Laboratory Safety Services & Tools

Overview

The Laboratory Safety Division addresses biological, chemical, physical, radiological, and general safety issues found in laboratories. The program is designed to serve as a resource to the UTSA research and teaching community and assist with regulatory compliance. The program includes policies, procedures, guidelines, training, as well as lab evaluations, fume hood checks, and safety reviews for research protocols (Chemical Safety Committee, Institutional Biosafety Committee, Physical & Engineering Safety Committee, Radiation & Laser Safety Committee, Research Grants), and assistance with selection of personal protective equipment (PPE).

Laboratory Evaluations at UTSA

Laboratory evaluations are carried out by the Laboratory Safety Division. The frequency of evaluations depends upon the hazard level of the laboratory. Hazard levels are based on the chemical, biological, physical, or radiological hazards in the laboratory and/or the procedures carried out in the laboratory. The hazard level is determined by Laboratory Safety personnel after consultation with the principal investigator (PI) or laboratory manager/supervisor. There are three hazard levels: low, medium, and high. Low-hazard laboratories are evaluated annually, medium-hazard laboratories are evaluated biannually, and high-hazard laboratories are evaluated each quarter. The entire evaluation procedure is available on the PIs SciSchield page. A myUTSA ID (abc123) is needed to access SciSchield. The checklist will be filled out by the Laboratory Safety personnel at the time of the evaluation. Members lists should be updated before the evaluation and whenever changes of personnel occur, and chemical/equipment inventories are required to be updated on the PIs page in SciSchield.

Safety Training

Different training courses are required for work in different laboratory environments. Please ask your PI or contact the Laboratory Safety office at LabSafety@utsa.edu to find out which courses are required. Laboratory safety training is found in SciSchield and is assigned once PI updates its hazard profile. After logging in look for the My Training link under the Training tab. The courses assigned to you will be listed and you can click on the course you wish to take. Contact the Laboratory Safety Division if you have any further questions.

Lab Consultations

Laboratory Safety personnel is available to assist PIs, research personnel, Teaching Assistants (TA), and students with any safety issues that might arise in the lab. We can offer assistance in several areas, including New PI Information, Controlled Substances, Minors in Labs, Fume Hood Issues, Biological Safety Cabinet Issues, Equipment and Laboratory Clearances.