In this module, you will explore the following aspects of safety in research environments:
Ensuring the integrity of research and scholarly activities includes prioritizing responsible research practices and safe environments. The integrity of a research project or scholarly activity may be called into question if the safety of a team or group, or of individual members, was compromised for the sake of the activity. Conducting such activities safely, regardless of the type of activity or location, is of primary importance.
Safety should be assessed at three levels:
Both physical safety and psychological safety need to be addressed for individuals. Types and levels of risk vary among individuals.
Regardless of where research is being conducted, research team members should be treated with respect. Every member has the right to a safe work and training environment free from mistreatment or inappropriate/unprofessional behavior and that promotes professional, scientific, and personal growth and integrity.
There are many types of environments where research or scholarship might be conducted, including, but not limited to:
Planning for safety is key to preventing problems from arising and for effectively managing risk. Principal investigators/project leaders should initiate planning well in advance of the start of project and should involve all members of the team. This type of planning also applies to when individuals are working alone, attending conferences or professional meetings, engaging in remote work assignments, or conducting research or scholarship at another institution.
Planning should be an ongoing and iterative process. During the project, plans should be adjusted as necessary to reflect prevailing conditions/current situation. At the end of the project or the return to the institution from an off-campus location, team members should meet to reflect upon the trip/project identifying what worked well in the plan and what should to be changed for next time. (Image courtesy of Dr. S. Burke.)
The contents of a safety plan for a site/project will vary depending on the location and the nature of the work to be conducted (e.g., plans for remote international field sites should contain different information from plans for traditional on-campus laboratories. Information common to all, however, should include:
The EMERGE Institute Field Safety & Logistics Handbook details an inclusive risk assessment designed to address unique risks faced by underrepresented team members during project/field work, particularly internationally (e.g., cultural norms or laws that present a threat to homosexuals or individuals who belong to certain religions).
Other information that may be included in safety plans depending on the nature of the activities being conducted includes:
Field sites or environments present a range of safety challenges. Therefore, it is important that plans for such activities are comprehensive, addressing the wide range of hazards present as well as preparation and communication.
Resources for developing field site safety plans include:
Laboratory safety, and the use of biological, chemical, radioactive, and other hazardous materials, is integral to certain research and scholarly activities. The integrity of research and scholarly activities involving these materials includes their responsible and safe use.
UNH is responsible for maintaining a safe environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. UNH’s programs are based on health and safety standards issued by a variety of state and federal agencies.
At UNH, the Office of Environmental Health and Safety (OEHS) is responsible for assuring safe and healthful environments for all segments of the campus population. It works toward this goal through:
OEHS is also responsible for ensuring UNH’s environmental health and safety plans and programs comply with applicable local, state, and federal regulations as well as campus policies.
Due to the diversity of activities at UNH and the need to ensure health and safety in a variety of areas, there are specialized safety committees which meet on a regular basis to address specific areas of concern. These committees include the following:
The safety committees are responsible for the following in their area of concern:
UNH has a variety of programs and plans addressing the use of hazardous materials at the institution. The key ones are:
The UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan and UNH Biological Safety and Biosecurity Manual provide a framework for recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazards associated with laboratory operations.
Individuals conducting activities involving biological and/or chemical materials should review the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan prior to initiating any activity to ensure:
Faculty members are encouraged to create their own Individual Laboratory Safety Plan to meet specific needs in their laboratories utilizing the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan as a model. Specific information might include:
Responsibility for meeting the standards of UNH’s health and safety programs and plans is shared by administrators, faculty, staff, students, and visitors.
Research, instruction, and scholarly activities conducted at UNH that involve biological materials fall under the purview of the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC).
Activities involving biological materials must be conducted according to the requirements of the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan, and the UNH Biological Safety and Biosecurity Manual.
Biological materials that are hazardous to humans, animals, or other forms of life are known as biohazards. The IBC is responsible for reviewing and approving research protocols that involve the use of biohazards.
Activities involving the following must be registered with the Biological Safety Officer and the IBC prior to initiation of the activity:
A pathogen is defined as any organism known or suspected to cause infection in humans, animals, insects, or plants.
Research involving the following must be reviewed and approved by the IBC prior to commencing:
Research involving pathogenic microorganisms and potentially infectious agents must be registered with the IBC prior to commencing.
