The purpose of the risk-based laboratory safety program is to develop a quantitative method, based on the risk associated with the lab area, to determine the inspection frequency.

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The risk-based safety program allows EHS to determine an appropriate inspection frequency for all labs on campus. The four main categories used in the risk-based program are the Hazardous Chemical Inventory, Licenses/Grant Proposals, Inspections/Reports, and Physical Location.  All labs are surveyed annually during the summer. Individual labs will be assessed as often as necessary, but not less than once a year.

After a risk-based score is calculated for each lab, the inspection frequency is based upon that score. Laboratory inspections will follow one of these intervals: monthly, quarterly, semiannually, annually, and biennially. The labs of new professors will be surveyed and inspected within that semester (or the next semester, if it’s toward the end of a semester) and will be assigned an inspection frequency.

The overall goal of the risk-based inspection program is to make laboratories and their occupants safer for teaching and research while giving the Principal Investigators (PIs) as much control over the process as possible. While some of the criteria used to determine the risk score (and therefore the inspection frequency) for an area is out of the PIs' control, there are certain steps that the lab occupants can take to reduce the score, such as:

• Keep all staff current with The University's required safety training
• Assign a safety liaison for the lab group
• Test your eyewash station (with documentation)
• Do well on EHS lab inspections
• Keep current Hazardous Chemical Inventories
• Minimize hazardous chemical storage (dispose of old, unwanted chemicals)

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The following information is used to determine the risk score for each lab area, and the risk score determines the lab inspection frequency.

Hazardous Chemical Inventories

None = 0
Low = 1
Medium = 2
High = 3
(the above numbers are assigned based on the volume of chemical present - an average of the Typical Quantity and the Maximum Quantity)

• The chemical classes on the inventory each have a risk factor assigned which ranges from 1-5 (see Table 1).
• The "none," "low," "medium," or "high" level is determined by averaging the Typical Quantity and the Maximum Quantity. The number assigned to each respective level is then multiplied by the risk factor assigned to each chemical class. This is done for each chemical class and the scores are then combined for a total Hazardous Materials score.
• The maximum Hazardous Materials score is 159 points; most labs will probably have a score between 30 and 60 points.
• Radioactive materials and pathogens are omitted from this section.

Table 1. Chemical Quantity Limits for Risk-based Inspections

1. 250 cubic feet is approximately 1 standard cylinder.

Licenses/Grant Proposals

Use of Radioactive Materials = 5
Use of Controlled Substances = 5
Use of Infectious Agents at a Biosafety Level (BSL) 2 =  5
Use of Infectious Agents at a Biosafety Level (BSL) 3 = 10

• The radioactive materials score of 5 is only used when multiplied by the inspection frequency as shown below in the Radiation Safety Inspection Results section.

Note: The information on use of radioactive materials is obtained through the EHS Radiation Safety Section. The information on use of infectious agents is obtained through annual lab surveys. The information on use of controlled substances is obtained through the Department of Public Safety.

Inspections/Reports

Information from the College of Natural Sciences and the College of Engineering inspections will not be included in the overall score, but may affect the frequency in which a lab is inspected.

EHS Lab Inspection Results

Using the most recent inspection results:
0 items requiring corrective action = -10
1 - 2 items requiring corrective action = 5
3 - 5 items requiring corrective action = 10
> 5 items requiring corrective action = 15

Any repeat offense(s), of the same inspection item, for the most recent inspection and going back either to the last 2 years or the last 4 inspections results in the addition of 10 points.

Radiation Safety Inspection Results

Low Inspection Frequency = 1
Medium Inspection Frequency = 2
High Inspection Frequency = 3

• The above score for radioactive materials is multiplied times the 5 from Licenses/Grants above.

Note: The inspection frequencies listed above are provided by the EHS Radiation Safety Section.

Physical Location

Fire/Life Safety

The scores listed below are provided by the EHS Fire Safety Section.
Low = None
Medium = 0.05
High = 0.1
Extreme = 0.15

• The above numbers are multiplied by the total score for that lab.
• Only one of the above numbers will be assigned to a building and it will be applied to all labs within that building.

Safety Equipment

Eyewash Not Available = 10
Eyewash Tested = -10
Eyewash Not Tested = 0
Shower Available = -10
Ventilated and Sprinkled Gas Cylinder Cabinet Not Available = 5

• As every department had an opportunity to request eyewash installation, this is an item within the control of the PI. For our purposes, a lab without an eyewash station that is scheduled to receive one will be "credited" as having one.
• Eyewash testing must be conducted monthly with adequate testing information documented.
• Emergency showers are currently listed as a "bonus" item: absence is not "penalized" and presence is credited. As we have not yet developed an institutional approach to showers, the only way we can appropriately incorporate them is to "reward" PIs who had them installed during lab renovations. Those fortunate enough to be in buildings with a full set of showers in the corridors will receive credit as well.
• We recognize that installing gas cabinets may be beyond the control of a PI. However, the hazard presented by lack of an appropriate gas cabinet still exists. A PI will receive a minor "penalty" for not having a cabinet if it is needed.

Safety Environment

College = +/- 0.025
Department = +/- 0.025
Lab: yes = -0.10, no = 0.5

• The numbers above are (-) for evidence of safety programs, (+) if no evidence of a safety program.
• The above three scores are added together; then the sum is multiplied by the total score for that lab.
• The safety environment is assessed for each the
  • College Level & Departmental Level
    EHS contacted all the colleges and departments that have labs and asked them to describe their safety programs. The scores for the college and departmental level safety programs are based on the results of this survey. College and departmental "credit" includes safety committees, functional safety officers or Chemical Hygiene Officers (CHOs), and similar attributes
  • Lab Level
    The lab group is responsible for providing evidence of safety infrastructure at the lab-level (e.g., a safety liaison and appropriate training for lab staff) during the annual lab survey. Each lab group must designate a safety representative to be the liaison between the lab group and EHS.  This will allow EHS to relay lab safety related information more efficiently and timely to lab staff.  In addition to the safety representative, all lab employees within the lab group must have attended The University’s required safety training courses or must be registered for them.  To receive credit for the Lab Level Safety Program you must submit the name of your safety representative and a printout of lab employees within your group, along with their personal training history. To printout the personal training histories, go to TXClass under "Select an Option" choose "Personal Training History".  Submit this material to Rachel LeBansky at EH&S, C2600.

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How does it work?