Lab Compliance Reset Initiative

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Overview

The Laboratory Compliance Reset Initiative (“Reset Initiative”) is a systematic, building-by-building approach to align Northeastern labs with local, state, and federal regulatory requirements and the expectations for good chemical hygiene practices.

The Reset Initiative being piloted in the Egan Research Center is a three-part, collaborative assessment and non-punitive corrective action process with the goal of reaching baseline compliance and sustaining compliance once the reset process is complete.

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Key Page and Resource Links

FAQs

Egan Pilot

Resources

Areas of Focus

Lab Reset has three areas of focus. 

Lab Compliance Assessment

MAQ Compliance Evaluation

Chemical Inventory Survey

Lab Compliance Assessment

For the Lab Compliance Assessment, Principal Investigators will complete two self-inspections and corrective actions will be implemented by appropriate owners. Collaborative support is provided by OARS staff, experienced consultants, College Safety Officers, Department Safety Officers, and others. A verification inspection and close-out report will be completed by Jigsaw Life Safety summarizing compliance status and corrective actions still in progress.

  • Lab Management Inspection:
    • Lab Management in SciShield
    • Chemical Hygiene & Hazard Communication
    • Safety Equipment
    • Emergency Preparedness
  • Lab Space Inspection:
    • Housekeeping
    • SciShield Door Signs
    • Electrical Safety
    • Fire Safety
    • Safety Equipment
    • Fume Hoods
    • Chemical Management
    • Waste Management
    • Infrastructure Verification  

MAQ Compliance Evaluation

Maximum allowable quantities (MAQs) are the maximum amounts of hazardous materials allowed by hazard class, in storage and in use, within a control area in a building. A control area is often an entire floor of a building. The MAQs help ensure the quantities of hazardous materials in a building are within safe operating limits for both occupants and first responders.

For the MAQ Compliance Evaluation, Principal Investigators will reconcile their SciShield ChemTracker chemical inventory, ensuring it is accurate and up-to-date, and will complete the Chemical Usage Questionnaire to describe typical chemical use in their lab spaces. After this enabling work is complete, the total quantities of hazardous materials stored and used within each lab will be examined to determine compliance with MAQ thresholds for each control area. This evaluation will identify chemical quantity reductions, changes to practices, and/or infrastructure modifications necessary to maintain MAQ compliance. 

MAQ Presentation Video

Download the fillable questionnaire below.

Questionnaire

Chemical Inventory Survey

For the Chemical Inventory Survey, Principal Investigator will reconcile their SciShield ChemTracker chemical inventory and certify the inventory is accurate and up-to-date. Clean Harbors will then be scheduled after this is complete.

Clean Harbors chemists will complete a detailed visual inspection of all chemical containers in each lab space, according to a defined list of criteria, to ensure containers are in good condition and meet compliance standards. In addition, an inventory accuracy check will be completed on at least 10% of each lab’s chemical inventory. Chemicals requiring disposal through Clean Harbors will be covered through the Reset Initiative at no additional cost to the Principal Investigator. Labs will also have the option to dispose of unneeded chemicals, also at no additional cost, to support chemical clean-outs and improved chemical management practices.

Chemical Inventory Survey Guide

Reset Initiative – Egan Pilot

The Reset Initiative will scale to all research buildings on the Boston Campus, beginning with a pilot in the Egan Research Center.

Egan is a 4-story research facility that houses approximately 50 lab groups for engineering, physics, chemistry, and computer science.  Researchers can share laboratories and equipment which promotes and advances interdisciplinary research.

The Egan Pilot started in June 2024 with seminars and workshops. Kick-off meetings for each floor are scheduled for July. The Pilot will continue through the summer and fall semesters with substantial completion by Thanksgiving break.

High-Level Egan Pilot Timeline:

    • June: Final planning  & education
    • July (2nd Week): Floor Kick-off Meetings
    • Late November: Substantial completion
    • As Determined: Corrective action implementation
    • January: Ready for pilot review

FAQs

Why is Northeastern undertaking this effort to have the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative?
A culture of safety starts with a minimum expectation of compliance. Conversations with local regulators, and review of recent incidents and inspection data, point towards a need to identify and address compliance gaps, reset practices, and provide support to PIs and lab teams to do so.
Who is leading the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative?
The Provost’s Office has tasked the Boston Office of Academic and Research Safety (OARS) to facilitate the Reset Initiative, with support from experienced consultants, College Safety Officers (CSOs), and Department Safety Officers (DSOs). The Provost’s Office has dedicated resources to bring in the expertise of third-party service providers to further assist stakeholders with their responsibility to identify and close compliance gaps within their labs. This process also includes support for identifying and removing non-compliant, expired, and unneeded chemicals at university cost.
How will CSOs and DSOs be involved in the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative?
CSOs and DSOs are integral to the Reset Initiative, acting as on-site support as they assist PIs with inspections, corrective actions, chemical surveys, progress check-ins, final reviews, and any questions throughout the process.
What is the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative Working Group?
The Lab Compliance Reset Initiative Working Group is a cross-functional team with representation from each College, PREF, OARS, and the Provost’s Office. This group works together to address challenges, evaluate findings and corrective actions, find resources, and identify opportunities for improvement during the Egan Pilot. The Working Group will also play a key role in evaluating outcomes and lessons learned to guide the scaling of the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative to all Boston campus labs.
How is PREF and ECOS involved in the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative?
The groups within Planning, Real Estate, and Facilities (PREF) help shape and maintain Northeastern’s built environment. The Environmental Compliance and Occupational Safety department (ECOS) works within Facilities to promote safety, prevention of injuries and illness, environmental protection, and compliance with federal, state, and local regulations. Representatives from PREF and ECOS serve on the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative Working Group. PREF and ECOS will be key partners during the Reset Initiative for facilities-related compliance findings (e.g., fire extinguishers, eyewashes, etc.). OARS will coordinate these types of corrective actions with partners in PREF and ECOS, developing building-wide solutions when possible.
Are there any extra costs that the PI must cover as part of this initiative?

