Lab and Departmental Safety Regulations Update - 08/30/2005
The most notable is that CUPA inspections (for chemical violations) can now be done without any prior notification. They can inspect us anytime without telling the department or even EH&S first. And they are fining too. Fines for small departments have been running around $25,800 and $45,000 for larger departments. Thats per violation so if only 3 labs in the department have something wrong (which is about the number of problems that we had last year), its three times those amounts. They are also beginning to inspect remote locations which can include storage areas. The types of problems they are finding during those inspections are old containers ( paint, un labelled drums, automotive fluids, pesticides etc. that were themselves improperly stored or had been mixed with rainwater or stored with containers that could be used to hold food. Old 5gal. Alhambra water containers in a yard with tires and open, dried out paint cans was one that generated a fine for a department). There is a fenced area behind Carsen that might have some things like this. If anyone knows anything about that equipment or has a key to the lock on the fence, please let a member of the safety committee know!Another new item is regulations about field research done in remote locations on non-U.C. property. They define "remote locations" as those being greater than 50 miles away from a hospital or taking greater than 30 minutes by ambulance to get to a hospital. Anyone working in such an area is supposed to have had the American Red Cross First Aid safety training. Its also a good idea to have contact information for family members of people working on such projects, a list of the nearest Sheriffs Dept., the nearest hospital or medical facility and the name of the Co. Health Officer.
And with regard to safety training, remember keep records of everything (even those who have left for at least 3 years after), conduct a safety update for everyone in your lab or office yearly, train new people or anyone who will be working with you for two weeks or more immediately, and remember to include specialized training for those involved in specialized projects(i.e. animal use and care 101 for those working with animals, pesticide/respirator safety, operation of mechanical devices, first aid, as well as anything related to chemicals, radioactive materials or bio hazards). Training records are another area CUPA likes to inspect but it can get worse than that. There is a legal case involving the campus where an individual got Valley Fever but had been working on the project prior to being trained and prior to being officially on payroll. The Centers for Disease Control is trying to challenge U.C. on both its training and hiring practices. Help everyone out and protect yourself by not having people work before they are officially hired and train them (and document that training in writing) before they do anything!
Finally some good news: you can keep radioactive waste disposal costs down by using non-EPA regulated Scintillation Cocktails. They say disposal costs have risen 800-2000% over the last 3 years and will keep rising.
To get campus 911 from non-campus cell phones dial 752-1234. Dialing 911 on a personal cell will not get you to the campus emergency operator.
One Shields Avenue - 354 Hutchison Hall - Davis, California 95616
Telephone: (530) 752-0300 - FAX: (530) 752-5674
Email the Plant Pathology Office