Category: Compliance, Integrity & Safety

The Human Subjects Office has developed a Quality Improvement Program (QIP) to assess and respond to challenges with the administration, review, and conduct of human subjects research.  The primary purpose of the QIP is to increase the quality, performance, and efficiency of UGA’s Human Subjects Protection Program (HRPP).

The QIP will include three components or stages: 1) Quality Assurance, 2) Quality Improvement, and 3) Continuous Quality Improvement.  We are focused on finding ways we can become more effective at protecting subjects while also becoming more efficient. Our goal is an HRPP that is not only proactive, but also interactive, and emphasizes prevention of harm.

Please visit the following webpage for updates about this new program as it is implemented across UGA: https://research.uga.edu/hso/quality-improvement-program/

The responsible conduct of research is critical for excellence in all scholarly research pursuits. Furthermore, responsible conduct is vital in securing the public trust in the integrity of our research enterprise.

In support of UGA’s commitment to research integrity, the Office of the Vice President for Research and The Graduate School are surveying the UGA research community to gauge the campus climate regarding the responsible conduct of research (RCR). They would very much like your input on this important topic. Members of UGA’s research community (faculty, postdocs, graduate and undergraduate students, and staff) are asked to share their thoughts and opinions on this important issue by participating in a Responsible Conduct of Research Survey. This short survey is voluntary and completely confidential. Any feedback you provide is greatly appreciated.

This survey will support ongoing efforts to enhance UGA’s RCR culture. In addition, OVPR and The Graduate School are hosting a two-day symposium and workshop, November 10-11, with Frank Macrina, VP for Research and Innovation at Virginia Commonwealth University. A well-known RCR expert who has taught scientific integrity to graduate and postgraduate trainees at VCU for more than 25 years, he also is the author of the respected textbook Scientific Integrity, published by the American Society for Microbiology. More details on his visit will be advertised soon.

For additional information on topics or guidance related to RCR, please contact UGA’s Research Integrity Officer, Dr. Chris King at cking@uga.edu

Chemical accidents in academic laboratories do happen and often simple measures such as wearing appropriate personal protective equipment or reviewing of Safety Data Sheets could have made all the difference in either preventing the accident entirely or at least lessening its impact.

The Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is an independent federal agency charged with investigating chemical accidents. In a 20-minute video, “Experimenting with Danger,” the CSB explores three case studies of accidents within the academic laboratory at UCLA, Dartmouth, & Texas Tech, and details the simple oversights that led to each accident, as well as important lessons to be learned.

The video is an effective reminder of how quickly and unexpectedly laboratory research can go wrong. Click here to watch the video. Please share with your follow researchers and laboratory personnel.

Sharps injuries are a significant hazard for lab personnel. From 2010 to 2014, 81 percent of all laboratory incidents reported to the NIH were from academia and of those academia incidents, 66 percent involved parenteral exposures.

The number one cause of parenteral exposures? You, guessed it…Needles!

In the same 2010-2014 NIH study, 70 percent of all parenteral exposures involved needles. These numbers clearly indicate that sharps injuries are a significant health hazard for those working in laboratories. Reducing sharps injuries in the lab requires a full understanding of how to use, handle and dispose of sharps properly. This can only occur through a shift in an organizations safety culture in the lab.

In an effort to reduce the number of incidents involving sharps on campus, UGA’s Office of Biosafety, with the approval of the Institutional Biosafety Committee, has developed a best practice guidance document regarding the safe handling of sharps. The guidance document,“Guidance for the Safe Handling of Sharps in the Laboratory,” can be found on the Office of Biosafety webpage along with other Biosafety Procedures. Please contact the Office of Biosafety for any questions regarding sharps in the laboratory.