Chemicals requiring disposal through Clean Harbors will be covered by the Provost’s Office through the Reset Initiative. Labs will have the option to dispose of unneeded chemicals, also at no additional cost to PIs, to support chemical clean-outs and improved chemical management practices.

Cost allocations associated with other corrective actions will be determined case-by-case. Costs may be split among multiple funding sources, including the PI.

What performance metrics are being tracked?
The Lab Compliance Reset Initiative is a data-driven process, with active tracking of progress, inspection items, corrective actions, MAQ compliance, chemical inventory survey outcomes, and hazardous waste disposal.
What results from the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative will be reported?

Progress, data, and results from the Egan Pilot will be tracked on dynamic dashboards and reports, with visibility to stakeholders in the Egan Pilot and the Provost’s Office. Jigsaw Life Safety will provide close-out reports summarizing compliance status and open corrective actions for the Lab Compliance Assessment and MAQ Compliance Evaluation components. OARS, in coordination with Clean Harbors, will provide a close-out report summarizing trends and hazardous waste disposed for the Chemical Inventory Survey component.

What is the difference between these inspections and previous inspections that labs have completed?
The Lab Compliance Assessment includes an expanded set of inspection content compared to other self-inspections in SciShield. During the Reset Initiative, PIs will complete two types of inspections: (1) Lab Space Inspection and (2) Lab Management Inspection. This approach looks at compliance activities for both the physical space and administrative management of the lab. These inspections will be documented using a Smartsheets inspection tool.
How are “verification inspections” different from the PI's inspections?
The Lab Space and Lab Management Inspections are designed to be completed by PIs as self-inspections, with support available from OARS, consultants, CSOs, and DSOs. Verification inspections will be conducted by Jigsaw Life Safety after the self-inspections are complete and during the corrective action process, to ensure compliance status and open corrective actions have been accurately evaluated and documented. Verification inspections are collaborative, and will involve PIs, CSOs, DSOs, OARS, and consultants.
How will lab members be involved during the Chemical Inventory Survey?
Lab member participation is essential during the Chemical Inventory Survey. Lab members will participate in a briefing prior to Clean Harbors beginning work, help address questions during the survey, and work with OARS to review chemicals that have been segregated for disposal or review. A discussion with the lab will be necessary before chemicals from the lab will be disposed of through Clean Harbors. For a full list of evaluation criteria, see the Clean Harbors Chemical Inventory Survey Guide.
How do I to get resources during this initiative?
You can find resources on this webpage dedicated to the Lab Compliance Reset Initiative, including guides and tools. If you have additional questions or would like to request specific resources, please send us a message using this form.
Ask us anything!

Resources

Chemical Hygiene Plan

 
  • Lab Level Peroxide Former SOP
    • Coming soon
  • Peroxide Forming Chemicals Handout
    • Coming soon

Chemical Management

  • Management of Unwanted Gas Cylinders
    • A factsheet explaining the purchasing, returns, and waste disposal processes for compressed gas cylinders. As a user of compressed gases, you have the responsibility to minimize the amount of gas managed as hazardous waste.
  • Compressed Gas Safety
    • Guidelines on the storage and transport of compressed gas cylinders, including additional resources such as a guide on cylinder regulators.
  • Chemical Segregation and Storage Table
    • A reference table highlighting important chemical segregation guidelines. Adapted from Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals, National Research Council, 1995, University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, and Boston University Environmental Health & Safety.
  • Bleach Safety Factsheet
    • Coming soon

Emergency Eyewashes & Safety Showers

  • Safety Shower and Eyewash Poster
    • Coming soon

Emergency Preparedness

 
  • Ethidium Bromide Factsheet
    • A factsheet explaining ethidium bromide (EtBr) waste handling, spill clean-ups, exposure response, and chemical deactivation.

Fire Safety

Fume Hoods

  • Unattended Experiments Factsheet
    • A factsheet containing information on how to perform hazard analysis on an unattended reaction. This page includes the unattended reaction form which must be filled out and posted near the experiment.

SciShield Door Signs

SciShield Lab Profiles and Chemical Inventory

 

 

Waste Management

  • Waste Disposal Matrix
    • Coming soon
  • Hazardous Waste Training
    • “Hazardous Waste Management Initial Training”: Please log in to your SciShield account before opening this link!
    • Hazardous Waste Training Slides for your reference.
  • Chemical Waste Labeling Tool
    • Use this tool developed by Harvard EH&S to find common chemical wastes and waste mixtures generated by lab processes.
  • Satellite Accumulation Area Guidance
    • Coming soon

Work Orders

  • Lab Work Order Checklist
    • Coming soon
Ask us anything!

Contact Us

For general inquiries please contact OARS.

Email:       oars@northeastern.edu
Phone:     617.373.2769 

Northeastern University

Office of Academic and Research Safety/OARS
320 Renaissance Park, 1135 Tremont Street, Boston, MA 02115

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