Lab Safety and Security

Notice: The quarterly hazardous material and chemical waste pickup is scheduled for Wednesday, May 8, 2013. Please contact persons in your respective departments, laboratories, or shops to inform them of this pickup. Environmental specialists will be principally gathering waste chemicals, used oil, paints and coatings, spent solvents, mercury-containing devices, fixer solutions, and any other potentially hazardous materials. Spent batteries, lamps, etc. can also be collected for proper disposal or recycling at this time.

Please contact Thomas Russell by email or at 765-285-2807 and let him know the identity, quantity, and location of any chemicals or materials you will have for removal. They may be picked up before the scheduled date for waste consolidation purposes and to reduce the number of stops necessary. Unknown substances are particularly expensive for disposal and cause concern for safe handling, so please make every effort to identify the waste material or its hazard characteristics. The next waste pickup will be just prior to start of the fall term in August.

Ball State University is dedicated to providing a safe and secure academic research environment for all faculty, staff, and students. In furtherance of this commitment, the Laboratory Safety and Security Committee (LSSC) provides general oversight and guidance to the campus through promotion of a safe and secure work environment in all research and teaching laboratories, associated scientific operations, and facilities. The committee consists of members from a broad range of departments and reflects the diversity of scientific disciplines and regulatory issues involved with laboratory safety, integrity, and security on campus.

The responsibilities of the committee are to:

• Create an atmosphere conductive to safe, effect, and regulatory compliant laboratory-based programs in order to enhance our overall research and education efforts.
• Advise senior BSU officials on strategic issues effecting research safety and security.
• Develop, update, and maintain policies and procedures in compliance with applicable federal regulations.
• Develop BSU specific policies and procedures, best practice guidance, and applicable research safety guidelines.
• Establish plans and develop training programs applicable to the health and safety of all research personnel.
• Establish strategies to ensure ongoing and adequate hazard identification.
• Review findings of campus inspection, hazard surveillance, environmental compliance, and faculty, staff, and student safety programs relate to laboratories.
• Work collectively with other campus research review and safety committees to ensure open lines of communications, consistency in research policies and practices, and to enhance collaborative efforts.
• Encourage participation in biological, chemical, and radiological security efforts for laboratory personnel and related activities, supplies, agents, and products.
• Serve as an educational and informational resource to the BSU scientific community.

In addition to providing oversight and guidance, the committee may recommend the modification, suspension, or termination of any laboratory activities that are deem to pose an unacceptable risk to life, security, or safety. Review the Chemical Hygiene Plan, ChemTracker, and Resources section of the LSSC website to learn more, or contact the Office of Research Integrity for further information regarding the Laboratory Safety and Security Committee.

The Laboratory Safety and Security Committee website will continue to be updated with new content as it becomes available.