Laboratory Safety includes chemical, biological, radiological and physical hazards while working in the laboratory or field research. Various committees oversee portions of laboratory safety. Federal and State regulations require specific committees focused on certain hazards in some instances.
NIU uses Chemical Environmental Management Systems (CEMS), a laboratory safety software, to manage chemical inventories and create chemical hygiene plans. CEMS provides quick access to safety data sheets (SDS), training videos and management of compliance records. All laboratories and users must register in CEMS. The Office of Research Compliance, Integrity and Safety (ORCIS) can assist with training on CEMS and other laboratory safety training. Please see Chemical Safety for more information.
The Laboratory Safety Committee oversees general laboratory safety on campus.
| Type of Emergency | Procedure |
|---|---|
| Fire | Close doors and then leave |
| Medical | Stay at location |
| Terrorism/Threat | Close doors and then leave |
| Tornado/Weather | Close doors and then go to designated tornado shelter areas |
| Chemical Spill/Leak | Close doors and then exit the immediate area or exit the building to the assembly point if necessary |