Lab Safety
About Us
The Lab Safety Office promotes a safe research environment by fostering partnerships with faculty, students, and staff to enable them to recognize risks and empower them to learn, discover, and work safely to minimize injuries, illnesses, environmental impact, and regulatory risks.
We accomplish this by providing exceptional service and leadership through program and policy development, information and training, consultation, periodic reviews of environmental health and safety practices and complying with policies and regulations.
How We Support
We minimize injuries, illnesses, environmental impact, and regulatory risks through the following activities:
- Development and implementation of safety policies and programs.
- Administration of safety courses and training.
- Inspection of research facilities.
- Conduction of incident, hazard and risk assessments.
- Identification, evaluation and control of potentially hazardous situations.
- Implementation of corrective actions plans and suggestion of recommendations.
- Publication of information that reflects current topics and best practices in safety.
- Evaluation of emergency preparedness procedures and responding to emergency incidents.
- Management of hazardous wastes.
- Operational support of research oversight committees.
- Collaboration with regulatory agencies.
- Periodic review and evaluation of safety programs, policies and regulations.
- Lab Safety Forms and Policies
- Lab Coat Program
- Safety Training
- Regulatory Oversight Committees
Report a Safety Concern Form
(For full form functionality, please download PDF and complete the form outside of your internet browser)
The Lab Safety Office has partnered with Medico Professional Linen Service to provide lab coat services at no cost to research labs. The vendor will barcode, launder, repair, and replace lab coats as needed. The Lab Coat Program is managed by the Lab Safety Office. Refer all Lab Coat Program inquiries to labsafety@chla.usc.edu. These include:
- New Lab Coat Request
- Lab Coat Loaner
- Lab Coat Replacement
- Lab Coat Laundering
- Lab Coating Fitting
- Lab Coat Repair
- Lab Coat Barcoding
- LHAT Assessment
To find additional information about the Lab Coat Program please refer to the documents below:
Lab Coat Fact Program Information
Lab Coat Fact Sheet
Lab Coat Request Form (For full form functionality, please download PDF and complete the form outside of your internet browser)
Safety training is essential to communicate the principles and practices of research and laboratory safety.
- Training programs are required by the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) for all employees who work with hazards such as hazardous chemicals and human-derived materials (e.g., human blood, body fluids or tissue specimens).
- National Institutes of Health (NIH) Guidelines requires employers to ensure appropriate training for laboratory staff regarding laboratory safety and implementation of the NIH Guidelines.
- The California Department of Public Health (CDPH) requires personnel generating infectious waste to understand compliance requirements for infectious waste collection, storage, transport and disposal.
- CHLA institutional policies requires employee training which focuses on the principles and practices for safely performing research.
- Other research funding and accreditation agencies also require grantees to perform their research in compliance with state and federal safety regulations, standards and guidelines.
Safety training provides that those that participate in laboratory research activities with an understanding of potential hazards and the ability to execute proper protective measures to mitigate potential hazards and associated risks. In addition, safety training ensures that those that participate in laboratory research activities are compliant with:
- Federal safety regulations, standards and guidelines
- CHLA institutional policies
Find out what courses you need to take and how to register below:
Chemotherapy Drugs Training
This training is for laboratory workers that use chemotherapy drugs for research purposes. This training provides laboratory workers with the knowledge to work safely with chemotherapy drugs. Training topics include but are not limited to the following: planning and preparation, exposure risks, work practices, PPE, containment equipment, waste management and emergency response.
Date: Every Other Wednesday
Time: 10:00AM – 11:00AM
Zoom Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZYrduCvrj0jH9ZO4QZUJqfSXDGYc25J1GHm
Meeting ID: 826 1970 6952 | Passcode: 939636
Contact the Lab Safety Office at labsafety@chla.usc.edu for questions or to request additional training dates.
Controlled Substances Training
This mandatory training is required for initial and periodic retraining for laboratory workers authorized by the IACUC or the Lab Safety Office to oversee and/or use controlled substances for research purposes. This training provides laboratory workers with the knowledge to work safely with controlled substances. Training topics include but are not limited to the following: security and storage, recordkeeping, inventory, inspections, transportation, disposal, theft or loss, spills, incident reporting and policy review.
Date: Every Other Monday
Time: 10:00AM – 11:00AM
Zoom Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZIvcuyvpz4rHtKubbC1kYuzWFrBOEjnq7_g
Meeting ID: 862 5579 5146 | Passcode: 194246
Laboratory Safety Training
Laboratory safety training is required before starting work in a laboratory. All classes of new laboratory workers (i.e., staff, postdoctoral fellows, undergraduate/graduate students, volunteers, visitors and any other personnel working in a laboratory) are required to complete this mandatory training. This is also a periodic retraining course for current laboratory workers. This training provides laboratory workers with the knowledge to work safely in a laboratory setting. Training topics include but are not limited to the following: identifying laboratory hazards, controlling the hazards, chemical hygiene, regulatory oversight, hazardous waste management and emergency response.
Date: Every Other Tuesday
Time: 1:00PM – 3:00PM
Zoom Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcldumsqT0pG9M-nhtqWutnsczPrwMQTMIx
Meeting ID: 838 1047 6317 | Passcode: 626588
OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens Training
The California Occupational Safety and Health Administration (Cal/OSHA) Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) Standard (8 CCR 5193) applies to all individuals who could "reasonably anticipate", as a result of performing their job tasks, risk of exposure to blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM). This Cal/OSHA standard requires OSHA BBP training for all applicable individuals initially and annually thereafter. This IBC mandated self-paced online training is readily available daily through the Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program for initial training and annual retraining.
This training is designed to provide a basic understanding of the OSHA BBP standard, hepatitis B virus vaccination, labeling, engineering controls, universal precautions, work practices and emergency response procedures. For instructions on how to complete this training view CITI OSHA BBP Training Instructions.
Principles of Biosafety Training
This IBC mandated training is required for initial and periodic retraining for laboratory workers who work with biohazardous or potentially biohazardous materials such as infectious microorganisms, human derived materials (e.g., blood, body fluids, unfixed tissues, cell lines), recombinant DNA/RNA, synthetic nucleic acid molecules, viral vectors and toxins. This training provides laboratory workers with the knowledge to work safely with biohazardous materials. Training topics include but are not limited to the following: regulatory oversight, work practices, routes of entry, hazard controls, containment equipment, risk management, waste management and emergency response..
Date: Every Other Thursday
Time: 10:00AM – 11:30AM
Zoom Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcuc-2grzIuHt1SgOT6LSJPrvIHFeP1OyU9
Meeting ID: 833 4481 9449 | Passcode: 181294
Shipping Biological Materials and Dry Ice Training
This IBC mandated training is required for initial and periodic retraining for laboratory workers involved in the shipping of biological materials and dry ice classified as Dangerous Goods. This training provides laboratory workers with the certification and knowledge to safely prepare, handle, pack and ship Dangerous Goods. This training is required every three years and is designed to meet the requirements of the International Air Transport Association (IATA), the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Upon successful completion of this training, laboratory workers will obtain shipping certification that is valid for three years to ship the following:
- Category A Infectious Substances
- Category B Biological Substances
- Exempt Human Specimens
- Exempt Animal Specimens
- Genetically Modified Organisms
- Genetically Modified Microorganisms
- Dry Ice
Date: Every Other Wednesday
Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Zoom Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcpceqppzkoE9UQtZhG5UpEiqFxJuuVr_mc
Meeting ID: 834 6319 2291 | Passcode: 747638
Contact the Lab Safety Office at labsafety@chla.usc.edu for questions or to request additional training dates.
Viral Vectors and BSL-2+ Training
This IBC mandated training is required for initial and periodic retraining for laboratory workers who work with viral vectors or conduct BSL-2 enhanced work practices (i.e., BSL-2+). This training provides laboratory workers with the knowledge to work with viral vectors and conduct BSL-2 enhanced work practices safely. Training topics include but are not limited to the following: regulatory oversight, CDC and NIH guidelines, risk assessment, viral vector design, biosafety levels, risk groups, work practices, PPE, containment equipment and emergency response.
Date: Every Other Monday
Time: 1:00PM – 2:00PM
Zoom Registration Link: https://us06web.zoom.us/meeting/register/tZcld-ChpzooGtWVcrl1adD_QWbheE7LlcNp
Meeting ID: 838 0999 1201 | Passcode: 992560
Research activities undertaken at the institute must be conducted in accordance with strict ethical principles and in compliance with federal, state, and institutional regulations/policies. Applicable research projects may not be conducted without appropriate regulatory oversight review and approval.
Regulatory oversight committees are mandated to promote the ethical and responsible conduct of research and to ensure compliance with regulatory requirements relating to research involving but not limited to the following:
- Conflicts of interest
- Vertebrate animals
- Biological infectious agents
- Human Derived Materials
- Recombinant DNA
- Synthetic nucleic acid molecules
- Viral vectors
- Gene transfers
- Human subjects
- Radioactive materials and devices
- Stem cells
Conflicts of Interest in Research Committee (COIRC)
Minimizes potential bias; protects the interests of researchers and the Institute through the disclosure, review, and support of research.
Contact the Conflicts of Interest in Research Office at ConflictofInterest@chla.usc.edu
Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee (IACUC)
Oversees the Institute’s animal care and use program, facilities, and procedures; provides a framework for compliance with federal policies, guidelines, and principles for the use of animals in research.
Contact the IACUC Office at IACUC@chla.usc.edu
Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
Per NIH guidelines reviews/approves research involving recombinant DNA and synthetic nucleic acid molecules; also reviews/approves research involving biohazard materials. Members of the public are welcome to attend scheduled IBC meetings.
Contact the IBC Office at IBC@chla.usc.edu
Institutional Review Board (IRB)
Provides a core protection for human research participants through advance and periodic review of the ethical acceptability of proposals for human research.
Contact the Human Subjects Protection Program (HSPP) Office at HSPP@chla.usc.edu
Radiation Safety Committee (RSC)
Regulates safe use of radioactive materials and radiation-producing devices in research to ensure compliance with federal, state, and local regulations.
Contact the Radiation Safety Office at Radsafetyoffice@chla.usc.edu
Stem Cell Research Oversight Committee (SCRO)
Responsible for the review/approval of research involving the use of human embryonic and pluripotent stem cells.
Contact the Stem Cell Research Oversight Office at SCRO@chla.usc.edu