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Research Safety Supervision
This page offers a collection of health and safety resources for those responsible for supervising or planning for research safety (e.g., research safety officers (RSO) and principal investigators).
Regulations and Policies
- Laboratory Safety Standard
This DEHS overview of the Laboratory Safety Standard states the training and recordkeeping requirements that must be maintained about laboratory workers working with chemicals. This standard is regulated by Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). - Lab Closeout with Hazardous
Materials Policy
This policy states that the PI is responsible for proper transfer and/or disposal of all hazardous materials in his/her laboratory when moving labs or leaving the University. It also provides details about which hazardous materials he/she is responsible for and how the materials should be dealt with. - Guidelines on Minors In Laboratories
This page details the guidelines that govern how and when minors are allowed into laboratories. - Minnesota Employee Right to Know Act
DEHS offers a brief overview of the Minnesota Employee Right to Know Act (MERTKA) that is a regulation established by the Minnesota branch of the National Institutes of Health (NIH) - Reporting Workers' Compensation Related Injuries
This is the University's Regents' Policy pertaining to workers' compensation. - Research Safety Plan
The Research Safety Plan describes policies, procedures, equipment, personal protective equipment and work practices for protecting employees from hazards in laboratories, and must be modified to fit each department. The RSP meets requirements for two federal regulations: Laboratory Safety Standard and the Minnesota Employee Right To Know Act (MERTKA). - University of Minnesota Board of Regents' Policy: Campus Health & Safety
This policy outlines the University's position on campus health and safety issues.
References and Tools
- Audit Report Template
This template is designed to assist RSOs that must write a formal response to an audit, or other situation, that revealed instances of non-compliance in a laboratory/research area. - Follow-Up Steps for Audits or Instances of Non-Compliance
Use these steps to resolve safety problems or issues of non-compliance found after a lab audit or some sort of emergency incident. - General Emergency Procedure
DEHS has developed a general emergency procedure to guide the development of emergency procedures for particular work environments or departments. Includes links to additional resources for emergency planning. - Hazardous Materials Closeout Procedures Check-List
DEHS has developed an audit checklist that details areas to review when performing an audit of a research area. - Inspection Guidelines
This page answers common questions asked about health and safety inspections conducted at the University by various county, state and federal regulatory agencies. - Laboratory Audit Checklist
DEHS has developed an audit checklist that details areas to review when performing an audit of a research area. - New PI/Research Area Evaluation Guide
This document is designed for RSOs, to guide their consultations with new PIs or with PIs initiating new research procedures and/or laboratories. - OSHA 300 2002 Annual Injury/Illness Reports
These are OSHA 300 injury and illness reports for each University campus, sorted by department. -
Red Cross Safety Training
St. Paul’s chapter of the American Red Cross provides various safety courses, such as first aid, CPR and others. The American Red Cross will also provide on-location training for a department or division. This is a useful option for supervisors and RSOs looking for a safety training option.
- Research Safety Plan
The Research Safety Plan is not only a document required to meet two federal regulations, but is a fairly comprehensive resource–– of methods to supervise and meet health and safety regulations––available to those responsible for maintaining research safety for themselves and others. - Research Safety Program
This program was established to define the supervision and management of effective research safety at the University. It details the responsibility of various University community members to maintain research safety, and provides information about actions to take in the event of continued non-compliance. - RSO Toolkit
The toolkit is a collection of resources designed to help University of Minnesota Research Safety Officers (RSOs) understand and effectively perform their responsibilities. -
Workers Compensation
The University's Office of Risk Management and Insurance outlines an employee's responsibilities, and supervisor's responsibilities in the event of a work-related accident. -
Office of Vice President for Research: Sponsored Projects' Regulatory Compliance
The University Board of Regents' has adopted an oversight model for sponsored projects, that details the ways in which departments that receive funding should ensure compliance with regulations.
Forms
- Child Labor Forms
A supervisor is required to ensure these forms are filled out if he/she has a minor working for him/her.- Parental/Guardian Hazard-Acknowledgment Form
- Application for child labor exemption permit minors 16 to 17 years of age
- Application for child labor exemption permit minors under 16 years of age
- Information regarding exemptions to these forms
- Volunteer and
Visitors Lab Use Agreement (Doc)
Supervisors should ensure that all volunteers working in laboratories fill out this form before beginning any work.