Contingency Planning Toolkit
Preparation
Please contact your Lab Safety Advisor or lab_safety@harvard.edu with questions about how to secure hazards or safely suspend research operations in your laboratory.
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Identify all non-critical activities that can be ramped down, curtailed, suspended or delayed. | |||
Identify personnel able to safely perform essential activities. |
Communications
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Create contact list including all lab personnel, principal investigator, lab administrative director, research operations manager, and building manager. | |||
Ensure the contact list is saved where it can be remotely accessed by everyone in the lab. Include home and cell phone numbers. | |||
Test your phone tree or email group to facilitate emergency communication amongst lab researchers and staff. | |||
Ensure that emergency contacts listed on lab placards are up to date and posted on outside of lab doors. |
Shipping/Receiving
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Do not order any new research materials except those items needed to support minimal critical functions. | |||
Cancel orders for non-essential research materials if they have not yet shipped. | |||
Contact loading dock/mail services personnel to notify them of any expected incoming shipments. |
Research Materials
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Freeze down any biological stock material for long term storage. | |||
Consolidate storage of valuable perishable items within storage units that have backup systems. | |||
Fill dewars and cryogen containers for sample storage and critical equipment. | |||
Consult with HCCM or OAR about current animal care recommendations. | |||
Properly secure all hazardous materials in long-term storage. Refer to chemical storage guide. | |||
Ensure all flammables are stored in flammable storage cabinets. | |||
Ensure that all items are labeled appropriately. All working stocks of materials must be labeled with the full name of its contents and include hazards. | |||
Remove all chemicals and glassware from benchtops and fume hoods and store in cabinets or appropriate shelving. | |||
Request waste pickups for peroxide forming compounds or other chemicals (i.e. pirhana etch) that may become unstable over time. | |||
Collect contents of any acid/base baths and request waste pickup. | |||
Remove infectious materials from biosafety cabinets, and autoclave, disinfect, or safely store them as appropriate. | |||
Confirm inventory of controlled substances and document in logbook. | |||
Consider additional measures to restrict access to controlled substances. | |||
Secure physical hazards such as sharps. | |||
Ensure all radioactive materials are locked/secured inside a refrigerator, freezer, or lockbox. If you need to transfer RAM to another location, please consult with RSS first: radiation_safety@harvard.edu |
Physical Hazards
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Ensure all gas valves are closed. If available, shut off gas to area. | |||
Turn off appliances, computers, hot plates, ovens, and other equipment. Unplug equipment if possible. | |||
Check that all gas cylinders are secured and stored in an upright position. Remove regulators and use caps. | |||
Elevate equipment, materials and supplies, including electrical wires and chemicals, off of the floor to protect against flooding from broken pipes. | |||
Inspect all equipment requiring uninterrupted power for electricity supplied through an Uninterrupted Power Supply (UPS) and by emergency power (emergency generator). |
Equipment
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Check that refrigerator, freezer, and incubator doors are tightly closed. | |||
Biosafety cabinets: surface decontaminate the inside work area, close the sash and power down. Do NOT leave the UV light on. | |||
Fume hoods: Clear the hood of all hazards and shut the sash | |||
Review proper shut down procedures and measures to prevent surging. | |||
Shut down and unplug sensitive electric equipment. | |||
Cover and secure or seal vulnerable equipment with plastic. |
Decontamination
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Decontaminate areas of the lab as you would do routinely at the end of the day. | |||
Decontaminate and clean any reusable materials that may be contaminated with biological material. |
Waste Management
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Collect and properly label all hazardous chemical waste in satellite accumulation areas (SAAs). Segregate incompatible chemicals by means of a physical barrier (e.g., plastic secondary bins or trays). | |||
Place a request for chemical hazardous waste to be collected | |||
Biological waste: Disinfect and empty aspirator collection flasks. | |||
Collect all solid biological waste in appropriate containers. If your lab does not have a routine biowaste pick up, request removal. Cardboard box instructions; plastic bin instructions. | |||
Collect radioactive material into the appropriate waste containers and request a radioactive waste pickup from EHS. For sink disposals follow the sink disposal guidance and log all disposals. | |||
Discard all unwanted, non-hazardous chemicals down the drain. If there is any question about whether a chemical is non-hazardous, contact EH&S. |
Security
ITEM | Complete | N/A | Notes |
Lock all entrances to the lab. Ensure key personnel who will support critical functions have appropriate access. | |||
Ensure windows are closed. | |||
Secure lab notebooks and other data. | |||
Ensure ALL food is removed from kitchenette. | |||
Ensure biowaste has been disposed of properly. | |||
Ensure chemical waste is prepared for pickup. | |||
Take laptops home. |