Laboratory Safety

All laboratories using chemicals must follow Occupational Safety and Health Administration’s (OSHA) Laboratory Safety Standard (CFR 1910.1450). In collaboration with CUNY, EHOS has developed a Chemical Hygiene Plan, to help Principal Investigators (PIs) and lab supervisors comply with this regulation. This plan must be available in every lab handling chemicals. 

The manual outlines safe lab practices, including personal protective equipment (PPE) use, emergency procedures, and incident response. However, it is not a complete guide to all lab hazards. For full details, refer to the OSHA Standard for Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories⧉. PIs are also expected to supplement the manual with lab-specific related information. You may also consult our Lab Self Inspection Checklist.

The new Emergency Response Guide has been prepared for use and display in all lab spaces. Responsible parties should print out or otherwise make this poster visible in lab areas.

Chemical spills can pose an immediate threat to the health and safety of persons involved or nearby. If a spill occurs and it cannot be easily contained or is known to be hazardous, immediately contact the EHOS office at (212) 650-5080 or Public Safety at (212) 650-7777. The EHOS office recommends that all lab personnel be made familiar with the Laboratory Chemical Spill Guide to know how to best respond to the different types of chemical spills. For biological spills, refer to the EHOS Bloodborne Pathogen documentation.

Particularly hazardous chemical agents, processes, and necessary safety measures specific to a lab must be documented with Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) that are kept on location. These documents are required as instructive guides for laboratory personnel and as process documentation for auditing purposes. SOPs may be obtained from other organizations, but PIs are encouraged to develop their own SOPs, especially for chemical mixtures and procedures specific to their location. EHOS has provided a template intended for the documentation of non-biological processes that may be downloaded at the following address: CCNY Standard Operating Procedure Template.

The EHOS department also maintains a library of SOPs available at the request of hazardous material users.
For BSL-1 and BSL-2 laboratories that require SOPs, additional information is required. See the EHOS Biological Safety page for further guidance.

The EHOS department performs annual inspections at various locations on the City College campus, including research labs, shops, and all other spaces that contain hazards.
Information regarding upcoming and completed inspections can be found on SafetyStratus LabcliQ⧉, accessed via a CUNY Single Sign-On login.

Once an inspection is completed by a member of the EHOS team, there may be issues identified at the inspected location that require correction by a responsible party. Emails will be sent to the individuals that are indicated as responsible parties at the start of an inspection that allow them to view any violations noted by the inspector and complete corrective actions. Only the person the corrective actions are assigned to will be able to complete the corrections, but may reassign actions to other responsible parties. Some documents that are required in certain labs, such as the Chemical Hygiene Plan, can be found above. For information on upcoming training dates, if students or staff require EHOS training to correct violations, see the Training page. Please also see the LabcliQ Corrective Actions Guide.

Chemicals stored at City College must be recorded in an inventory specific to the chemical owner. The online database currently used to store chemical inventory information is provided by SafetyStratus and can be accessed using the same login page as the corrective actions website (you will have to log out of the corrective actions website first). The chemical inventory site can be distinguished by a blue color. Instructions on accessing and using the chemical inventory are available: SafetyStratus Inventory Guide.

If you require access to the chemical inventory in an area you are working in and are unable to login, or if you have forgotten your password, send an email to EHOS at ehos@ccny.cuny.edu and include information regarding the lab you are working in to receive access.

By avoiding incompatible storage of chemicals in the lab, the chance of a harmful reaction is greatly reduced, whether in the course of routinely moving containers in storage or if containers are knocked over in a cabinet. Alphabetical sorting is often preferred for ease of finding chemicals in the lab, but can lead to incompatibilities. To reduce harm and to conform to regulatory guidelines, the EHOS department advises all lab staff to only sort alphabetically after identifying compatibility groups.

To assist in the identification of potentially hazardous situations in this regard, we have provided a list of common chemicals that may require segregation: Chemical Incompatibility Guide. Additionally, the following policy has been developed by the EHOS department as an inventory management guideline for researchers: Chemical Inventory Control.

Q. Who is responsible for laboratory safety?

       A. You are, the PI, and EHOS department. We are all responsible for laboratory safety across the City College of New York campus. 

