Documents and Forms
Grainger Office of Safety has created and compiled University resources to assist you with the management of your group's safety plan.
Your Safety Plan should contain:
- Group specific policies
- Procedures to mitigate risk resulting from the use of hazardous materials and/or equipment. (e.g., Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)).
- The campus laboratory safety guide issued by DRS. Any additional guides and/or manuals relevant to your research hazards (i.e. biosafety manual, radiation safety manual). Guides, Manuals and Plans QR codes
- A method to document that personnel have read and understood the material (signature, electronic sign-off).
Safety Plan Format
There is no specific format requirement, the plan just has to be accessible to all group members. It should be a useful tool to train workers in safe procedures relevant to the group's work, not just papers to show to an inspector. Some groups use an online format (wiki page, slack), others prefer a binder with hardcopies. The plan needs to be reviewed annually and updated as necessary. Outdated and irrelevant information should be removed
If you would like support in creating your safety plan or an SOP to manage a hazard or a compliance-related item, please reach out to us via email.
Standard Operating Procedures
SOPs should be written for all materials and procedures that pose a potential risk to the health and safety of laboratory personnel. We understand Standard Operating Procedures pose a unique challenge in the research environment, for detailed information on creating SOPs please visit the DRS website. Creating SOPs
All SOPs should be written by someone who has sound knowledge and experience with the material, equipment, and related procedures. The Principal Investigator (PI) or Laboratory Supervisor is ultimately responsible for the development of SOPs and should review the information to determine if it is accurate and adequate before approving the SOP.
Below are some SOPs that the Grainger Office of Safety has created that only require some additional lab-specific information.
Creating Your Own SOPs
For other hazardous materials or procedures you may have to create your own SOP. One way to do this is by using one of the following SOP templates.
SOP Template
SOP Template for Chemical Experiments
When writing your own SOP, it helps to begin with a Job Safety Analysis (JSA), sometimes called a Job Hazard Analysis (JHA). The JSA or JHA is a systematic process used to identify and evaluate the hazards associated with specific job tasks and to develop measures to eliminate or control those hazards. This systematic process can be performed using the JSA template below. Much of what is written in the JSA can be transferred later to the larger SOP document. Conducting and writing a JSA as a first step will make the job of writing an SOP much less daunting.
JSA Template
Hazard specific information that needs to be included in your SOPs may be found in a variety of locations, some options include SDSs, DRS' Safety Library, or other respected sources. Below are some resources from the DRS Safety Library that may be useful for creating SOPs or for training purposes as part of your safety plan.
Aqua Regia
Bases - Hydroxides
Chemical Compatibility
Chemical Storage
Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety
Cryogens and Dry Ice
Cyanides
Diazomethane
Flammable Liquids
Formaldehyde
Health Effects of Chemical Exposure
Hydrofluoric Acid (HF)
Labeling Chemicals
Mercury
Mineral Acids
Nanomaterials
Oxidizers
Perchloric Acid
Peroxide-Forming Chemicals
Piranha Solutions
Potentially Explosive Experiments
Pyrophoric Materials
Sodium Azide
Scale-Up Reaction Safety
source: DRS Safety Library