Laboratory Health & Safety

“Nothing Should Be Considered So Important That It Cannot Be Done Safely”

It is the policy of The University of North Carolina at Charlotte, Department of Engineering Technology and Construction Management (ETCM) to maintain a safe environment for its students, academic appointees, staff, and visitors in an atmosphere that encourages employees, students, and other campus members to communicate occupational safety and environmental health matters without fear of reprisal. ETCM promotes comprehensive safety programs based on applicable health and safety standards promulgated by federal and state agencies, including the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) regulation, 29 CFR 1910.1450, titled, “Occupational Exposures to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories,” as well as published standards of nationally recognized professional health and safety groups.

ETCM has written the Laboratory Health and Safety Plan (LHASP) to define administrative responsibilities, accepted safety guidelines and standards, proper laboratory facilities, safety equipment, emergency procedures, training and recordkeeping requirements. ETCM has worked with the UNC Charlotte Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) to help assure that university policies and state and federal mandates are followed.

The purpose of the LHASP is to provide a framework for recognizing, evaluating, and controlling hazards associated with laboratory operations. This plan sets a minimum standard for laboratory operation and specific research laboratories within the department may require their operations to go “above and beyond” this document and implement additional health and safety protocols. Implementation of the LHASP depends on the cooperation of department chair, program directors, faculty, laboratory staff, and all students. The responsibility for safety and health must be shared by all and we must work towards meeting the standards set forth in this LHASP with the common goal of promoting a healthy and safe environment for all employees and students. We recognize that in some situations, proper facilities and equipment may not be available for conducting projects. When this is the case, faculty members should consult with Program Safety Coordinators (PSC) and responsible Laboratory Management (LM) staff for assistance in evaluating hazards and finding ways to conduct work in a safe and healthy manner.

Laboratory Health & Safety Plan

Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)

UNC Charlotte Environmental Health & Safety

Emergency Contact Information