Laboratory Move/Exit Procedures

The Department of Research Safety's Laboratory Clearance Process is designed to work collaboratively with researchers and departmental leadership to ensure that vacated laboratory spaces are free of hazardous materials before they are reassigned or occupied by other University of Kentucky personnel.
 

To protect the health and safety of all employees, individuals who are not trained or authorized to manage hazardous materials—including departmental administrative staff and housekeeping personnel—must not be expected or permitted to handle, remove, or clean areas containing hazardous materials. It is the responsibility of laboratory personnel to ensure that all hazardous materials are properly identified, removed, and managed before laboratory spaces are vacated.

If your research lab performs procedures with, or has storage of, hazardous materials, please read the information below to properly follow the required "Clearance" of your lab space.

 Hazardous Materials may include but are not limited to: 

• Infectious agents (viral, bacterial, fungal)
• Recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid materials (ex: plasmids with inserts, viral vectors)
• Human or infected animal blood, fluids, cells, and tissues.
• Human blood, blood products, fluids, tissues, cell lines
• Toxins of biological origin (ex: cholera toxin, tetrodotoxin, botulinum neurotoxin)
• Corrosive, acutely toxic, sensitizing, oxidizing, flammable, or reactive experimental chemicals
• Radionuclides, Radiation producing equipment
• Laboratory equipment that has been used in conjunction with the above listed materials

Summary of Process: