MSDSs

MISSION STATEMENT

ORS helps faculty, staff, students, and visitors to work safely, to create safe workplaces, and to achieve and maintain compliance related to health, safety, and protection of the environment.

In carrying out this mission ORS performs a basic risk management function in facilitating protection of University and individual interests against loss from injury, accident, civil or criminal penalties, and litigation.

MAJOR PROGRAM AREAS

• Biological Safety
• Chemical Inventory
• Emergency Response and Incident Reports
• Hazard Communication
• Hazardous Waste Disposal
• Laboratory Safety
• Miscellaneous Services
• Radiation Safety
• Shipping and Receiving Hazardous Materials
• Training
• Who Does What?

Biological Safety

Click here to go directly to the Biological Safety web page.

ORS coordinates safety and compliance programs related to research, teaching, and clinical activities involving bloodborne pathogens, recombinant DNA, select agents, pathogenic organisms, and shipping biological materials.

Bloodborne Pathogens. Each workplace where employees are potentially exposed to human blood, blood products, or other potentially infectious human materials must create and maintain an Exposure Control Plan. Investigators in laboratory workplaces are required to do this by means of data entry in ISIS, the Integrated Safety Information System. ORS distributes the core document Bloodborne Pathogens Program  which includes a model Exposure Control Plan (ECP) to non-laboratory workplaces. Regardless of the type of workplace, each potentially exposed employee must be offered hepatitis-B vaccination and sign a consent/waiver form. Investigators must comply with the requirements before an employee begins work with potentially infectious materials.

Recombinant DNA. All investigators working with recombinant DNA must register their projects. Investigators enter data in ISIS, which creates the Recombinant DNA Registration Form for review by the Biological Safety Officer and, if required, the Recombinant DNA Safety Committee. The NIH guidelines are available from ORS. ORS coordinates the activities of the committee.

ORS staff are qualified and equipped to respond to spills and other emergencies involving chemicals and radioactive materials. ORS emergency response activities are integrated with University Police, the Department of Risk Management, and local emergency response agencies.

Call ORS directly during regular business hours, or call 911 at any time for any emergency involving chemicals, radioactive materials, or other hazardous substances and ask them to page Research Safety.

Hazard Communication refers to training and information for those who work with or are potentially exposed to hazardous chemicals. The hazard communication program encompasses workers’ right-to-know and community right-to- know programs. While both laboratory and non-laboratory workplaces must make Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDSs) available, label chemicals, and maintain chemical inventories, the requirements differ with respect to how information and training are delivered. See the Laboratory Safety web page for information about hazard communication in the laboratory setting. ORS also coordinates annual, University-wide, department-level chemical inventory reporting that is required by community right-to-know laws.

Click here to go directly to the Hazardous Waste web page.

ORS manages disposal programs for hazardous chemical, biological, and radioactive wastes. Generators are asked to complete an inventory prior to requesting a waste pickup. The Surplus Chemical Collection Form is used for chemicals and the Radioactive Waste Card is used for radioactive waste. Bins are strategically located in research buildings for the collection of biological wastes. Where bins are not available, laboratory workers must treat and package biological wastes in accordance with ORS instructions. Special waste pickups may be arranged by contacting ORS. ORS stocks a variety of containers for chemical and radioactive waste collection and makes them available at no charge. Many of these containers are available in the on-campus VWR stockrooms.

Each generator of a hazardous chemical waste must comply with Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) rules for waste collection in the workplace. These include proper storage, labeling, sealing of containers, and spill control.

Laboratory Safety

Click here to go directly to the Laboratory Safety Program web page.

The laboratory safety program comprises laboratory surveys, training, advising on personal protective clothing and equipment, hazard assessment, evaluating operational and engineering controls and work practices, and emergency response. ORS coordinates compliance with regulations of OSHA, EPA, DOT and other regulatory agencies. ORS maintains and distributes the core policy, procedure, and training manual Chemical and Biological Safety in Laboratories . ORS provides safety-related signs and labels and provides services related to respirator selection, training, and fit-testing. ORS reviews incident reports and coordinates the activities of the Chemical and Biological Safety Committee.

ISIS. Principal Investigators who are responsible for a laboratory must complete data entry in ISIS, the Integrated Safety Information System, for review by ORS or the Chemical and Biological Safety Committee. Data must be kept current in ISIS and must be reviewed at least annually. Each laboratory worker must review the ISIS data. ORS will not sign safety certifications for funding agencies until all data has been submitted in ISIS.

Laboratory Annual Review. The Laboratory Annual Review (LAR) is a safety and compliance audit that is performed annually by ORS. ORS reviews ISIS data prior to the LAR. LARs are scheduled by ORS around the anniversary date of ISIS data submission, or on request.

Safety Desk Book. A Safety Desk Book is simply a means of organizing a laboratory’s safety and compliance documentation. ORS assists investigators in preparing Safety Desk Books.

