Research Safety

Overview & Potential Benefits

The Office of Research Safety (ORS) has a fee-for-service option that alleviates the responsibilities associated with three common non-compliance categories found in laboratories: 1) missing/lost safety items, 2) presence of legacy chemicals, and 3) abandoned equipment/instruments. Note: laboratory equipment/instruments must be free of hazardous materials and decontaminated prior to transfer to Facilities Management Division movers involved in unit relocation or transport to surplus/inventory control. In addition, a moving tag must be affixed to each unit listing decontamination treatment information. Faculty or department head can select this fee for service program authorizing ORS to intervene on behalf of the responsible party to remediate the non-compliance concern.

Academic Affairs Policy 6.01 and 6.02, categorized university academic and research unit roles and responsibilities in an effort to maintain Environmental Health and Safety compliance with federal, state and local regulations. The ORS laboratory visit and consultation program identifies safety concerns including the three previously referenced categories. The findings report communicates non-compliance issues to the appropriate area supervisor. High risk, non-compliance items are to be immediately addressed by the supervisor. For moderate and low risk, non-compliance items, a laboratory revisit is conducted after two weeks. Situations of unresolved high risk or persistent non-compliance triggers an elevated administrative mechanism. Given the urgency and if the non-compliance issues can be addressed by the ORS fee for service program, the faculty member may seek this option. Selection of the program may also be used on the occasion when the primary individual responsible for the assigned room(s) is unavailable. Circumstances of faculty member absence due to extended illness, sabbatical, or no longer employed at the university, etc., is a true problem. Subsequently, laboratory compliance duties are automatically transferred to the next higher-level administrator for immediate action to re-establish a compliant laboratory. In both scenarios, the fee for service program is designed to bridge the gap and offer the administrator the option to transfer responsibilities to ORS for an agreed upon cost for service. The provided fee for service is an integrated collaboration with various UGA entities and is coordinated by ORS personnel from start to finish.

Explanation of Service Categories

Safety Item replacement: specific safety item(s) that are required but missing from the laboratory, such as chemical spill kits, mercury spill kits, dosimetry badge or other item(s) identified by the laboratory visit and consultation program or dosimetry surveillance program. Safety item is replaced according to the fee schedule.

Separation and Disposal of Legacy Chemicals: Legacy chemicals are reagents that are no longer used in the laboratory and the container may exhibit waste-like characteristics (missing or unreadable labels, cracked bottle caps, rust, or extensive dust collection). These partially or unused reagents may be identified as hazardous waste and cited for failure of timely disposal by regulators. Elimination of legacy chemicals with waste-like characteristics is a requirement. ORS fee for service can coordinate with the researchers and help determine what reagents to keep. Remediate any container safety concerns. Request a Chematix waste pick-up, and assure proper separation according to chemical compatibilities and storage in an appropriate Satellite Accumulation Area.

Laboratory equipment/instrument decontamination: freezers, refrigerators, chemical fume hoods, incubators and other laboratory equipment at times require relocation to a new laboratory or inventory control. Facilities Management Division movers require a tag verifying the unit is safe to be transported. This tag notes information on the method of unit decontamination performed by laboratory personnel. The ORS fee for service program would coordinate with the lab group and perform the unit clean out, decontamination, and affix the completed moving tag. Note: some equipment/instrument require special decontamination processes conducted by highly trained individuals or licensed professionals, i.e. decontamination of HEPA filters in biosafety cabinets, and must be verified by the appropriate Environmental Health and Safety group.

Fee Schedule

No Cost Services

Both the Office of Research and the Office of Finance and Administration offer many no cost programs. Researchers are highly encouraged to take advantage of these free services. Partial list of free service activities and professional consultations are described.

Office of Research Safety	Office of Biosafety	Environmental	Facilities Management Division
Professional consultation involving Chemical and Radioactive Material Hazards and regulatory oversight. New Researcher- Laboratory Safety Start-Up Package: spill kit, first aid kit, peroxide test strips, provision of signs, posters, labels, shielding. Chemical and Laboratory Safety Manual and Radioactive Material Safety Manual online access.	Online blood-borne pathogen training and medical surveillance registration	Hazardous Waste pick-Up and disposal	Equipment transfer to Inventory Control or new UGA location
Online laboratory safety basics training, Radiation Safety Training and X-Ray Safety Class Sessions	Autoclave validation consultation and training	Monthly Fire Extinguisher check and service	Engineering Control Unit airflow adjustment and alarm service
Laboratory Closing and Opening Program: laboratory visit and consultation program, service partner coordination, provision of signs, posters, and labels	Biosafety Cabinet function and aseptic techniques training	Online Right to Know Training	Building Safety Work Order System: trip hazard remediation, instrument safety guard installation, laboratory safety equipment service
Radioactive Materials: permit process, State-registration of equipment, physical access processing and background checks, ordering approval, package receipt/processing, and campus delivery. Waste pick-up and disposal; provision of new waste containers if available	Biohazard consultation and training. Online BSL1 & BSL2 training	Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) consultation and free compliance items: HPLC bottle caps, trash cans, Satellite Accumulation Area labeling	Non-hazardous trash pick-up, (including non-hazardous plastic tips placed inside a container and sealed), floor waxing, and other janitorial duties
Radioactivity Monitoring: periodic exposure and contamination checks, X-Ray machine calibration, free-release evaluations for equipment, etc., survey meter calibration, transfer evaluation and preparation, sealed-source leak testing, recycling waste containers and shielding for re-use, dosimetry,	Online BSL3 training	Industrial Hygiene work environment review: Ergonomics, Indoor Air Quality, General Safety	Universal Waste Disposal: industrial batteries, paints, thermometers, fluorescent lights
After-Hours Spill Response Team	After-Hours Spill Response Team	After-Hours Spill Response Team	After-Hours Building Service Team