Roles and Responsibilities

Lab Safety Coordinator’s (LSC) are laboratory members who help the Principal Investigator (PI) or Lab Supervisor manage health and safety issues in the laboratory. As the LSC you are:

Designated by the Principal Investigator (PI) to assist and oversee that safety practices are implemented in the lab’s daily operations.
Authorized to represent the PI in matters related to the implementation of laboratory and worker safety.
Serve as the primary laboratory contact with Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) for issues related to safety (i.e. biological, chemical, fire, general safety, controlled substances, etc).

The LSC Safety Checklist below should be used as guidance to help the LSC manage and perform these duties.

LSC Safety Checklist

Ensuring tasks are completed on a regular basis increases working knowledge of equipment, protocols and good laboratory practices. Through a proactive approach to laboratory safety and compliance we can reduce our inspection findings and increase our communication and safety awareness. You can assist EHS, and EHS can assist you! Contact your Department Safety advisor for more information.
Items to ensure weekly:
Weekly items can be shared or delegated in the laboratory. By creating job rotations we can increase our safety awareness and culture.

Flush eye washes and clear from obstructions
Inspect Satellite Accumulation Area
Inspect laboratory equipment and PPE for signs of damage or wear
Has EHS put out any information that should be passed to your lab, emails or handouts?
Have you added new chemicals? Update the inventory on RIMS
Any safety items or concerns this week? Bring them to the attention of your Department Safety advisor
Incidents, near misses or spills? Report them in the near miss section of your binder

Items to ensure quarterly:
Quarterly items will require secondary access to RIMS (www.bu.edu/rims) from your Principal Investigator, or direct contact with your Department Safety Advisor.

Have new personnel entered the laboratory?
Refer to new member check list
Update Chemical and/or Biological Safety Log books to reflect changes
Ensure contents of your laboratory Safety Tool Kit, and ease of location
Have your fire extinguisher been checked monthly?
Has or will the scope of work change? Does this affects and protocols?
Have you had a safety inspection? Have all the items been closed out?
Attend the Laboratory Safety Coordinator meeting

Items to ensure annually:
Annual Items may require additional assistance from your Principal Investigator, Department Safety Advisor, and RIMS access,

All members have completed their annual safety refreshers
Has your fire extinguisher been inspected or changed annually by facilities?
Chemical Fume Hoods- Tested by EHS annually
Biological Safety Cabinets- Tested by an outside contractor
General Maintenance of laboratory equipment- some equipment may require annual services from manufacturers.
Any medical clearances- Respiratory protection, screenings, or evaluations contact ROHP-414-7647

Helpful hints:
– LSC Tool Kit – Hand outs and posters that may assist with tasks!
– Safety is everyone’s responsibility! Delegate tasks when needed.

If you have questions contact your laboratory’s assigned Research Safety Specialist or Environmental Health & Safety.

Environmental Health & Safety
Charles River Campus: 353-4094
Medical Campus: 638-8830

Take positive actions to help reduce the potential for accidents and incidents associated with laboratory operations
Inform laboratory personnel and/or students of the safety hazards associated with their work
Update information (members, job activities, respond to inspections, etc.) as needed in EHS systems (BioRAFT and RIMS). In order to gain access to these systems your PI must add you to their profile in both of these systems as a lab safety coordinator.
Instruct all laboratory personnel and students in safe work methods (see the tool kit’s Lab Resources)
Report all accidents, near misses, and safety concerns to the PI and EHS oehs@bu.edu
Ensure that appropriate BU Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are established and lab personnel and students are appropriately trained and follow them
Work with EHS to determine best safe practices and procedures
Ensure that lab personnel and students complete all required safety trainings in a timely manner. In order to trigger the required trainings it is imperative that the correct job activities are assigned to laboratory members in BioRAFT.
Ensure that all deficiencies identified by EHS or outside regulatory inspectors are addressed and corrected within the time required
Participate in the incident review process
Stop operations that are in clear violation of the safety requirements, approved SOPs, or may potentially result in injuries or potential exposures