The mandate of the Chemical & Physical Safety Committee (CPSC) is to develop, recommend, update and maintain policies and procedures applicable to chemical and physical health and safety practices at UCLA in order to promote safe research practices.
The committee was created at the end of FY13 with the reorganization and renaming of the former Laboratory Safety Committee. The CPSC focuses on chemical and physical hazards involved with research in laboratories.
The CPSC has representation from the School of Medicine, the School of Dentistry, the School of Engineering, EH&S, and the Office of Legal Affairs. The faculty chair of this committee also serves as a member of the OVCR Safety Oversight Committee.
CPSC Policies and Guidelines
Resources
- UCLA Laboratory Safety Practices Letter by Vice-Chancellor Wakimoto’s office.
All UCLA faculty can use this letter as part of their grant applications. - Lab Safety Program
- Laboratory Safety Manual and Chemical Hygiene Plan
Current CPSC Projects
In addition to the completed guidelines and policies outlined on this site, the CPSC has taken on a number of other projects that impact safety practices and requirements in UCLA research laboratories. Please contact the CPSC at cpsc@research.ucla.edu if you have any questions regarding these or other projects.
Guidelines for Earthquake Preparedness
Earthquakes present a well-known hazard in Southern California, so preparation is key to how well staff and the laboratory will survive the experience. The CPSC is currently drafting guidelines to provide laboratories information on actions to take to protect staff and laboratories from seismic hazards. The guidelines are designed to help laboratories endure all disasters, from small ones to life-changing catastrophes.
Templates for Emergency Action Plan and Research Continuity Plan
To aid laboratories preparing for possible emergencies, the CPSC plans to develop templates so individual laboratories can prepare their own Emergency Action Plan and Research Continuity Plan.
Guidelines for Pregnant Students in Laboratory Classes and Research Laboratories
Pregnancy is a critical time of human development, so exposure to certain chemicals may be of concern. In class or research laboratories where chemicals are used that are of concern to a pregnant student or the faculty in charge, the CPSC is developing guidelines for addressing this situation.
Guidelines for Researchers Working Alone
Ideally researchers should not work alone, but this may occur due to factors such as the laboratory configuration, research group membership, and experimental protocols. The CPSC provides guidance to assist Faculty Members and Principal Investigators in developing lab-specific guidelines for researchers working alone in their labs.
Review of Laboratory Safety Training
Safety training is clearly a critical component of laboratory safety, but what topics should be covered, who should be required to take each safety topic, how should the safety material be delivered, when should safety topics be required for researchers, how often should safety training be repeated, and what safety training topics should be repeated? The CPSC reviews laboratory safety training requirements for Faculty / Principal Investigators and researchers and makes recommendations to the UCLA Office of Environment, Health & Safety.
Contact Us
Questions or Assistance
Phone: (310) 794-5639
Email: cpsc@research.ucla.edu
Mailing Address
10889 Wilshire Blvd., Suite 600
Los Angeles, CA 90095-1406