Laboratory emergencies may result from various factors that can result in serious injuries, fires, explosions, spills, or potential exposures. All laboratory employees shall be trained and familiar with the location of their laboratory’s emergency response equipment and operating procedures. The Principal Investigator/Laboratory Supervisor of is responsible for ensuring this is completed. The Lab-Specific Training Record Template provided in the "Training Requirements" portion of this website documents the review with lab personnel of the location of safety equipment, including first aid kits, eye washes, safety showers, fire extinguishers, fire alarm pull stations, and spill kits. This training must be maintained for all lab personnel in the lab-specific CHP.
In general, the hazards within the laboratory shall be assessed by the PI/Laboratory Supervisor and lab-specific emergency plans established that cover the procedures and materials of the lab regarding:
Principal Investigators and/or lab supervisors must report any incident involving personal injury, exposure or illnesses, unintended fire, property damage or incidents involving an environmental release of hazardous materials directly to UK Environmental Health and Safety after emergency evacuation and/or First Aid has been completed.
Door signs must be placed on ALL entry doors to spaces that contain hazardous materials and/or equipment. Door signs shall be reviewed and revised, as necessary, on no less than an annual
basis. A compliant door sign shall accurately display:
Instructions for generating a door sign are in the SciShield System, under the Research Tools menu, in the Document Library. For more information, please visit researchsafety.uky.edu or contact labsafety@uky.edu .
All labs are required to post emergency phone numbers and injury reporting procedures in a readily accessible location known to all lab workers.
All types of monitors and alarms are used to warn personnel of an unsafe condition. If an alarm is activated, appropriate response is mandatory by all personnel. Report equipment alarms to the Principal Investigator, Laboratory Supervisor, and/or Facility Supervisor. If the alarm or monitoring system is facility-specific, follow the established specific emergency response procedures. Alarms on Chemical Fume Hoods or other engineering control devices shall be brought to the attention of those responsible for repair as soon as they are discovered. Alarms shall not be tampered with or silenced without ceasing procedures with the equipment. For Chemical Fume Hood alarms and concerns, please contact the UK Department of Occupational Health and Safety.
FOR MEDICAL EMERGENCIES CALL 911 OR GO TO THE UK CHANDLER HOSPITAL (OR CLOSEST) EMERGENCY DEPARTMENT
As part of the university’s Occupational Health Program, the opportunity for Laboratory Workers to receive medical evaluation must be provided under the following circumstances:
Any medical examination required from the above listed situations must be provided without cost to the employee, without loss of pay and at a reasonable time and place. Records of any medical examination will be maintained at the medical facility providing service or with appropriate medical personnel at the University.
All workplace incidents, and workplace acquired injuries or illnesses sustained by UK personnel shall be reported by the Principal Investigator/Laboratory Supervisor to Workers Care by calling (800)440-6285.*
UK students may contact University Health Services (859) 323-APPT during business hours, or (859) 323-5321 after business hours, on weekends or holidays.*
*If known, the following information should be presented to the clinician when being seen for evaluation/treatment:
Work environments with specific potential health hazards with known recommended immediate first aid beyond what is available in most first aid kits, shall be equipped with any known, and accessible immediate first-aid treatment needed for dermal exposures and lab personnel trained (with documentation maintained in the lab specific CHP) on its applicable use and location.
Two common examples of these types of chemical-specific first aid treatments are :
If the laboratory stores and/or utilizes a hazardous chemical with a known dermal first aid product:
Where exposure monitoring reveals an exposure level routinely above the action level (or in the absence of an action level, the PEL) for an OSHA regulated substance for which there are exposure monitoring and medical surveillance requirements, medical surveillance must be established for the affected worker(s) as prescribed by the particular standard. In some instances, may be necessary to perform personnel exposure monitoring when administrative controls, engineering controls, and PPE may not be sufficient for adequate protection from exposure to a hazardous chemical. This can occur when chemical exposure levels approach or exceed OSHA’s Permissible Exposure Limit (PEL) and/or ACGIH’s Threshold Limit Value (TLV). This is usually indicated when engineering controls, such as a chemical fume hood, cannot be used for procedures.
If any research lab is working with one of the federally regulated substances listed below, please contact labsafety@uky.edu so exposure monitoring, ventilation, and any other regulatory requirements, and/or other concerns can be documented and addressed.
Arsenic
Asbestos
Asphalt fumes
Benzene
Beryllium
1-Bromopropane
1,3-Butadiene
Cadmium
Chromium
Diacetyl
Diesel exhaust
Ethylene oxide
Formaldehyde
Hexavalent chromium
Hydrogen sulfide
Isocyanates
Lead
Mercury
Metals, toxic
Metalworking fluids
Methylene chloride
Silica, crystalline
Solvents
Synthetic mineral fibers
Toluene
Major spills of stock solution:
Leave the area and notify others not to enter. Report the spill to the UK Environmental Quality Management Department (EQMD)at (859) 323-6280 (M-F 8am-5pm) or after hours by dialing 911 from any on-campus phone or by contacting the UK Police at (859) 257-UKPD (8573).
Minor spills of manageable amount:
If necessary, contact EQMD for guidance. Consult manufacturer’s SDS for instructions and compatibilities for your chemical. Keep aware of any materials such as paper towels or water that could be incompatible with the spilled chemical.
All workplace incidents, and workplace acquired injuries or illnesses sustained by UK personnel shall be reported by the Principal Investigator/Laboratory Supervisor to Workers Care by calling (800)440-6285.
UK students may contact University Health Services (859) 323-APPT during business hours, or (859) 323-5321 after business hours, on weekends or holidays.
Unsafe working conditions or “near-miss” incidents (incidents not resulting in injury or release of hazardous material) is encouraged to be reported to UK Occupational Health and Safety at:
https://ehs.uky.edu/apps/incident
Lab personnel shall be trained on and informed of the following emergency procedures as well as the procedures detailed in their Building Emergency Action Plan (BEAP)
Fire, rupture of containers resulting in large spills, failure of engineering controls or safety equipment, and/or any other circumstance resulting in uncontrolled release of hazardous materials:
Thermal burns from a clothing fire or large splash of hot material can be life threatening
if they are deep, extensive, or located on critical areas of the body. Severe burns of the
hands, feet, face, and genital areas are considered critical. To extinguish a clothing fire:
Immediate flushing with water is a critical step to response of a chemical splash to eyes or skin. In general, chemical splashes require at least 15 minutes of flushing before a victim can proceed to emergency medical treatment. Knowing the location and how to properly use safety equipment such as eye washes and safety showers is the first step in emergency preparedness.
Using an Eyewash
Using a Safety Shower