Q. What laboratory safety training requirements need completion before conducting research in a laboratory?

       A. All researchers must complete the mandatory 3 EHOS department lead safety trainings before beginning their research. This includes: 

• OSHA General Laboratory Standard
• RCRA Hazardous Waste Management 
• Certificate of Fitness C-14 Fire safety

Q. What are general safety laboratory guidelines to follow while working inside a laboratory?

       A. All Faculty, staff, and researchers are required to follow the same general laboratory guidelines which include:

• Keep work areas clean and organized
• Label all chemical containers
• Only perform authorized experiments
• Eating or drinking are prohibited inside the laboratory (includes water or gum)
• Smoking is prohibited inside the laboratory
• Application of cosmetic or makeup is prohibited inside the laboratory
• Dress and wear appropriate shoes inside the laboratory 
• Wear proper PPE inside the laboratory
• Report all spills and accidents to your supervisor immediately
• Wash hands before exiting the laboratory

Q. What is considered good housekeeping in the laboratory?

      A. Good housekeeping ensures there is no general clutter inside the laboratory. The aisles and all safety equipment (i.e. Fire extinguisher, Safety Shower/Eyewash station, Electrical panel, Spill Response kit) are unobstructed.

Q. Who services the fire extinguishers inside the laboratory?

      A. An outside vendor services every fire extinguisher on campus and replaces them annually with update inspection tags. Each individual laboratory space responsibility is to inspect monthly, write the date and sign with your initials on the inspection tag. 

Q. Who re-certifies chemical fume hoods annually?

      A. The EHOS department re-certifies all laboratory fume hoods. A face velocity test is conducted to ensure the flow is within the acceptable range. 

Q. What if I have issues with the chemical fume hood? 

      A. Please inform your PI of the situation. All Pi’s have access to the Archibus platform website which is connected to the Office of Facilities. 

Q. What is the City College of New York Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP)? Who requires each laboratory to possess a copy of the CHP?

      A. A Chemical Hygiene plan is a written generic plan to outline policies, and procedures for the safe handling and using hazardous chemicals in a laboratory workplace to cover the many different types of laboratories at City College of New York. The chemical hygiene plan is a requirement of OSHA 29 CFR 1910.1450. A hard copy of the CHP must be available in your laboratory. The most recently updated chemical hygiene plan is available on the EHOS website.

Q. What is a Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)? 

     A. A Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) is a written laboratory specific document to summarize how to perform experimental processes safely, consistently, efficiently, and to ensure compliance. The SOP template is available on the EHOS department website. 

Q. What are the appropriate guidelines for chemical storage?
     A. General guidelines for chemical storage include 

• Storing based on compatibility (not alphabetically), 
• Store chemicals according to their hazardous classes or categories (Flammables, Oxidizer’s, Corrosives, Toxic, etc.) to prevent unfavorable reactions
• Shelf liners for all areas
• Avoid storing chemical near heat or ignition sources
• Use approved storage containers, cabinets, lockers, shelves, refrigerators 
• All containers must be in good condition, closed and properly labeled
• No storage above eye level or on the ground. 

Q. What are peroxide forming chemicals? How often do they need testing?
     A.

• Peroxide forming chemicals are a class of compounds than can form potentially explosive organic peroxides upon storage or concentration. Peroxide forming chemicals are required to have a date it was received, date it was opened and a date it was last tested. They require a test every 6 months. 
• Common examples of peroxide formers are Tetrahydrofuran, Diethyl ether, Dioxane.

Q. What are inspections?

      A. Inspections are a tool used by the CCNY Office of Environmental Health and Occupational Safety (EHOS) to ensure that research labs and shops are operating safely and according to the policies issued by CUNY and the College. They are performed typically on an annual basis by members of the EHOS team.

Q. What happens during an inspection?

      A. During an inspection, a lab or shop is assessed using a checklist specific to the materials used and potential hazards at the location. Preferably, inspections will involve someone who works in the lab or shop who can answer questions about the location and address issues that can be fixed immediately.

Q. How can I address issues identified in an inspection?

      A. Corrective actions are verified through SafetyStratus LabcliQ, a web platform that manages inspections, training records and chemical inventory. Email alerts are sent to responsible parties that have been identified as able to correct issues found in inspections. If you are not able to access the inspection report and believe you should have access, email ehos@ccny.cuny.edu .

Q. How can I access and make changes to chemical inventory?

      A. Chemical inventory is accessed through the same login screen as the standard LabcliQ login. You may be given the options to log in to the CUNY or City College of New York site. Inventory is managed through the CUNY site only. Details on how to use the site exist both via SafetyStratus and CCNY. If you are not able to access the chemical inventory or are being directed to the wrong site and believe you should have access, email ehos@ccny.cuny.edu .

Q. What do I need to complete a Lab Hazard Assessment (LHA)?

     A. A Lab Hazard Assessment requires all of the potential hazards in a location to be identified. If one does not exist for a given location, completion of the LHA will be requested upon inspection. Once you have submitted a completed LHA, a member of EHOS will have to finalize the assessment.

Q. What happens if problems found during inspection are not addressed?

     A. Email reminders will be sent periodically, escalating in importance with each lapsed period. Depending on the severity of the issue(s) found, the period given to correct issues before the next reminder may range from weeks to days. With cause, extensions on the period given to complete corrective actions can be granted.