Standard
Operating Procedures
As noted in Chapter 1, Principal Investigators are responsible for
ensuring there are written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for the
research protocols conducted in their area. The SOPs must
identify the hazards of the protocol, as well as measures to be taken
to mitigate those hazards. The references listed below may
provide enough detail to serve as the SOPs for some research
protocols. Other protocols may require more tailoring, as
described in Section 5 of this chapter.
- Chemical
Procedures
- Biohazardous
Procedures
- Radioactive
Procedures
- General
Safety
Procedures
- Laboratory-Specific
Standard Operating
Procedures
- General
Emergency
Procedures
- Planning
For
Shutdowns
1. Chemical
Procedures
A. Prudent Practices
in the Laboratory (Appendix
D)
Laboratory standard operating procedures found in Prudent
Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals
(National Research Council, 1995) are adopted for general use at the
University of Minnesota. Departmental Research Safety Officers have
hard copies of this text, and the entire contents are accessible on the
web. Note especially the following topics which are covered in Chapters
5 and 6 of Prudent Practices:
Chapter
5 (Working with Chemicals) and Chapter
6 (Working with Laboratory
Equipment)
B. Controlled
Substances
In conducting research with controlled substances, University
authorized employees must comply with federal and state laws and
regulations regarding their uses, including registration with the Drug
Enforcement Administration (DEA), storage requirements, inventory
maintenance and substance disposal. A condensed guide to federal
regulations as well as policies and forms pertaining to controlled
substances are available on the Controlled
Substances web page.
C.
The American Chemical Society's "Safety in Academic Chemistry
Laboratories"
ACS’s "Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories" another useful text.
This manual presents information similar to that found in Prudent
Practices, but in a considerably condensed format.
D.
Hazardous Waste Management
Extensive and detailed policies regarding hazardous waste management
are specified in the University's guidebook "Hazardous Chemical Waste
Management, 5th edition”. Please refer to this text for approved waste
handling procedures.
E.
Emergency Procedures for Chemical Spills
The procedures listed below are intended as a resource for your
department in preparing for emergencies before they happen. If you are
currently experiencing an emergency such as a chemical spill please
follow
the procedure below, or contact the Department of Environmental Health
and Safety at
218-726-7273.
Complete spill response procedures are described in the UMD Emergency
Response Desk Reference Guide (http://www.d.umn.edu/ehso/emergencies).
However, the quick reference guide is included for convenience in this
Laboratory Safety Plan.
Quick Reference Guide
Evacuate
- Leave the spill area; alert others in the area
and direct/assist them in leaving.
- Without endangering yourself: remove victims to
fresh air, remove contaminated clothing and flush contaminated skin and
eyes with water for 15 minutes. If anyone has been injured or exposed
to toxic chemicals or chemical vapors, call 911 and seek medical
attention immediately.
Confine
- Close doors and isolate the area. Prevent
people from entering spill area.
Report
- From a safe place, call Environmental Health
and Safety Office (EHSO) 218 726-7273 during working hours, 911 after
hours (The 911 operators will put you in contact with on call UMD
Police officer who will assist in directing your call to appropriate
Emergency response personnel). For more info on Emergency
response please consult or contingency planning at: http://www.d.umn.edu/ehso/UMD_Contingency_Plan/.
- Report that this is an emergency and give your
name, phone and location; location of the spill; the name and amount of
material spilled; extent of injuries; safest route to the spill.
- Stay by that phone, EHSO staff will advise you
as soon as possible.
- EHSO or the Fire Department will clean up or
stabilize spills, which are considered high hazard (fire, health or
reactivity hazard). In the case of a small spill and low hazard
situation, EHS will advise you on what precautions and protective
equipment to use.
Secure
- Until emergency response personnel arrive:
block off the areas leading to the spill, lock doors, post signs and
warning tape, and alert others of the spill.
- Post staff by commonly used entrances to the
area to direct people to use other routes.
After an accident, supervisor(s) must complete and fax in reporting
forms within 24 hours. Workers' Compensation policy and reporting forms
are available on the web (Appendix
J).
2.
Biohazardous
Procedures
At the University of Minnesota Duluth, researchers must follow the
policies found on the UMD Biosafety Website and in the CDC/NIH text,
Biosafety
in Microbiological and Biomedical Laboratories, 5th Edition. A copy
of this text is available on the web at http://www.cdc.gov/od/ohs/biosfty/bmbl5/bmbl5toc.htm.
Another useful reference is the National Research Council’s text
“Biosafety in the Laboratory: Prudent Practices for Handling and
Disposal of Infectious Materials” (1989). http://books.nap.edu/books/0309039754/html/R1.html#pagetop
In addition, researchers working with biological materials must
acquaint themselves with the policies of the university’s Institutional Biosafety
Committee (IBC), which are also on the UMD Biosafety website
at http://www.d.umn.edu/ehso/biosafety.
