THE W INIFRED MASTERSON
BURKE MEDICAL RESEARCH INSTITUTE, INC.
785 Mamaroneck Avenue, White Plains, New York 10605
Telephone: (914) 597-2551, Fax: (914) 597-2225, www.burke.org
Burke Institute Accident and Injury Procedure
Accidents in the laboratory can involve exposure to fire, extreme cold, chemicals, biological and radiological
agents, bites, cuts or slips and falls. Due to the wide range of hazards present in the laboratory, accidents can
range from a paper cut, treatable with a Band-Aid, to immediately life threatening events. This document
outlines what decisions should be made following an accident or injury and what the reporting and follow up
procedures are at Burke. Some specific response procedures are detailed in the manuals listed below.
Three basic courses of action are described. The appropriate course of action to take is ultimately decided by
the injured person; they should use their best judgment, especially when deciding between course 1 and 2. If
there is doubt about the course of action to take, err on the side of caution and seek medical attention.
Supervisors and colleagues are to reinforce this policy. Any medical decisions should be made by medical
professionals.
1. Accidents that require medical attention. These can be life-threatening accidents (examples include falls,
burns, and exposure to acutely toxic substances) or accidents that are not immediately life-threatening
(examples include needlesticks, lacerations, animal bites, repetitive stress injury, infectious agent
exposures, radiologic exposures). If the accident/injury is life threatening, if the victim is incapacitated, or
needs help getting to the Emergency Room (ER), immediately call 911 and request an ambulance. As
soon as possible notify the victim’s supervisor and EHS. For accidents that are not immediately lifethreatening, accident victims may transport themselves to the White Plains Hospital ER but it is
preferable to be driven by a colleague. An accident report form must be completed subsequently by the
victim and their supervisor. Forms are available online (Burke intranet or EHS website) or from Human
Resources (HR). Complete the form with as much information as is available and submit it to HR. HR will
notify EHS of any accident reports received and EHS may perform a follow up investigation and make
recommendations to avoid a re-occurrence. If a worker’s compensation claim is being considered, the
accident report form must be completed. Note that all needlesticks with potential exposure to
pathogens, animal cells, cell lines or hazmat must receive medical evaluation. For investigators working
with recombinant DNA (rDNA), the Biological Safety Officer must be immediately notified by phone (646962-7233) of any overt exposures to organisms containing rDNA molecules (e.g. lentiviral vectors) that
may cause person injury or illness (e.g. skin punctures with needles containing rDNA). The IBC must then
be notified in writing within 24 h. The policy is outlined at
http://weill.cornell.edu/research/for_pol/forms/IBC_Incident_Reporting_Policy_03.2011.pdf
2. Accidents that do not require medical attention but are reported (examples include minor cuts, scrapes,
near misses). Reporting of accidents triggers an investigation and enables EHS to implement corrective
actions to prevent recurrence. Accidents associated with unsafe working conditions should be reported.
Such accidents/injuries must be reported immediately to the victim’s supervisor. An accident report form
must be completed subsequently by the victim and their supervisor, and submitted as described above
Revised January 2013
3. Minor accidents that do not require medical attention or a report (example, paper cuts). Such accidents
do not require supervisor notification, an ER visit or an accident report form to be completed. First aid
kits are available in each laboratory. The decision to report an accident is made by the injured person.
Accident response resources:
EHS Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure control plan:
http://weill.cornell.edu/ehs/static_local/pdfs/3.1BBP.pdf
Biological Spill Planning and Response:
http://weill.cornell.edu/ehs/static_local/pdfs/3.4_Biological_Spill_Planning_and_Response.pdf
Laboratory Chemical Hygiene Plan: http://weill.cornell.edu/ehs/static_local/pdfs/4.1LabCHP.pdf
Chemical Spill Planning and Response:
http://weill.cornell.edu/ehs/static_local/pdfs/4.3_Chemical_Spill.pdf
Radiation safety manual: http://weill.cornell.edu/ehs/static_local/pdfs/RSM_v4.6.pdf
Useful numbers
Environmental Health and Safety 646-962-7233, ehs@med.cornell.edu
Radiation Safety/ Health Physics 646-962-7233 (Pete Capitelli 718-637-4409 cell)
White Plain Hospital Emergency Room 914-681-0600
Burke Security 914-597-2318
Burke Human Resources (Shannon Choy) 914-368-3123
Revised January 2013