Chemical Engineering Department Safety Training Policy

Policies & Forms

This training will be required of all those who work in a research, teaching or other scientific capacity in laboratories in the Chemical Engineering Department. All individuals associated with the Chemical Engineering Department in a laboratory capacity will need to follow the guidelines outlined in this document. This includes, but is not limited to: undergraduate and graduate students; post-doctoral fellows; visiting scholars or anyone who will participate in any research or teaching laboratory. Undergraduate students taking instructional laboratory classes other than undergraduate research (such as Chemical Engineering Laboratory) are exempt. Their safety training will be incorporated into their laboratory class.

Each individual must complete the required safety training within 20 business days of enrollment, employment or in special cases, the first day of participation in any laboratory procedures. Additional courses may be required by the individual’s supervisor or laboratory coordinator.

The individual must then register said training online at the ChE Laboratory Safety Sign In.

Required Training

1. General Safety Seminar OR Laboratory Safety - Lab Workers, Grads, Post Docs (online course). (20 days).
2. Other courses or training as determined by the research director. Examples are: radiation safety, blood borne pathogen training, flammable liquid safety, fire extinguisher training.



Note:

Exceptions to the time requirement may be granted by joint decision of the department safety officer and the research supervisor.

Ongoing Training

Laboratory workers in the Chemical Engineering Department must fulfill two ongoing training requirements each year:


1. Refresher Safety Seminar (once a year) - usually held as part of the spring semester departmental seminar series. If an individual cannot attend the seminar then completion of Laboratory Safety - Lab Workers, Grads, Post Docs (online course) may be substituted.
2. Lab Specific Training – Research supervisors are responsible for ensuring that individuals working in their laboratories are aware of hazards and safety concerns specific to those laboratories. Lab specific training should be refreshed once a year.

Any individual not completing the General Safety Seminar OR Laboratory Safety - Lab Workers, Grads, Post Docs (online course) in the allotted time will be so notified in writing and by e-mail. Copies of the notification will be provided to the appropriate supervisor and the Department Chair. An individual with a deficiency must cease working in any laboratory or on any laboratory procedures under the jurisdiction of the department. When the deficiency is corrected, the individual, supervisor and Department Chair will be so notified in writing and by e-mail and the individual may resume working.

Incident Reporting

Laboratory incidents (hazardous material spills, explosions, injuries, unsafe lab practices or conditions), no matter how minor, should be reported to the Chemical Engineering Department Safety Coordinator using the Chemical Engineering Department Incident Report form. This should be done in a timely fashion (as soon as it is safe to do so after the incident has been resolved).

Record Keeping

Records of each individual's compliance with the safety training requirements will be maintained by the Chemical Engineering Department in an electronic form available online by the Chemical Engineering Department faculty and staff. Upon successful completion of each requirement, individuals must provide the department safety officer with the certificate of completion from EHSS and a copy of that be kept in the laboratory the individual works in. Training records for Lab Specific safety training are the responsibility of the research supervisor.

Records of each incident report will be maintained by the Chemical Engineering Department in an electronic form available online by the Chemical Engineering Department faculty and staff.

Forms.

Printable paper forms are available for your use and record keeping in your laboratory files:


• Safety Training Record
• Incident Report Form
• Employers Accident Report





Links to additional information.

• OSHA Laboratory Standards
• VT Environmental Health and SafetySerivces (EHSS)
• VT EHSS Chemical Safety
• VT EHSS Biological Safety
• VT Hazardous Waste Removal
• VT EHSS Safety Training

 

Department of Chemical Engineering, Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University,
Randolph Hall 133, Blacksburg, Virginia 24061 Phone: 540 231 6631 Fax: 540 231 5022

• Site Menu
• Contact ChE Dept.
• Overview

• VT Equal Opportunity
• VT Privacy Statement
• VT Principles of Community
• Acceptable Use Policy
• Accessibility

© 2007 Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, Department of Chemical Engineering