The IBC is charged under Federal Regulations and Regents’ Policy with
the oversight of all teaching and research activities involving:
- Recombinant DNA
- Artificial Gene Transfer
- Infectious Agents (bacteria, viruses,
protozoans, fungi, etc.)
- Biologically Derived Toxins
If the research involves work with any of 31 infectious agents or 12
biological toxins (federally designated as Select Agents), follow the
procedures outlined in the Select
Agent section of the biosafety web page.
3.
Radioactive Procedures
At UMD all researchers using radioactive materials at the University of
Minnesota must:
- contact the Radiation Protection Division;
- obtain a permit for the possession and use of
radioactive materials;
- complete required training modules; and
- comply with the radiation policies and
procedures of the university (contained in the UMD Radiation Protection
website).
The UMD Radiation
Protection website contains information on a number of topics
including license committees, the permitting process, purchasing
procedures, transfer procedures, general safety, personnel dosimetry,
waste management, emergency management (spill control), record keeping,
and regulatory guides such as declared pregnancy workers and risks from
ionizing
radiation exposure.
Initial training is required for all personnel who are authorized to
access radiation areas. Training materials/modules can be viewed at the
UMD EHSO website. After viewing the training modules, users fill out a
questionnaire and then
receive specific, on-site training required by permit holder (trainer).
4.
General Safety Procedures
Other University of Minnesota Policies for Safe Practices in
Laboratories are accessible in Appendix
E.
Laboratory and
General Safety
- Controlled Substances
- Emergency Eyewash and Safety Shower
Installation and Maintenance
- Emergency Procedures
- Extension Cords in University Buildings
- Eye Protection/Personal Protective Equipment
- Flammable and Combustible Liquid Quantities in
U of M Laboratories
- Foot Protection/Safety-Toe Shoes
- Greenhouse Policy-Fumigation/Smoke Generation
Procedure
- Holiday Decorations
- Labeling Chemicals
- Lock Out/Tag Out
- Portable Fire Extinguishers-Type and Placement
- Public Corridors
- Respiratory Protection Program
- Step Ladders-Care and Use
- Supervisors Injury/Illness Investigation Form
- Termination of Laboratory Use of Hazardous
Materials
- Temperature Standard
- UMD Campus Smoke-Free Policy
- UMD Indoor Air Quality
- Working with PCBs
Fire Safety
- Flammable and Combustible Liquid Quantities in
U of M Laboratories
- Fire Safety at the University
- Portable Fire Extinguishers-Type and Placement
5.
Laboratory-Specific
Standard Operating
Procedures
Each PI must have written Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for the
research protocols conducted in his or her laboratory. Like the
Lab Safety Plan, the SOPs must be accessible to researchers.
Keeping hard copies in the lab or having them on a computer in the
laboratory fulfills the accessibility requirement. SOPs developed
through DEHS will be posted periodically in Appendix
H.
Laboratory-specific SOPs are valuable research tools that supplement
the departmental Laboratory Safety Plan. The process of writing
SOPs requires an individual to think through all steps of a procedure
and perform a risk assessment before beginning work. The SOP provides a
written means to inform and advise researchers about hazards in their
work place, allows for standardization of materials and methods, and
improves the quality of the research. A well-written SOP can be
used to comply with the federal Laboratory Safety Standard, which
states that the Laboratory Safety Plan must include:
"standard operating procedures relevant to safety and health
considerations to be followed when laboratory work involves the use of
hazardous chemicals."
SOPs should include exposure controls and safety precautions that
address both routine and accidental chemical, physical or biological
hazards associated with the procedure. A laboratory safety
information sheet is available in Appendix F.
This checklist, which prompts researchers to identify hazards and
safety measures for the protocol, can be attached to existing
procedures which may lack safety information. A template for
writing new SOPs is available in Appendix I
and guidance for writing
biologically-related SOPs is available on the Biosafety section of the
DEHS website.
6.
General Emergency
Procedures
The procedures listed below are intended as a resource for your
department in preparing for emergencies before they happen. If you
are
currently experiencing an emergency such as a chemical spill,
please follow the procedures described in the Campus Emergency
Information Desk Reference (http://www.d.umn.edu/ehso/emergencies),
and/or contact the UMD Environmental Health and Safety Office
at
218-726-7273.
Campus
Emergency Information Desk Reference
(http://www.d.umn.edu/ehso/emergencies)
For University employees, who have been exposed to blood borne or other
infectious pathogens, please follow the procedures below in Needle
Sticks
(http://www.d.umn.edu/ehso/biosafety/needlesticks.pdf)
For guidance on Workplace
Violence consult: (http://www1.umn.edu/ohr/eap/)
For all other emergencies call 911.
7. Planning For
Shutdowns
Researchers should develop written procedures to deal with events such
as loss of electrical power (affecting fume hoods, coolers etc.) or
other utilities (water), or temporary loss of personnel due to
illnesses such as pandemic flu. Guidance on factors to consider
when developing shut-down plans is included in the Lab Hibernation
Checklist in Appendix
Q.
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