Activities involving infectious agents and rDNA are assigned to a specific biosafety level based on the potential hazards presented. There are four biosafety levels recognized by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH). Each of the four biosafety levels specifies microbiological practices, laboratory facilities, and safety equipment.
The IBC may also prescribe special conditions, requirements, and restrictions necessary for safe storage, handling, or transfer.
All individuals conducting activities involving biohazards are required to participate in appropriate training as required by OEHS.
In addition, faculty are expected to provide training that addresses laboratory-specific information and requirements.
Individuals who may come in contact with human blood or other potentially infectious material are required to participate in Bloodborne Pathogens Training, a component of the UNH Bloodborne Pathogens Exposure Control Plan.
All doors of biosafety level 2 laboratories must be posted with the universal biohazard symbol and biosafety level. The investigator’s name, emergency contact information, and required procedures for entering and exiting the laboratory must be included on a sign at the entrance to the laboratory.
Importation and interstate shipment of biological materials are regulated by government and non-governmental agencies. For shipment purposes, biological materials are categorized into four classes:
Each category has specific packaging, labeling, and handling requirements.
Biohazardous waste must be disposed of according to procedures specified in the UNH Biohazardous Waste Disposal Plan.
Biological materials should be secured per the UNH Biological Safety and Biosecurity Manual.
Research, instruction, and scholarly activities conducted at UNH that involve chemical materials fall under the purview of the Chemical Safety Committee (CSC).
Activities involving chemical materials must be conducted according to the requirements of the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan.
Laboratory work involving chemicals should always be planned with safety in mind. A hazard assessment should be performed for each new procedure, and the hierarchy of controls utilized:
UNH has an extensive Web-based Chemical Environmental Management System (UNHCEMS), which provides the following services:
UNHCEMS user training is available upon request from OEHS.
Before ordering chemicals, individuals should check the chemical surplus list on the UNHCEMS website. Numbers and amounts of chemicals stored should be reduced to a minimum. Excess chemicals are very expensive to dispose of and can cause a hazard if stored too long.
All containers containing chemicals must be dated and labeled with the chemical constituents and hazard. It is recommended that the user’s name also appear on the label.
Safety Data Sheets for chemicals to be used should be reviewed for familiarity with the hazards of the chemicals. Safety Data Sheets (SDSs) were formerly referred to as Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) and are available on the UNHCEMS website. SDSs provide both workers and emergency personnel with a summary of safety information about a chemical product. SDSs include information such as physical data (e.g., melting point, boiling point, flash point), toxicity, health effects, first aid, reactivity, storage, disposal, protective equipment, and spill/leak procedures.
The UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan outlines special handing requirements for specific types of chemicals (e.g., flammable liquids, corrosive chemicals) and for Particularly Hazardous Chemicals (PHCs) (e.g., highly reactive chemicals, peroxidizable compounds).
All individuals conducting activities involving chemicals are required to participate in appropriate training as outlined in the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan. In addition, faculty are expected to provide training that addresses laboratory-specific information and requirements.
All doors of laboratories must be posted with a laboratory door caution sign that displays the appropriate hazardous material warning symbols and room emergency contacts. Contact OEHS to request a sign update whenever necessary.
Chemicals should be stored according to recommendations in the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan and the Safety Data Sheet(s).
Secondary containment of chemicals is required when transporting bottles of chemicals out of the laboratory. Under no circumstances should chemical containers be transported in a passenger elevator without the use of secondary containers. Also, large dewars of liquid nitrogen and other cryogenic liquids should never be transported in an occupied elevator; the dewar should be sent alone with a sign that says "Warning: No Elevator Occupancy" with someone waiting at the destination floor to receive the dewar (Elevator Transport of Cryogenic Liquids).
Controlled temperature rooms such as walk-in cold rooms or incubator rooms may not be used for hazardous chemical use or storage because they have no air exchange (they are air-tight) (see Controlled Temperature Room Safety). Any release of hazardous vapors or gases could be extremely dangerous. No compressed gas except compressed air, cryogens such as dry ice or LN2, or any hazardous chemicals should be used in these rooms.
Hazardous material shipping regulations may apply to commercial products, chemical mixtures, and newly synthesized compounds. Shipment of any type of chemical by a commercial carrier such as FedEx or US Postal Service must be reviewed by OEHS and can include paint, compressed gas, batteries, magnets, formaldehyde, flammable liquids, and corrosive liquids. OEHS offers specific training for shipment of the chemicals listed below:
For all other chemicals, OEHS can provide individual assistance and training. Contact OEHS to discuss chemical shipment needs.
