University of Arkansas

University of Arkansas<= span style=3D'color:navy'>

Office of Environmental Heal= th and Safety

Laboratory Security

Laboratories often contain an a= rray of hazardous substances, from chemicals and biological agents to radioactive materials and controlled substances. Laboratory personnel are trained to deal with these hazards. However, it is important to ensure= that the general public is not exposed to these dangers and that materials are n= ot removed from the laboratory.

In the wake of the terrorist activities of 2001, there has been an increased awareness of the need for heightened security measures. Safeguarding University resources from unauthorized access, misuse, = or removal is the responsibility of all faculty and staff. Principal Investiga= tors are obligated to safeguard their laboratories, however all laboratory perso= nnel have a duty to take reasonable precautions against unauthorized entry, and = the theft or misuse of materials, especially those that could threaten the publ= ic.

Principal Investigators should = review and assess the security of their highly hazardous materials, such as infect= ious agents, toxins, radioactive materials, acutely toxic chemicals, carcinogens= , teratogens, explosive and reactive chemicals, and compressed gasses.

At a minimum, the following precautions should be employed:

1. Question the presence of unfamiliar individuals in laboratories and report all suspicious activity immediately to UAPD by calling 575-2222.

2. Lock all laboratory doors when personnel are not in attendance, even for a few minutes.

3. Avoid providing building access to unfamiliar individuals.

4. Secure exterior doors af= ter entering/exiting the building.

Research and other activities involving the use of lab space, materials, or equipment without the knowled= ge and approval of the responsible Principal Investigator is strictly prohibit= ed.

The following guidelines were adapted from Appendix F of the CDC/NIH publication = Biosafety in Microbiology and Biomedical Laboratories 4^th edition. These guidelines are intended to r= educe the risk of unauthorized removal of hazardous materials from the laboratory= :

1. Recognize that laboratory security is different from laboratory safety and develop a site-specific security policy.

a.&n= bsp; Assess the laboratory for hazardous materials and particular security risks.

b.&n= bsp; Develop and implement lab security procedures for lab personnel.

c.&n= bsp; Train lab personnel on security procedures and assign responsibilities.

2. Control access to areas where hazardous materials are used and stored.

a.&n= bsp; Close and lock laborator= y doors when no one is present.

b.&n= bsp; Do NOT leave hazardous materials unattended or unsecured at any time.

c.&n= bsp; Lock freezers, refrigerators, storage cabinets, and other equipment where biological agent= s, hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials or controlled substances are sto= red when they are not in use.

3. Know who is in the laboratory.

a.&n= bsp; Consider using a logbook= for staff to sign in and out of the lab each day or using carded access devices= for this purpose.

b.&n= bsp; Limit laboratory access = to those individuals who need to be in the lab.

c.&n= bsp; Restrict off-hours acces= s to individuals authorized by the principal investigator.

d.&n= bsp; All lab workers (includi= ng students, visiting scientists, and other short-term workers) should carry University identification cards.

e.&n= bsp; Guests should be issued = identification badges and be cleared for entry using the same procedures as regular worker= s or escorted.

4. Know what materials are being brought into the laboratory.

a.&n= bsp; Know what hazardous materials are ordered and shipped to your lab.

b.&n= bsp; Dispose of unneeded haza= rdous materials.

c.&n= bsp; Use a log to sign highly hazardous materials in and out of secure storage.

d.&n= bsp; Take periodic inventory = of all highly hazardous chemicals, biological agents/toxins, radioactive materials, and controlled substances.

5. Know what materials are removed from the laboratory.

a.&n= bsp; Track the use and dispos= al of hazardous materials.

b.&n= bsp; Require written permissi= on prior to removal of highly hazardous materials from the laboratory.

c.&n= bsp; Report any missing inven= tory to the UA Police (575-2222).

6. Have an emergency plan.<= o:p>

a.&n= bsp; Recognize that controlli= ng access can make emergency response more difficult.

b.&n= bsp; Evaluate emergency plans with administrators, safety and security officials, and, if necessary, outs= ide experts.

c.&n= bsp; Review emergency plans w= ith lab personnel.

d.&n= bsp; Provide emergency respon= ders with information regarding serious laboratory hazards.

7. Have a protocol for reporting incidents.

a.&n= bsp; Principal investigators,= in cooperator with facility safety and security officials, should have policies and procedures in place for the reporting and investigation of incidents or possible incidents, such as undocumented visitors, missing hazardous materi= als, or unusual or threatening phone calls.

b.&n= bsp; Train laboratory personn= el on procedures.

For more information, contact t= he Office of Environmental Health & Safety at 575-5448