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Guidelines: Security
of Hazardous Materials
Follow these guidelines to minimize opportunities for
intentional removal of any hazardous materials from your
laboratory:
1. Develop a site-specific security
policy.
- Make an assessment of your laboratory area for
hazardous materials and particular security issues.
- Develop and implement lab security procedures for
your lab group.
- Train lab
group members on security procedures and assign responsibilities.
2. Control access to areas where hazardous chemicals are used
and stored.
- Limit laboratory access to only those individuals
who need to be in the lab.
- Allow off-hours access only to individuals
authorized by the principal investigator.
- Lock freezers, refrigerators, storage cabinets, and
other containers where stocks of biological agents, hazardous chemicals,
or radioactive materials are stored when they are not in direct view of
workers (for example, when located in unattended storage areas).
- Do not leave hazardous materials unattended or
unsecured at any time.
- Close and lock laboratory doors
when no one is present.
3. Know who is in the laboratory area.
- Know who is in the lab area at any given time.
- Consider using a logbook for staff to sign in and out each day or
using carded access devices.
- Consider having all lab staff
wear identification tags.
- Approach any people you do not
recognize who appear to be
wandering in laboratory areas and ask if you can help direct them.
Immediately report suspicious people/activity to Public Safety (x2222 or
911)
4. Secure your highly hazardous materials
- Use a log to sign highly hazardous materials in
and out of secure storage.
- Take a periodic inventory of all highly hazardous
chemicals, biological agents/toxins, radioactive materials, and
controlled substances. This could be as simple as frequently looking at
your chemical containers to be sure that none are missing.
- Track the
use and disposal of hazardous materials. Report any missing inventory to
University Police (x2222 or 911).
- Know what materials are being
ordered and being brought into the laboratory area. Visually screen
packages before bringing them to the lab. Packages containing potentially
infectious materials should be opened in a biological safety cabinet or
other appropriate containment device.
- Know what
materials are being removed from the laboratory area.
5. Have an emergency plan.
- Controlled access to laboratory
areas can make an emergency response more challenging. This must be
considered when emergency plans are developed.
- Have a
protocol for reporting incidents. Laboratory directors, in
cooperation with facility safety and security officials, should have
policies and procedures in place for the reporting and investigation of
incidents or possible incidents, such as undocumented visitors, missing
chemicals, or unusual or threatening phone calls.
- Review and
update if necessary the lab's emergency contact information on your lab
hazard sign, located near your laboratory door.
6. Materials of concern: classes of particularly
hazardous materials
Questions
regarding hazardous materials security may be addressed to Jane J. Frank
or call 831-2103.
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