conduct lab safety inspections, identify deficiencies, and generate summary reports:
  • Automatically send out reminders to correct findings after 30 days.
  • Allow for document uploads to confirm and address findings.
• Periodic follow-up on all unresolved inspection findings by EHS School Coordinator.
• Standard EHS process to conduct inspections:
  • Identify and correct immediate danger/Immediately Dangerous to Life and Health (IDLH) issues and high hazard inspection findings.
  • Established a findings priority matrix (priority 1, 2, & 3).
• Lab Safety Inspection Process

Lab Safety Inspections Schedule FY 25-26

Quality Control Criteria for Lab Inspections Program

EHS Research Safety Team

EHS School Coordinators

• Lab Safety Inspections
• EHS will contact the PI or delegate to schedule the annual lab safety inspection. Laboratory Safety Inspection Schedule FY 25-26
• Topics that will be covered during the inspection:
  • Biological Safety
  • Chemical Safety
  • Containment Equipment
  • Documents, Training, and Hazard Communication
  • Electrical Safety
  • Fire Safety
  • General and Physical Safety
  • Hazardous Waste Disposal
  • Housekeeping
  • Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
• Review the Lab Safety Inspection Guide to help you prepare for the inspection.
• Please have these materials ready to review during the inspection:
  • Laboratory Hazard Assessment Tool (LHAT) profile, including PPE training, hazard assessment review, and update of staff roster
  • Lab staff completion of Laboratory Safety Fundamentals (LSF), Safety Training Self-Assessment (STSA), and other assigned safety training
  • Lab’s current Chemical Inventory
  • Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for particularly hazardous chemicals
• After the inspection is complete, a report will be sent containing the inspection results and any identified findings.
• Resolve all deficiencies and findings within the specified days in the table below:

• This high level process ensures accountability in resolving outstanding safety hazards in labs and how EHS will attempt to obtain closure on lab safety inspection findings. EHS School Coordinators will periodically follow-up with PIs to check on the status of open findings and assist them in closing out findings. As part of our ongoing quality control process, closed items will be evaluated by the EHS School Coordinators.
• If no action is taken on resolving findings, EHS Administration will generate a monthly report of all open findings that have exceeded the required closure date and will send this to the EHS School Coordinators. They will then share this report with their respective Assistant Dean and/or Department Chairs. After this report is shared and if audit findings remain open, a quarterly report will be generated by EHS Administration and shared with the Lab Safety Committee, Vice Chancellor of Research, Chief Financial Officer & Vice Chancellor of DFA, and the Provost.

EHS Escalation Criteria and Process

Research Escalation Process Flowchart

• As indicated in the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP), all labs covered under the CHP are required to perform self-inspections and update their lab’s chemical inventory every year from January 1 to December 31. Self-inspections must be performed annually, at a minimum. EHS will be looking for completed self-inspection results in your Lab Safety Binder during the annual EHS-performed lab safety inspections.
• Resources
  • Lab Safety Self-Inspections Reference Guide
  • Lab Self-Inspection Questions
  • Lab Self-Inspection Questions
  • UC Inspect
    • Click the blue sign-in button on the top right side of the page; sign in with your UCInetID.
    • After logging in with your UCInetID and submitting DUO authentication, on the left column under the "More Apps", select the “Inspect” application. Once in Inspect, select “UCI Self-Inspection” and enter your PI name.

• As required by the Chemical Hygiene Plan, all chemical inventories must be updated and certified by the PI annually.
  • UC Chemicals - UCI is transitioning to this system for all chemical inventories. If interested in transitioning, please contact your EHS School Coordinator.
    
    • UC Chemicals User Guide
    • UC Chemicals User Quick Reference
    • UC Chemicals Video Guides
    • Project Timeline (Coming soon)
  • CiBR-Trac - Hazardous Materials Inventory System
  • ChemInnovations (CBIS) - Chemical inventory system (Chemistry Department)

The Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) establishes a formal written program for protecting laboratory personnel against adverse health and safety hazards associated with exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals and must be made available to all employees working with hazardous chemicals. The CHP describes the proper use and handling practices and procedures to be followed by faculty, staff, students, visiting scholars, and all other personnel working with potentially hazardous chemicals in laboratory settings at UCI.

• Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP)
• Chemical Hygiene Plan Overview and Signature

Campuswide Laboratory Safety Committee

Campuswide Laboratory Safety Committee meets four times a year. This committee is sponsored by office of Research and Division of Finance and Administration.

Vision

The Laboratory Safety Committee (LSC) serves as the catalyst and driving force behind a culture of laboratory safety that integrates health and safety into all aspects of the university’s research and teaching laboratory operations and programs.

Charge

The Laboratory Safety Committee is charged with continuously improving and fostering the lab safety culture at UCI. The LSC evaluates the current state of campus laboratory safety programs including campus policies and procedures for the safe acquisition, storage, use, and disposal of hazardous materials.

The LSC will assess and improve the following program areas of the Laboratory Safety Program:

• Communications with the Research Community;
• Training Programs and Resources;
• Laboratory Hazard Assessments;
• Develop, recommend, update, and maintain policies applicable to the health and safety of laboratory workers;
• Laboratory Design;
• Incident review and Lessons Learned;
• Explore Special Program Areas (e.g., high hazard operational areas, visitor/volunteers, reproductive health, and third-party use of campus facilities).

In addition to providing oversight and guidance, the LSC has the authority to recommend to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost to modify, suspend, revoke, and terminate any laboratory activities that are deemed to pose an unacceptable risk to life or health.

Reporting

The Committee advises and reports to the Executive Vice Chancellor and Provost through the Vice Chancellor of Research and the Vice Chancellor of Finance and Administration (DFA).

Meetings

Meetings will be held quarterly. Each meeting will be scheduled for 1.5 hours.

Attendance

Appointees should attend at least 50% of the meetings (alternates are acceptable).

Membership Term

Membership is for a minimum period of two (2) years. This may be extended by agreement with the committee chair(s) and member. Replacements should be provided to the committee chair(s) prior to leaving the committee.

Membership

* Lab Safety Committee appointment letters are sent from the EVC’s office. Appointment dates are based on the date of the letter sent. Appointments to the Lab Safety Committee are based on a 2-year term.

• PI Safety Responsibilities
• Ensuring Safety in the Research Community
  A Message from Vice Chancellor Pramod Khargonekar - 01/08/2024
• Ensuring Safety in the Research Community
  A Message from Vice Chancellor Pramod Khargonekar - 12/01/2022
• Ensuring Safety in the Research Community
  A Message from Vice Chancellor Pramod Khargonekar - 02/04/2021
• Office of Research