Duquesne University | Office of Research

Environmental Health and Safety

Duquesne University places highest emphasis on protecting the environment and the health and safety of all persons who work in or visit our facilities. Therefore, Duquesne University requires all employees, students and visitors to strictly adhere to public safety, occupational safety and good laboratory practices and procedures as established by University policies and required by laws and regulations.
All occupational and environmental incidents can be prevented. University employees are expected to be committed to this premise and are responsible for their safety in the workplace.

2. General Safety

Duquesne University places highest emphasis on providing employees, students and visitors a safe workplace.
* Safety Awareness: Visit the the A to Z Guide to Safety and find out how you can avoid possible dangers or accidents and how you can help promote safety awareness. Toolbox Talks was created to aid department heads in generating employee safety awareness.
* Office Safety: The booklet Office Safety, alerts all employees of potential hazards in the office workplace environment.
* Emergency Operations Plan: The Plan documents procedures which, in case of a campus emergency, provide for the efficient utilization of all resources of the University.
* Emergency Evacuation Plan: The Plan establishes General Emergency Evacuation Procedures to be implemented in the event of an evacuation of any building on campus and guidelines for specific Emergency Evacuation Procedures for units where an evacuation could cause potentially hazardous conditions and where designated individuals must conduct critical functions before evacuation. The Plan complies with OSHA standard 29 CFR 1910.38.
* Hearing Conservation: The Duquesne University Hearing Conservation Program is designed to provide the maximum protection for all employees who may be exposed to high noise levels. It complies with the OSHA 40 CFR1910.95, Occupational Noise Exposure, Occupational Safety and Health Standards .

3. Laboratory Safety

3.1 Laboratory Environmental Health and Safety Responsibilities
The Department of Laboratory Environmental Health and Safety (LEH&S) directs and coordinates all safety aspects in University laboratories. It facilitates compliance with the University Chemical Hygiene Plan and hazardous waste, medical waste, chemical safety, laboratory safety and radiation safety laws and regulations. Responsibility for strict adherence to established safety procedures rest with the faculty who carry responsibility for students, employees and visitors in their research and teaching laboratories and the chair persons, department heads, directors and deans who are responsible for facilitating the implementation of chemical hygiene and safety practices in their units.

3.2 Laboratory Environmental Health and Safety Committee
The LEH&S Committee advises the Department and promotes safety in the laboratory workplace. The Committee includes faculty and staff representatives from University units engaged in biological, chemical, physics, pharmaceutical and medical laboratory teaching and research work and those involved in activities using radioactive materials. The Committee is chaired by the University Environmental Health and Safety Officer.

Members
* John Volpe, Chair, University EH&S Officer; Ext. 6382
* Daniel J. Bodnar, Lab Instruments Manager; Ext: 5042
* Paula Durkota, LEH&S Coordinator; Ext. 4763
* Paul Johnson, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry; Ext. 6615
* David A. Johnson, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences; Ext: 5952
* Heinz Machatzke, Office of Research; Ext: 5175
* Lenore Resick, School of Nursing; Ext. 5228
* Monica Sorescu, Department of Physics; Ext. 4166
* John Stolz, Department of Biological Sciences; Ext. 6333
* Paula Witt-Enderby, Division of Pharmaceutical Sciences ; Ext: 4346

3.3 Chemical Laboratory Safety
The Duquesne University Chemical Hygiene Plan provides guidelines for safe laboratory operations and defines responsibilities for all persons working in or having supervisory responsibilities for laboratories. Environmental health and safety standards in laboratories are enforced by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) under standard 29 CFR 19.1200. OSHA mandates that Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) must be available in laboratories for all chemicals used. Duquesne University requires that MSDSs are directly accessible by hard copy, either located in the laboratory, or via link to a MSDS data base on computers in research laboratories and/or offices. All accidents/incidents, such as injury, fire, chemical or radioactive material spills must be reported to the LEH&S office within 24 hours of the occurrence by filing an Accident Investigation Report.

LEH&S compiles annual inventories of chemicals as required by the PA Department of Environmental Protection, OSHA and the City of Pittsburgh ordinance. A copy of the annual inventory is provided to Public Safety.

3.4 Hazardous Waste
LEH&S has established procedures for handling, minimizing, collecting and storing of hazardous wastes for off-site disposal. Hazardous waste is regulated by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) under the Resource Conservation and Reclamation Act (RCRA) of 1976, amended 1986. Any questions about proper handling and disposal of chemical or radioactive wastes other hazardous substances should be directed to the LEH&S Office. A Waste Guidelines information booklet is also available on the internet.

The Right-To-Know Program informs employees, students and emergency response personnel about hazardous substances that may be encountered on campus and provides appropriate measures required for working safely with such substances.

The Hazard Communication Training Program describes the content of the general training at Duquesne University. Training is offered by the LEH&S Office regularly and upon demand, tailored to specific potential hazardous chemical exposures in the laboratory. The Programs comply with the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard 29 CFR 1910.1200.

Human Subjects: IRB and HIPAA

Animal Care

Radiation Safety

Biosafety

Environmental Health & Safety