Sharps Common Sense – Top 10

1. Conduct frequent training on proper sharps use and disposal
2. Pay special attention when using sharps
3. Dispose of sharps containers regularly
4. Don’t place sharps containers next to regular trash cans
5. Don’t “retrieve” items from sharps containers
6. Use plastic or sharps with built-in safety features rather than glass
7. Use blunt end needles when possible
8. Inspect glassware carefully before use
9. Properly clean up breakages and equipment
10. Avoid multiple researchers working in close proximity with sharps

UGA faculty anticipating travel to sanctioned countries need to plan ahead six months or more to get the necessary approvals, says the UGA Office of Export Control.

The U.S. government imposes varying degrees of sanctions and embargoes on Cuba, Iran, North Korea, Sudan, Syria, and the Crimea region of Ukraine. Travel to and/or activities within these countries must be reviewed and approved by the Office of Export Control. The review is triggered when the Travel Registry hosted by the Office of International Education is submitted alongside the Accounts Payable Travel Authority. Certain activities in these countries will require permission from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, which may take six months or more to receive, so planning ahead is an absolute requirement. Travel to or activities within these countries on behalf of UGA that is not reviewed and approved by the Office of Export Control may result in the rejection of reimbursement claims and/or violation of the regulations.

Iran

There is a complete prohibition on the export (even temporarily) of goods, services, and technology to Iran. Simply attending a conference in Iran is considered by the U.S. government to be a prohibited export of a service requiring permission. This permission may take upwards of six months to receive. Those interested in travel to and activity within Iran must plan accordingly by contacting the Export Compliance Officer or submitting the TA and Travel Registry six or more months in advance. Non-refundable travel charges such as airfare should not be booked until government permission is received.

Cuba

Travel to Cuba is limited to 12 specific General License categories and there is an embargo in place that limits certain, even temporary, exports. Authorized activities include conference attendance, research, and educational activities including study abroad, among others. While specific permission may not be necessary, the Office of Export Control needs to review the proposed travel and activity well ahead of the travel dates to confirm that the activity falls within the General License requirements or in the event that it is required, apply for specific permission from the U.S. government for the activity.

North Korea, Sudan, Syria, Crimea region of Ukraine

Travel to and activity within these countries will also need review and approval from the Office of Export Control. These countries have varying degrees of sanctions and embargo regulations. Sudan and Crimea region of Ukraine are the most heavily sanctioned of the four.

Contact Dan Runge, Export Compliance Officer at drunge@uga.edu or 706.542.4188 with questions.

For more information, visit the Office of Export Control website.

For information regarding travel to these countries, see the Introduction section of the Accounts Payable Travel Policy.

The use of controlled substances in animal research is sometimes beneficial, however, many researchers do not possess the licenses required to obtain and use controlled substances.

The UGA IACUC website now provides “Using Controlled Substance in Research at the University of Georgia: Guidelines and FAQs” to inform researchers on topics such as How do I get a DEA license? How must I store my controlled substances? and What recordkeeping is required? The intention is to facilitate researchers’ ability to obtain these drugs and comply with the relevant regulations.

Template forms for the required documentation are also available on the IACUC site.

For more information, contact Leanne Alworth, alworth@uga.edu, Director, Office of Animal Care and Use.

Mercury spills are a common occurrence in university laboratories given the various pieces of equipment in which mercury can be found. Thermometers, pressure control devices, certain lamps and even electrodes can all contain mercury. If a spill goes undetected, mercury can be easily tracked to surrounding locations and become extremely difficult and costly to cleanup.

If you notice a mercury spill, immediately block off the area and contact the Office of Research Safety at 706-542-9088. If you have mercury containing equipment that you would like removed from your lab, please contact the Environmental Safety Division at 706-542-5801. They will help you ensure that you are safely and legally disposing of any equipment that contains a hazardous chemical.

All chemicals that are brought onto University of Georgia property must be purchased through Central Research Stores (CRS). This ensures that each chemical container receives a unique barcode label and that it can be easily tracked as it moves between labs or once it becomes designated as waste ready for disposal.

However, if you have chemicals in your lab that were not purchased through CRS, you can manually add them to your inventory by purchasing unassigned barcode labels and following the procedure outlined by the Environmental Safety Division.