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Laboratory Safety Plan

Laboratory Safety Plans (LSPs) for individual laboratories are required by the OSHA Laboratory Standard. This standard requires a written plan that sets forth procedures, equipment, personal protective equipment and work practices capable of protecting employees from health hazards presented by the chemicals used in the laboratory. At UNC-Chapel Hill, the complete lab safety plan consists of two components:

  1. The Laboratory Safety Manual, which covers general safety procedures for University laboratories,
  2. And an LSP prepared by the Principal Investigator to address hazards and precautions specific to a given laboratory.

The LSP:

  • identifies the hazards in the laboratory
  • describes specific handling procedures and precautions for special hazards
  • outlines emergency safety procedures in the event of a fire or chemical spill

The Laboratory Safety Manual and LSP must be available to all employees in the laboratory. The contents of these documents must be discussed with each employee when he or she begins working in a laboratory and annually thereafter.

Guide to Laboratory Safety Plan

Instructions for the preparation of Laboratory Safety Plans are found in Chapter 2 of the Laboratory Safety Manual.

You may also refer to the guide to the lab safety plan for reference information about:

  • Locating the Lab Safety Plan Portal
  • Creating a New Plan
  • Updating the Lab Safety Plan
  • Adding/Removing Workers from the LSP
  • Changing the Lab Safety Supervisor
  • Checking Personnel Training Compliance

The Laboratory Safety Plan is divided into sections, each of which relate to a particular aspect of laboratory safety, including hazardous materials, radioactive materials, x-ray equipment, lasers and biological hazards. You will be required to specify the locations on the laboratory floor plan where hazards are located (sample laboratory floor plan).

The online Laboratory Safety Plan includes Schedule A: Laboratory Project Information and the following Schedules if applicable to your laboratory.

  • Schedule B: Hazardous Chemicals
  • Schedule C: Radioactive Materials
  • Schedule D: X-Ray Equipment
  • Schedule E: Lasers
  • Schedule F: Biological Hazards
  • Schedule G: Recombinant DNA Experiments
  • Schedule H: Use of Transgenic Animals or Plants
  • Schedule I: Shipping

Please note that the Schedule B incorporates an online Chemical Inventory System to ensure compliance with state and federal regulatory agencies.

If you have questions regarding the online Laboratory Safety Plan, please contact Laboratory Safety staff.

Associated Departments: