Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Laboratory and Research Hazard Assessment
Building: _____________________
Room Number: ___________________
Department: ________________________
Initial/Annual? ________
Date of Completion:________________
P.I./Lab Manager:____________________
This form must be completed by the PI, Lab Manager, or their designee prior to initiating a new research
project and at least once each calendar year. The Activity Hazard Assessment identifies hazards to
employees and specifies personal protective equipment (PPE) to protect employees during work activities.
The person conducting the assessment must verify that it is complete and that training has been conducted.
This assessment consists of:
1. An Activity Hazard Assessment.
2. Site-specific training conducted by the PI or their designee reviewing: When PPE is necessary, what
PPE is required, how to properly don, doff, adjust and wear PPE, limitations of PPE, proper care,
maintenance, useful life, and disposal of PPE.
EH&S personnel are available to assist you with completing your activity hazard assessment or
reviewing it after completion. Consult EH&S for specific questions regarding PPE requirements. Email your EH&S representative at ehs@rowan.edu
3. Obtain and provide all identified PPE needed to protect lab staff from exposure to hazards.
4. Obtain the SDS for all substances in use in the Laboratory. These SDSs must be located near the
entrance to the laboratory.
5. ‘Certify’ the hazard assessment for the laboratory.
Activity
Performed
Yes
No
Chemical Hazards
Activity in lab
Potential Hazard
PPE
Working with small volumes (<4
liters) of corrosive liquids
Eye or skin damage
Working with corrosive or acutely
toxic liquids or other materials which
creates a splash hazard
Poisoning, increased
potential for eye and skin
damage
Working with small volumes (<4
liters) of organic solvents or
flammable organic compounds
Skin or eye damage,
potential poisoning through
skin contact
Safety glasses or goggles. Light
Chemical-resistant gloves. Lab
coat
Safety goggles. Chemicalresistant gloves. Lab coat and
chemical-resistant apron
Safety glasses or goggles.
Chemical-resistant gloves. Lab
coat.
Working with large volumes (>4
liters) of organic solvents, small to
large volumes of very dangerous
solvents, or work which creates a
splash hazard.
Major skin or eye damage,
potential poisoning through
skin contact. Fire.
Safety glasses or goggles.
Chemical-resistant gloves. Lab
coat.
Working with toxic or hazardous
chemicals (solid, liquid, or gas).
Skin or eye damage,
potential poisoning through
skin contact
Safety glasses (goggles for
large quantities). Chemicalresistant gloves. Lab coat.
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
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Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Activity
Performed
Yes
No
Chemical Hazards
Activity in lab
Potential Hazard
PPE
Working with an apparatus with
contents under pressure or
vacuum.
Eye or skin damage.
Safety glasses or goggles, face
shield for high risk activities
Working with Acutely Toxic
Chemicals.
Spills, splashes, ingestion
inhalation, absorption.
Chemicals pose a high
level of immediate health
risk
Chemical-resistant gloves. Lab
coat, chemical-resistant apron for
high risk activities. Safety glasses
or goggles, gloves, lab coat, long
pants and closed toe shoes
Working with pyrophoric liquids
Severe skin and eye
damage. Fire
Working with air or water reactive
chemicals
Severe skin and eye
damage. Fire.
Working with potentially explosive
chemicals
Splash, detonation, flying
debris, skin and eye
damage. Fire.
Working with low and high
temperatures
Burns, splashes. Fire.
Minor chemical spill cleanup
Skin or eye damage,
respiratory damage.
Working with Known or Suspect
Human Carcinogens
Spills, splashes, ingestion
inhalation, absorption.
High hazard cancercausing agents
Spills, splashes, ingestion,
inhalation, absorption.
Agents that affect
reproductive capabilities,
cause mutation and
adversely affect fetal
development
Inhalation, exposure,
dermal exposure
Safety glasses or splash
goggles with face shield.
Chemical- resistant gloves.
Flame resistant lab coat (e.g.
Nomex).
Work in inert atmosphere, when
possible. Safety glasses or
goggles. Chemical-resistant
gloves. Lab coat, flame
resistant lab coat for high risk
activities (e.g. Nomex).
