Laboratory Safety Guidebook

In order to keep the campus community safe and in compliance with applicable regulations and policies, each lab on campus should have a laboratory safety binder for the lab users that is unique to that lab.

UBC Okanagan provides lab managers with customizable templates to support the development of laboratory safety guidebooks.

The guidebook should contain university-level information health and safety as well as customized laboratory-specific information for methods, policies and procedures.

Guidebook templates

Documents with standard numbers as shown below are required in each lab.

Download Guidebook Templates

Documents with an alphabetical character before the number are required in labs that contain that specific hazard:

A. Radio Isotopes / LASERs
B. Biological Materials
C. Special chemicals or other hazards
D. Field Safety (in development)

I. Laboratory registration

1. Laboratory registration process
   • 1a. End of research protocol
   • 1b. Laboratory exit protocol
   • 1c. Lab close-out checklist
2. Laboratory door signage

II. Emergency response

1. General Emergency Response Plan
2. Chemical Spill Procedures

III. Policies and procedures

1. General lab safety
2. Lab orientation
3. Personal protective equipment
4. Working alone
5. Unattended operations
6. Waste management
7. Hazardous waste how-to
8. Hazardous waste flow chart
9. Occupational and preventative health
10. WHMIS training
11. Chemical inventory, labelling and storage
12. Transfer and transport of chemicals on campus
13. Transportation of dangerous goods
14. Annual chemical weapons declaration
15. Fume hood use
16. Equipment repair
17. Lab equipment clearance
    • 17a Lab Equipment Clearance Procedure
    • 17b Lab Equipment Clearance Form
18. Quonset area access procedures

IV. Resources

1. WHMIS 2015 symbols
2. HSE programs
3. Lab Ergonomics (in production)
4. Chemical safety manual
5. Writing Standard Operating Procedures
6. Handling and removing peroxides
7. Lab renovation and design planning guide
8. PPE etiquette
9. Compressed gas cylinder safe handling, use and storage guide

Required for radioisotopes/LASERs labs:

• A1. Radionuclide safety manual
• A2. LASER instrument registration form

Required for biological materials labs:

• B1. Biosafety reference manual, 2020
• B2. Canadian biosafety standard, third edition

Required for special chemicals or other hazards labs:

• • C1. Handling hazardous gases
  • C2. Handling hydrofluoric acid
  • C3. Handling pyrophoric materials
  • C4. Handling perchloric acid
  • C5. Handling picric acid
  • C6. Handling cryogenic materials
  • C8. Handling piranha solution

V. Training records

1. Lab User Training Records

Required for radioisotopes/LASERs labs:

• A3. Radioisotope training record

Required for special chemicals or other hazards labs:

• C7. Quiz for “handling cryogenic materials”

VI. Reviews and certifications

1. Regular self inspection
2. Preparation for lab review
3. Records of inspection, Reviews, and Certifications