Requirement

Each academic year, one or more university-wide initiatives for improving University health and safety programs are undertaken. This is called the Chancellor’s Charge. In 2015, the focus was on improving channels for safety communications. The details of the charge were as follows:

Each laboratory is asked to supply an additional contact for communication with Environmental Health and Safety. This will aid in safety related communications, especially those which are time sensitive such as adverse incidents and new hazards which may affect multiple labs, new practices based on new regulations, etc. Most of these communications will continue to be sent to the PI as well, but the use of a secondary contact will provide necessary backup coverage. 

Additional requirements come from the Nuclear Regulatory Commission for those that have radioactive materials in their labs.

Responsibilities

Each Safety Plan owner designates an SSC as they see fit. EHS preference is that the SSC act as backup coverage for the PI for safety communications and emergencies. EHS provides free training to SSCs so that they may better understand the safety requirements of a lab. EHS understands that not all labs have personnel with a deep understanding of the lab; however, emergency communications can be as simple as knowing the lab location, whether the PI is on campus, or whether nearby labs may be affected by an incident.

Recommendations

EHS recommends that preference in SSC selection go to the person who is the most knowledgeable about the lab space. See below for SSC selection guidance:

 Suitability Example Example Responsibilities
Best Lab Manager

Supervisors

Other PI in a shared space

 Knowledge of processes and hazardous materials

SSC training
Better Lab worker

Safety Representative

 General knowledge of lab activities

Disseminate EHS notifications
Acceptable Building Liaison

Department Chairs/ Deans

Colleagues unfamiliar with space

 Information on PI whereabouts

Knows lab location in building

Knows nearby labs affected by incident

Please communicate this information to a potential SSC before listing them on the Safety Plan

Contact env-health-lab-safety@ncsu.edu with any comments and/or questions