Chemical-resistant apron for
high risk activities.
Safety glasses face shield, and
blast shield. Heavy gloves.
Flame-resistant lab coat (e.g.
Nomex).
Safety glasses. Lab coat.
Thermal insulated gloves, when
needed.
Safety goggles. Chemicalresistant gloves. Lab coat.
Chemical-resistant apron and
boot/shoe covers for high risk
activities. Respirator as
needed. Consider keeping
Silver Shield gloves in the lab
spill kit.
Safety glasses or goggles,
chemical-resistant gloves,
Working with Reproductive Toxins
Working with engineered
nanomaterials
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
lab coat, long pants and closed
toe shoes. Hoods, glove boxes
and other suitable containment
device.
Safety glasses or goggles,
chemical-resistant gloves
Goggles, gloves, lab coat.
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Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Activity
Performed
Yes
No
Biological Hazards
Activity in lab
No
PPE
Working with human blood, body
fluids, tissues, or bloodborne
pathogens (BBP).
Working with preserved animal
and/or human specimens
Exposure to infectious
material.
Safety glasses or goggles, latex or
nitrile gloves, lab coat or gown.
Exposure to infectious
material or preservatives.
Safety goggles, latex or nitrile
gloves, lab coat or gown
Working with agents or
recombinant DNA classified as
Biosafety Level 1 (BSL-1).
Eye or skin irritation
Safety goggles, latex or nitrile
gloves, lab coat or gown
Manipulation of cell lines, viruses,
bacteria, or other organisms
classified as Biosafety Level 2
(BSL2).
Exposure to infectious
material, particularly
through broken skin or
mucous membranes
Safety glasses or goggles for
protection from splash or other
eye hazard, light latex or nitrile
gloves, lab coat or gown.
Manipulation of infectious
materials classified as Biosafety
Level 2 facility with BSL-3
practices (BSL-2+).
Exposure to infectious
materials with high risk of
exposure by contact or
mucous membranes.
Manipulation of infectious
materials classified as Biosafety
Level 3 (BSL-3).-Contact EHS
prior to considering this work to
determine if appropriate facilities
can be constructed
Exposure to infectious
materials with high risk of
exposure, particularly through
the inhalation route.
Working with live animals (Animal
Biosafety Level 1, ABL-1).
Animal bites, scratches,
eye or skin exposure,
inhalation, allergies.
Safety glasses or goggles for
protection from splash or other
eye hazard, light latex or nitrile
gloves (double), lab coat or
disposable gown (preferred),
surgical mask.
Safety glasses or goggles for
protection from splash or other
eye hazard, light latex or nitrile
gloves (double), full disposable
gown or Tyvek suite
(preferred), respirator, shoe
cover or dedicated shoe.
latex, nitrile or vinyl gloves for
broken skin or skin rash, lab coat
or gown. Higher BSL levels
require hair cover, shoe covers,
surgical mask. Consider need for
wire mesh glove.
Activity
Performed
Yes
Potential Hazard
Physical Hazards
Activity in lab
Potential Hazard
Working with cryogenic liquids
Major skin, tissue, or eye
damage.
Removing freezer vials from liquid
nitrogen.
Vials may explode upon
rapid warming. Cuts to
face/neck and frostbite to
hands
Working with very cold equipment
or dry ice.
Frostbite, hypothermia
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
PPE
Safety glasses or goggles for
large volumes, impermeable
insulated gloves, lab coat. Face
shield.
Safety glasses, insulated
gloves (possibly warm
clothing), lab coat.
Safety glasses or goggles for
large volumes, insulated gloves
(Impermeable insulated gloves
for liquids), lab coat.
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Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Activity
Performed
Yes
No
Physical Hazards
Activity in lab
Working with hot liquids,
equipment, open flames
(autoclave, Bunsen burner, water
bath, oil bath).
Burns resulting in skin or
eye damage.
Glassware washing
Working with loud equipment,
noises, sounds, alarms, etc.
Lacerations.
Potential ear damage and
hearing loss
Working with a centrifuge
Imbalanced rotor can lead
to broken vials, cuts,
exposure
Working with a sonicator
Ear damage, exposure
Working with sharps
Cuts, exposure.
