Laboratory Supervisor responsibilities include implementing & following UVM's Lab Safety Program which ensures compliance with OSHA's requirements for a Chemical Hygiene Plan and EPA's requirements for a Laboratory Environmental Management Plan. Laboratory Supervisors are the Chemical Hygiene Officers (CHO) for their laboratories for purposes of complying with OSHA's Standard for Occupational Exposure to Hazardous Chemicals in Laboratories (1910.1450).

Lab Supervisors/CHOs:

• Identify and assess the hazards associated with the lab work;
• Specify and document the controls to mitigate those hazards;
• Inform all lab personnel of hazards;
• Motivate others to utilize those controls to ensure a safe work environment for everyone within their area; and
• Conduct inspections for safety and compliance with UVM policies/programs and lab-specific protocols.

The online lab safety training, entitled Laboratory Roles & Responsibilities, specifically addresses the roles and responsibilities of UVM Laboratory Supervisors. All Supervisors are required to complete this training in addition to the safety trainings shown on the Train and Inform Personnel page. While some safety tasks can be delegated to a Laboratory Safety Officer, the Laboratory Supervisor bears the responsibility for carrying out those tasks and ensuring safe laboratory conditions. UVM Risk Management & Safety is available to consult and& provide tools or resources to support safe laboratory work.

A Laboratory Supervisor may designate a Lab Safety Officer (LSO) and delegate authority to that person.  The lab safety officer is a part of the lab's quality team. Their role is to improve the lab's safety culture using education, training and coaching, and to complete routine tasks that help ensure safety and compliance. They liaise with Risk Management & Safety and coordinate annual refresher trainings as needed, orient new lab staff as they begin working and complete the required monthly self-inspections of the lab area(s). This allows the Supervisor to support the development of technical and leadership skills within the LSO and to maintain the high values of safety and excellence within the lab group.

Specific duties of the LSO may include the following:

• Ensure all lab staff receive training in general lab safety and safe procedures for the hazards specific to their laboratory when they begin work.
• Keep the lab safety notebook updated with Chemical Use Planning Forms, safety data sheets, SOPs, etc.
• Report of employee or student injuries, exposures, and near-misses and following up with occurrences, looking at trends and making engineering or work practice control changes, if necessary.
• Request a risk assessment or exposure monitoring for those who work with any specific hazardous material of concern.
• Ensure completion of the monthly laboratory self-inspection
• Ensure that  everyone in the lab is prepared to respond to a lab or building emergency (spill response, evacuation, etc.)

Often, these safety responsibilities are in addition to their normal laboratory research and duties.  LSO's may be asled to assist with follow up to a lab audit, conduct incident follow-up and act as safety role model for other lab personnel. Large laboratories might even designate a safety representative for each shift.

UVM often hosts visiting researchers and students within our labs, especially during the summertime months.  There are a few actions required of lab supervisors to accommodate this:

• MOU:  All personnel working within UVM’s labs must be affiliated with UVM, either as employees, students enrolled in a class and/or degree program, or through a “Memorandum of Understanding.”  See Resources, Policies and Forms for the “Visiting Worker MOU” (bottom of page under Forms/Guidelines).
• Minors:  If the researcher is less than 18 years of age, then UVM’s policy for “Minors in Laboratories” applies.  A link to this policy, as well as the “Minors in Labs Permission Form” are also on Resources, Policies and Forms.
• Training:  UVM’s compliance with OSHA and EPA regulations is detailed within our Laboratory Safety Program and related trainings, even visiting lab workers must complete the trainings detailed in Training section of this program.
• Protocols:  Protocols approved through the RSC, IBC, IACUC and IRB do not automatically include changes in research personnel or in research spaces.  Lab Supervisors and visiting researchers may have protocols that need to be updated and reviewed to accommodate these changes.

Routine laboratory safety audits are conducted by the Risk Management & Safety. The system used to track laboratory audits is called LabcliQ; this system is used by many Colleges and Universities around the country. The questions on the audit are based on the monthly self inspection required by all labs at UVM.

The original audit is sent to the Principal Investigator and the Lab Safety Officer.  Labs have two weeks to follow up with any safety deficiencies or concerns noted in the audit. The PI and LSO will receive two reminders if they do not address the audit concerns and login to close out the audit online.

If audit items are not corrected, an third email notificationis automatically sent to the PI, the LSO and it includes the Department Chair. The intent of including the Chair is that they will assist the researcher in resolving the safety issues with RM&S support.

If audit items are still not corrected, a fourth email notification is automatically sent to the PI, LSO, Chair and Dean of the College. It may also include any other necessary contacts. The intent of including the Dean is that they will assist the researcher in resolving the safety issues with RM&S support.

• More information on audits, including how to login to LABCLIQ