Laboratory Move-In

Laboratory Move-In Checklist

Welcome to your new laboratory! The Office of Environmental Health and Safety is a resource for safety and environmental support. Please contact EHS with any questions or concerns. As a first step in setting up a safe laboratory, we are providing this checklist to assist you in setting up a safer laboratory.

Environmental Health and Safety Assistant (EHSA)

Please sign up to use EHSA, the campus-wide database that keeps track of chemical inventory, lab spaces, waste streams and safety trainings. Sign in to the EHSA Database.

REGISTER INTO EHSA 

Another location to find this link is on MyLSU you scroll down the left banner to Research Support, click on the dropdown menu, and select the Environmental Health and Safety Assistance option.

Once EHS approves the sign in, EHS will assign a LHAT assessment and set up a
meeting to discuss your research and laboratory space.

Emergency Information and Equipment

Post LSU’s Emergency Phone Numbers in your laboratory in a potentiate location. Link to the LSU Emergency Response Numbers.

Familiarize yourself with the locations of exits, eyewashes, safety showers and spill kits. Keep the areas surrounding exits, eyewashes and safety showers free of storage items.

Test the eyewash in your laboratory, if it drains into the sink or is plumbed to a drain and continue to test it on a weekly basis. Contact your building coordinator if you do not have an eyewash, if your eyewash is not functioning properly or if it drains directly to the floor.

Check the inspection tag on the safety shower to ensure that it has been tested within the past year. Contact your building coordinator if the safety shower inspection is not current or if the inspection tag is missing.

Develop or purchase a chemical spill kit that is applicable for your lab.

Mount a First Aid Kit in an accessible location.

If your laboratory uses hydrofluoric acid, include specific materials for Hydrofluoric Acid in your First Aid Kit. Refer to the Standard Operating Procedure for Hydrofluoric Acid.

Laboratory Equipment 

Check that the fume hoods and glove boxes are working properly. Contact your building coordinator if they are not.

Check that your biological safety cabinet has been certified within the past year. If you moved a biological safety cabinet into your new laboratory, it must be recertified prior to use. Contact EHS at 578-5640 for additional information.

Check that the internal gas connections in your incubators are intact.

Review your lab equipment and make sure that there are Standard Operating Procedures that detail their safe use.

Chemical Storage

Properly segregate liquid and solid chemicals into hazard classes (acids, caustics,
flammables, oxidizers, water reactives, etc.) as described in the Chemical Hygiene Plan and the Standard Operating Procedure, General Guidelines for Chemical Storage. Properly store all flammable liquids in fire rated cabinets. These cabinets are labeled "Flammable" and are typically found under the fume hood or can be free standing. No more than 10 gallons of flammable liquids may be stored outside of a fire rated cabinet. Standard Operating Procedure, Flammable Liquids.

Properly secure all compressed gas cylinders as described in the Chemical Hygiene Plan and the Standard Operating Procedure, Compressed Gas.

All containers of chemicals being used or generated in LSU research and teaching laboratories must be labeled sufficiently to indicate contents of the container. Additional information can be found in the Chemical Hygiene Plan.

Chemical Inventory

LSU has committed to maintain a chemical inventory program to improve regulatory compliance and laboratory safety. The Office of Environmental Health and Safety is responsible for the administration of the Chemical Inventory Management System. LSU uses a full environmental management system provided by On-site Systems which contains a chemical inventory module, training module, and corresponding web access packages. The system stores chemical inventory data under a lab owner and allows personnel tracking. The software has the ability to track waste, lab equipment, and inspections. The training module allows on-line safety training and documents completion of the training.

Labs owners are required to provide EHS with information concerning lab ownership and their personnel. Chemicals are bar coded with a LSU number and entered into the system. Labs owners are responsible for maintaining the database by adding new chemicals and deleting used chemicals.

Bio-hazardous Materials

LSU has developed a Biological Safety Program at Louisiana State University is to
ensure the safe and secure use (and protection against misuse) of recombinant DNA (rDNA), pathogenic microorganisms, and other infectious agents and toxins in research and teaching activities so as to eliminate or reduce the potential exposure of personnel or the environment. Additionally, the program is committed to ensuring that research and teaching activities involving biologically hazardous agents are conducted in full compliance with University, state and federal policies/regulations.

LSU requires that all bio-hazardous work be registered and reviewed through the InterInstitutional Biological and Recombinant DNA Safety Committee. Additional information can be found on the Bio-Safety web Site.

Signs and Postings

Request and post revised room signs. Make certain all laboratory hazards and emergency response numbers are indicated on the sign. The Room Sign is generated through the chemical inventory management system by EHS.

Update and post the Chemical Hygiene Work Plan. The Chemical Hygiene Work Plan is available at: CHP Work Plan [PDF].

Post the universal biohazard symbol on all equipment (centrifuges, water baths,
cryogenic freezers, incubators, freezers, refrigerators, etc.) that comes in contact with biohazardous materials.

If you work with human source material, update your Exposure Control Plan. The
Exposure Control Plan is available at: Exposure Control Plan.

Label all laboratory refrigerators, microwaves and ice machines. Household grade
refrigerators should be labeled "No Food or Flammable Liquid Storage." Microwaves and ice machines should be labeled "Laboratory Use Only." Label areas where hydrofluoric acid is stored.

Chemical and Biological Waste

The chemical waste program is designed to provide you as a waste generator on
campus a simple and convenient way to dispose of your chemical waste. Waste
collection and disposal is a free service of EHS.

LSU has Guidelines for packing and handling chemical Waste. After a request for waste pick-up is completed, EHS personnel will remove the waste from your lab.
Bio-hazardous waste can be autoclaved as appropriate. Familiarize yourself with the location of the autoclave(s) in your building. Additionally, bio-hazardous waste can be placed in a Bio-Hazard box and collected by EHS personnel. Dispose of infectious waste according to the LSUs policy for Infectious Waste Management.

Radiactive Materials

The Radiation Safety Department supervises the use of radioactive materials on the LSU Campus. Apply for a license to use radioactive materials at the Radiation Protection Program web page. Radiation Safety personnel will meet with you to go over requirements. If you require Radiation Safety also oversees the use of Lasers on the LSU Campus. If you work with lasers, update your laser registry and laser warning signs.

Laboratory Accreditation

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety has developed a formal Laboratory Accreditation Program. The purpose of the accreditation audit is to ensure that laboratories are safe and complying with environmental regulations. Audits will be conducted by EHS, and a formal report will be generated and sent to the Pl and the department chair. After any deficiencies are resolved, the Pl will receive LSU Safety Accreditation for his laboratories.

Training

Each Principle Investigator is responsible for ensuring that their laboratory personnel have training and that the training is documented.

EHS provides Online Laboratory Safety training. All laboratory personnel must complete initial training when hired and annual update training thereafter.

All laboratory personnel who work with human source materials, HIV or Hepatitis B viruses must complete annual Bloodborne Pathogens training.

Addition training resources can be found in the Training section of the EHS web site.