Activity
Performed
Yes
No
No
PPE
Safety glasses or goggles for
large volumes, impermeable
insulated gloves, lab coat. Face
shield.
Heavy rubber gloves, lab coat.
Earplugs or ear muffs as
necessary – May need to be
included in the University’s
Hearing Conservation Program.
Safety glasses or goggles, lab
coat, latex, vinyl, or nitrile gloves
Safety glasses or goggles, lab
coat, latex, vinyl, or nitrile
gloves, ear plugs
Safety glasses or goggles, lab
coat, latex, vinyl, or nitrile
gloves.
Radiologic Hazards
Activity in lab
Potential Hazard
PPE
Working with solid radioactive
materials or waste. (Sealed or
unsealed)
Working with radioactive materials in
hazardous chemicals (corrosives,
flammables, liquids, powders, etc.).
Cell damage, potential
spread of radioactive
materials.
Cell damage or spread of
contamination plus
hazards for the specific
chemical
Working with ultraviolet radiation.
Conjunctivitis, corneal
damage, skin redness
UV face-shield and goggles,
lab coat.
Working with infrared emitting
equipment (e.g. glass blowing).
Cataracts, burns to
cornea.
Appropriate shaded goggles,
lab coat.
Activity
Performed
Yes
Potential Hazard
Safety glasses, impermeable
gloves, lab coat.
Safety glasses (or goggles for
splash hazard), light chemicalresistant gloves, lab coat
Laser Hazards
Activity in lab
Operating open-beam laser –
Class 3B
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
Potential Hazard
Eye (burn/damage).
PPE
Appropriate protective
eyewear, wavelength and
optical density based on
individual beam parameters.
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Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Activity
Performed
Yes
Laser Hazards
No
Activity in lab
Potential Hazard
PPE
Operating open-beam laser –
Class 4
Eye (burn/damage).
Appropriate protective
eyewear, wavelength and
optical density based on
individual beam parameters.
Appropriate skin protection
(covered arms/legs)
Handling dye laser materials,
such as powdered dyes,
chemicals, and solvents.
Skin or eye damage
Gloves, safety glasses, lab coat
Unique or Lab Specific Activities
If your lab conducts additional or unique activities not listed above, identify the potential hazards and
appropriate PPE and add these activities to the Unique or Lab-Specific Activities section below. If a lab
activity is similar to, but somewhat different than, one of the common activities listed; include it in this
section as well. Contact the EHS Department for additional assistance.
Activity in lab
Potential Hazard
PPE
Glove Selections for Specific Chemical Hazards
Determine chemical handling activities that require a specific type of glove material to protect from chemical
exposure. Not all glove materials offer equal protection. For this section, select more commonly used
chemicals (corrosives, organic solvents, toxic chemicals) or particularly hazardous chemicals (carcinogens,
mutagens, reproductive hazards, etc.) List the chemical, the work activity and the specific glove type.
Chemical
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
Activity
Glove Type(s)
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Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Example: formaldehyde
Tissue processing with potential for skin
contact with liquid formaldehyde solution
Nitrile, neoprene or butyl rubber; light gloves may be used
for activities with incidental contact; a heavier glove is
recommended for moderate or greater contact.
Forward a copy of the completed assessment to ehs@rowan.edu
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
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Rowan University Laboratory Safety Program
Hazard Assessment Certification All information must be completed below. This ‘certifies’ that you have
conducted the hazard assessment. Maintain a copy of the signed hazard assessment (this document) in the lab
safety records.
Department
Lab Location(s) [building and room numbers]
Principal Investigator
Name and title of person conducting assessment
Name:
Title:
Date assessment completed:
The following employees have reviewed the Activity Hazard Assessment specific to this lab and have
received the following training:
1. When PPE is necessary
2. What PPE is required
3. How to properly don, doff, adjust, and wear PPE
4. Limitations of PPE
5. Proper care, maintenance, useful life, and disposal of PPE
Worker Name
Laboratory Hazard Assessment
Banner ID
Training Date
Trainer
Worker Signature
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