Laboratory Safety Inspection Program

The Office of Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) at Farmingdale State College is committed to all laboratories on campus being inspected at least annually. To maximize program effectiveness, EH&S developed a Laboratory Safety Inspection Form as the primary method of assessment. This form also contains the standard responses (compliance measure) to each inspection question/criteria, a feature designed to assist faculty and staff in identifying and correcting general laboratory hazards (i.e. as a self-assessment tool). Laboratory inspections should be completed by departmental staff at least annually using the Laboratory Safety Inspection Form; and the Office of EH&S may also conduct separate inspections to compliment those efforts. Regardless, the Office of EH&S will ensure timely follow up and corrective measures taken to help remedy any instances of non-compliance.

The Laboratory Safety Inspection Program (LSIP) is a campus-wide inspection program designed to improve regulatory compliance and increase campus awareness of environmental, health and safety issues. Campus labs where hazardous materials are used or stored are either inspected by the Environmental Health and Safety Officer or by departmental staff (as "self-inspections") using the same Laboratory Safety Inspection Form. Inspections shall be carried out in such a way that teaching, research, and other campus operations experience minimal interruptions. It is important in many cases to observe operations in progress, therefore some inspections may take place when labs are in use. To ensure wide coverage of safety issues, the focus of EH&S inspections may change periodically.

Laboratory safety is a shared responsibility. Faculty and staff including Deans, Directors, Department Chairs and Principal Investigators (PI’s) are directed by campus policy to ensure adherence to EH&S regulations, principles and practices. In addition to any formal inspection that may be conducted by EH&S, science department staff and/or PI’s shall support practices that provide for self-inspection of laboratories on a periodic basis (at least annually) during those months that classes are in session and/or when research is in process. This proactive approach is necessary to assure the safety of lab operations for all users. It is the responsibility of lab users to maintain a safe and healthy work environment as they are in the best position to know the hazards inherent in their work and implement appropriate controls.

EH&S will send inspection reports to the Laboratory Manager and Departmental Chair (and other personnel, as necessary) within two weeks of the laboratory inspection. All non-compliant issues (deficiencies) or unsafe or unhealthy conditions identified during the inspections are to be corrected in a timely manner.

* Question #12 of the Laboratory Safety Inspection Form relates to emergency phone numbers and an evacuation plan - please use a FSC Laboratory Emergency Plan Template to assist in complying with this requirement.