Institutional Laboratory Safety Committee (ILSC)
Charge:
This committee will serve as a faculty-led committee to improve the safety culture in research facilities such as laboratories, art studios and field research sites. It will focus on both human health protection and hazardous risk reduction in these facilities. It will establish policies and procedures in accordance with current practices included in the National Research Council’s (NRC) Prudent Practices for Handling Hazardous Chemicals in the Laboratories, the Center for Chemical Process Safety’s Guidelines for Hazard Evaluation Procedures, the American Chemical Society’s Safety in the Academic Chemistry Laboratory guide and the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) case study on the January 7, 2010 laboratory accident in the Texas Tech University Chemistry and Biochemistry Department. It also will apply regulations established by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) and Texas Commission on Environmental Quality (TCEQ), and recognized prudent practices for risk and hazard management, chemical use, transport, storage, and disposal.
The committee will more specifically:
- provide administrative advice regarding laboratory safety;
- review and implement the CSB case study on the January 7, 2010 laboratory accident and the recommendations that it provides, the additional recommendations placed on Texas Tech University (TTU) by President Guy Bailey, and the reports of the Associate Vice President for Research (Research Integrity) and the external peer review of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) so as to revamp the approach to reducing laboratory risk at TTU;
- review and revise the Chemical Hygiene Plan, particularly with respect to the 2011, CSB recommendations and the recommendations imposed by the Texas Tech University President;
- specifically review and approve or disapprove all protocols, amendments, and renewals relating to the use of acutely hazardous chemicals as defined by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency listing, particularly pyrophorics as identified in Bretherick’s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards Volume 2, energetic materials, select carcinogens and particularly toxic chemicals. Any substance that meets one of the following criteria is considered to be a select carcinogen and a particularly toxic chemical if it:
- is regulated by OSHA as a carcinogen; or
- is listed as a carcinogen or potential carcinogen in the Annual Report on Carcinogens published by the National Toxicology Program (NTP-latest edition); or
- has been evaluated by the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) and found to be either a group 1 carcinogen or a group 2a potential carcinogen;
- receive and review reports from the laboratory safety manager on surveys of laboratories using said materials, personnel exposure, and other issues pertaining to the chemical safety program and to physical hazards;
- develop appropriate benchmarks for laboratory safety compliance and laboratory safety cultural awareness to report annually to President Bailey and the CSB;
- conduct annual reviews of the laboratory safety program and recommend changes in policy as needed;
- review all TCEQ inspection reports; review reports concerning chemical incidents and recommend direction and corrective action concerning these incidents;
- make recommendations to the appropriate operating unit in regard to any corrective actions needed and serve as an avenue of appeal in cases of dispute and exception;
- supervise the institutional educational programs on the use of chemicals; and
- others as deemed necessary.
The committee will advise the Vice President for Research on all matters pertaining to laboratory safety and will recommend when corrective actions may be needed.
Appointment:
The members of the committee will be appointed by the Vice President for Research. The laboratory safety manager will serve as executive secretary to the committee. While the initial appointments have staggered end dates, succeeding appointments will be for three years. Reappointments are permissible.
Operating Procedures:
The committee will meet every month in which there is business to conduct. As a minimum, the committee shall meet once a quarter. The committee will develop its own operating procedures in accordance with federal, state and local regulations, subject to the approval of the Vice President for Research, to whom the committee reports.
A quorum of at least half of the voting members is required to conduct official business.
Officers:
Chairperson: The chairperson of the committee will be appointed by the Vice President for Research.
Responsibilities of the Committee Chairperson: presides over all meetings and appoints subcommittees as necessary or required.
Associate Chairperson: The associate chairperson of the committee will be appointed by the committee.
Responsibilities of the Committee Associate Chairperson: presides over all meetings in the absence of the chairperson and performs required committee chairperson duties in his/her absence.
Executive Secretary: The executive secretary of the committee is the Laboratory Safety Manager.
Responsibilities of the Committee Executive Secretary: prepares the agenda for each committee meeting in consultation with the chair and is responsible for preparing the official minutes of each meeting.
Membership:
See below membership code.
| Name | College/Department | Membership Code | Term Begins | Term Ends |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Barnes, Melanie | Geosciences | 1 |
2011 | 2013 |
| Butler, Boyd | Biological Sciences | 1 |
2012 | 2015 |
| Cooper, Jamie | Nutrition, Hospitality & Retail Management | 3 | 2011 | 2013 |
| Glover, Rob | School of Art | 3 |
2012 | 2015 |
| Hope-Weeks, Louisa | Chemistry & Biochemistry/WCOE | 1, 2 |
2011 | 2013 |
| Maul, Jonathan | Environmental Toxicology (TIEHH) | 1 |
2011 | 2014 |
| Moore-Kucera, Jennifer | Plant and Soil Sciences | 1 |
2012 | 2015 |
| Pappas, Dimitri (Chair) | Chemistry & Biochemistry | 1 | 2011 | 2014 |
| Purkiss, LaQuetta | Chemistry & Biochemistry | 4 |
2011 | 2014 |
| Quintela, Eric | TCEQ/Community & Regulatory Member | 5 |
2011 | 2014 |
| Thompson, Leslie | Animal & Food Sciences | 1 |
2011 | 2012 |
| Wang, Shiren | Industrial Engineering | 1 |
2012 | 2015 |
| Weeks, Brandon | Chemical Engineering | 1, 2 |
2011 | 2014 |
| Martin, Jared (Executive Secretary) | Laboratory Safety Manager | 8 |
Ex-officio | |
| Harris, Cliff | Director, Environmental Health & Safety | 7 |
Ex-officio | |
| Young, Alice | Associate Vice President for Research (Research Integrity) | 6 |
Ex-officio |
Membership Code:
- A minimum of three (3) faculty members active or knowledgeable in the use of chemical reagents.
- A minimum of two (2) faculty members active or knowledgeable in the use of energetic materials.
- A minimum of two (2) faculty members who are non-users of chemical or energetic materials.
- A minimum of one staff member knowledgeable in the use of chemical and/or energetic materials.
- A member of the local regulatory community.
- The Associate Vice President for Research (Research Integrity), Ex-officio.
- Director, Environmental Health & Safety, Ex-officio.
- Laboratory Safety Manager, Ex-officio.
Vice President for Research
Office of the Vice President for Research |
OVPR Staff |