Research, instruction, and scholarly activities conducted at UNH that involve radioactive materials fall under the purview of the Radiation Safety Committee (RSC).
Activities involving radioactive materials must be conducted according to the requirements of the UNH Radiation Protection Program.
The fundamental principle of UNH’s Radiation Protection Program is that levels of radioactivity used and exposures to all sources of ionizing radiation are maintained as low as reasonably achievable (ALARA).
Before an individual can conduct activities involving radioactive materials, they must apply for a Radioactive Material User Permit. Only UNH faculty may become Permit Holders. The applicant must have had 40 hours of radiation safety training or its equivalent and must also complete the UNH Radiation Worker training course provided by OEHS.
Once the RSC approves the permit, the applicant is designated a Permit Holder and may commence approved activities.
Permit Holders must register all individuals who use or directly supervise use of radioactive material in their laboratories/work areas and were not listed in the original permit application.
Permit Holders are responsible for ensuring that all individuals entering their laboratories/work areas have received appropriate radiation safety training. The only exception to this rule is people passing through the area on a guided tour.
All individuals who actually handle sources of radiation must complete a three-hour Radiation Safety for Users training program prior to any handling.
OEHS provides Radiation Awareness training (one and a half hours) for non-radiation workers who may enter a restricted area and for students working under the direct supervision of a Permit Holder.
All trained individuals must attend annual refresher radiation safety training provided by OEHS.
It is the responsibility of the Permit Holder to directly oversee laboratory personnel and operations to ensure compliance with radiological control policies and procedure, and to ensure the security of all radioactive materials.
All transfers of licensed materials, either between departments or from one Permit Holder’s control to another, must have prior approval from OEHS and meet the conditions of UNH’s radioactive materials license. Methods of transfer must minimize the probability of spillage or breakage and provide adequate shielding.
All transfers/shipments of licensed material between institutions must have the approval of OEHS, and must be performed in accordance with pertinent governmental and non-governmental regulations. The receiving institution must be licensed for the material and willing to accept the liability associated with receipt and possession of the material.
OEHS is responsible for ensuring that all regulated wastes are managed in accordance with federal, state, and local regulations.
OEHS staff provide technical assistance and guidance to faculty, staff, and students on proper handling, storage, and disposal of wastes generated from research, teaching, maintenance, and construction activities.
Safe, efficient, and environmentally sound management of regulated wastes from generation to disposal is of primary importance to UNH.
Regulated wastes are categorized as follows:
UNH has developed a Hazardous Waste Management Plan to stipulate how the institution will properly manage hazardous (chemical) waste. Disposal requests for hazardous (chemical) waste are handled by OEHS and can be made either through the UNHCEMS website or by contacting OEHS.
All individuals who generate or handle hazardous waste at UNH must participate in on-line Hazardous Waste Management Training. Contact OEHS to enroll in this training.
Information regarding the management of biohazardous waste is in the UNH Chemical Hygiene Plan. Contact OEHS for information on training.
Disposal requests for biohazardous waste are handled by OEHS. Requestors need to provide information on the type, amount, and location of the waste, department and contact name/phone number of waste generator.
Procedures for proper management of radioactive waste are part of the UNH Radiation Protection Program. Contact OEHS for information on training.
Disposal requests for radioactive waste are handled by OEHS. Requestors must provide OEHS with information on the type (radionuclide and state - solid or liquid), amount, activity, and location of the waste, and contact name/phone number of radioactive waste generator.
UNH Information Technology manages disposal of scrap electronics for UNH. Scrap electronics include CPUs, monitors, televisions, keyboards, photocopiers, printers, various types of laboratory analytical devices, or other electronic devices that contain a circuit board.
Scrap electronics must first be approved for disposal by the UNH Purchasing department. After completing the Request to Scrap Form and approval by Purchasing, Purchasing notifies the person requesting disposal.
1. Grace will have to complete Bloodborne Pathogens Training because she will be handling human blood.
2. Human blood is a potentially infectious agent so the blood draw activity in the study she is proposing only needs to be registered with the Biological Safety Officer and the IBC before starting.
3. Human blood is a potentially infectious agent but not necessarily pathogenic so contacting the IBC about this work is not required.
4. Grace’s faculty advisor should provide Grace with training specific to the laboratory and laboratory requirements before she starts the study.
Once you have finished all of the review questions click ’Certify Completion’.
