Laboratory Safety

Policy on Working Alone

The Laboratory Safety Committee has approved policy pertaining to working alone. Review the following documents:

Working Alone Policy

Prohibited Work Activities

Working Alone Permission Form with Guidelines

Protective Clothing

Lab coats should extend to knees. They are available through the University BookstoreFisher Scientific, or Grainger.

Laboratory Safety Manual

The CWRU Laboratory Biosafety Manual and Laboratory Safety Manual cannot possibly take into account all procedures that are conducted in laboratories campus wide. For this reason each must keep a Chemical Hygiene Plan in the laboratory.

According to the Department of Labor, more than 500,000 workers are employed in laboratories in the U.S. The laboratory environment can be a hazardous place to work. Laboratory workers are exposed to numerous potential hazards including chemical, biological, physical and radioactive hazards, as well as musculoskeletal stresses. Laboratory safety is governed by numerous local, state and federal regulations.

Over the years, OSHA has published guidelines to make laboratories safer for personnel. There are several primary OSHA standards that apply to laboratories as well as other OSHA standards that apply to various aspects of laboratory activities. Visit the US Department of Labor OSHA website for Laboratories directly, or to learn more about laboratory safety on campus, please review the following pages.

Forms