Faculty and Instructor Guidelines for Laboratory Accident / Injury / Incident Involving a Student

(These procedures apply to students working in labs as non-employees under the supervision of Faculty or Staff)

1. Students should report all accidents or incidents to their professor or instructor immediately! This applies to a ‘near miss,’ defined as an unplanned event that did not result in an injury, illness, or damage but had the potential to do so. The professor or instructor shall respond as outlined below.

2. Laboratory Incidents involving injuries and illnesses vary in severity and require different levels of medical care:

 a. First Aid Only – minor cuts, scrapes, burns, and bruises may be able to be handled using the departmental First Aid Kit.  

 b. Advanced First Aid – more serious cuts, burns, bruises, strains and sprains and chemical exposures must be reported to Security at X3500. Provide a paper copy of the SDS for chemical exposures.

 c. Serious / Life Threatening Emergency – for serious injury or illness ( e.g., head trauma of any kind, chest pains, foreign material in eye, severe allergic reaction, severe bleeding, significant chemical exposure, etc.) seek emergency medical care immediately by calling Security at X3500.  Provide a paper copy of the SDS for chemical exposures.

3. After seeking medical care the student’s professor or instructor must complete a Supervisor’s Report of Incident / Accident. (available HERE).  Additionally, the Office of Safety & Security must be notified in the event of any non-First-Aid-only injury to a student in order to have the proper security report on file and to ensure the proper notifications are made.  Calling X3500 for a Security response at the time of the incident accomplishes this notification.

4. Non-Injury Accidents, Incidents and near-misses must be reported by the student’s professor or instructor by completing a Supervisor’s Report of Incident / Accident. (available HERE).