Safety Equipment. Chemical fume hood inspections are performed annually by an ORS contractor, or on request. Facilities Management periodically inspects emergency showers and integrated emergency eyewashes; principal investigators are responsible for monthly documentation and checks of other emergency eyewashes..

Miscellaneous Services

ORS provides services in addition to those in program-specific areas.

Safety certifications for funding agencies. ORS helps investigators to prepare safety certifications required by funding agencies (such as Certificates of Environmental Compliance for DOD). All required data entry in ISIS must be complete before ORS will sign safety certifications. Send completed CEC forms and all other requests to the director, ORS, for review and signature.

Plan Reviews. ORS reviews plans for new construction and renovation when they involve research facilities. ORS collaborates with Facilities Management and the Office of Risk Management in the identification and resolution of facility-specific issues.

Tenants in University Facilities. Tenant laboratories in University facilities are required to comply with all University rules and regulations in the ORS jurisdiction. Services are provided to tenants in 1801 Maple Ave. under contract.

Radiation Safety

Click here to go directly to the Radiation Safety Program web page.

ORS oversees all aspects of radiation safety for the University. The ionizing radiation safety and security program encompasses licensing, radiation worker registration, training, laboratory surveys, purchasing and inventory control, bioassay, personnel dosimetry, radioactive waste disposal, X-ray inspections, survey instrument calibration, security, enforcement, and incident response. ORS maintains and distributes the Radiation Safety Handbook, which is the training, policy, and procedure manual for radiation workers. The laser safety program comprises registration of Class 3b and 4 lasers, operator training, and laser laboratory audits. ORS maintains and distributes the Laser Safety Handbook. ORS writes and maintains the University’s radioactive materials license and X-ray registrations, coordinates compliance with regulations of the Nuclear Regulatory Commission and the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, and coordinates the activities of the Radiation Safety Committee.

Applications and Periodic Reviews. Investigators wishing to use radioactive materials or one of the cesium irradiators must enter data in ISIS, the Integrated Safety Information System. The Application for Possession and Use of Radioactive Materials is an ISIS report that, when completed and submitted in ISIS, is reviewed by the Radiation Safety Officer and forwarded to the Radiation Safety Committee. Subsequent applications for new radionuclides and for increases in previously authorized limits also require ISIS data entry and committee review. Each authorized investigator must periodically submit a Radioactive Materials Authorization Five-Year Review form to the committee. ISIS will automatically notify the authorized investigator via e-mail prior to the due date; the investigator then completes and submits data in ISIS. Increases may be administratively approved on a temporary basis at the discretion of the Radiation Safety Officer, pending formal committee review.

Irradiators. Cesium irradiators are available for research purposes. Local access requirements may vary. Each irradiator user must first obtain a Trustworthiness and Reliability assessment that is coordinated by ORS and must obtain irradiator-specific training by ORS. Barrier training is required for access to the Lurie irradiator.

Laser Registration. All Class 3b and 4 lasers must be registered. Contact the Laser Safety Officer in ORS.

Radiation Worker Registration. All radiation workers must obtain the New Radiation Worker packet from ORS and register prior to beginning work with any source of ionizing radiation. Authorized investigators are required to sign a Radiation Worker Registration Form for each radiation worker and post a current list of all radiation workers.

Training. ORS provides general training to all radiation workers, and specialty training in use of the cesium irradiators. The radiation worker training program is available in Blackboard or as scheduled in ORS.  Investigators must provide radionuclide- and procedure-specific training to radiation workers in their laboratories.

X-Ray Registration. All X-ray devices must be registered. Contact the Radiation Safety Officer in ORs to register a new X-ray machine or to report disposal.

Shipping and Receiving Hazardous Materials

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Hazardous materials transportation is regulated by the Department of Transportation. Any person at the University who prepares for shipment, ships, or unloads hazardous material from a carrier vehicle must be trained. ORS coordinates this training.

Training

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ORS assists Principal Investigators and supervisors in complying with regulatory training requirements by offering safety training in each of our programs. ORS offers basic training that is meant to be a starting point for laboratory and nonlaboratory employees. This basic training must be supplemented by worksite-specific training.

ORS is available to evaluate your safety training needs and to coordinate training. Please visit the training web page to see the schedule of our current classes.

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Internal ORS Links: What's New | Emergency Response | Administration | Biological Safety | Chemical Safety | Hazard Communication | Laboratory Safety | New to NU? | Radiation Safety

External ORS Links: Northwestern Home | Vice President for Research | Big 10 EH&S Links | Risk Management | Employee Safety Handbook

ORS - Evanston • 2145 Sheridan Road • Tech NG71 • Evanston, IL 60208
ORS - Chicago • 303 E. Chicago Avenue • Ward B106 W223 • Chicago, IL 60611
Phone 847/491-5581 or 312/503-8300 • FAX 847/467-2797 or 312/503-0547
e-mail researchsafety@northwestern.edu
Last Revision 05/16/2007
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