Principal Investigator Responsibilities

Your responsibilities as a PI include:

• Assuring that required equipment and personal protective devices are provided, maintained and used.
• Obtain all necessary institutional approvals for experiments when required (IBC, RSC, IACUC, etc.)
• Inform all students, staff, visitors and collaborators about safety and health procedures, rules and regulations specific to their areas and their responsibilities
• Conduct internal inspections, reviews or audits to assure safe and healthful conditions and compliance with applicable safety and environmental regulations and take corrective actions
• Ensure that the lab meets the requirements for radioactive materials, radiation producing machines or potentially hazardous biological materials and blood products
• Ensure physical hazards are adequately controlled (equipment guarding, shielding, laser controls, etc.)
• Ensure that staff/students are informed of the location of safety equipment (including eyewash stations, safety showers, fire exits, etc.) and instructed on their use
• Ensure all requirements are met for hazardous materials to be shipped/transported
• Maintain security of all classes of hazardous materials used in the lab
• Handle/store all "controlled substances" according to regulation
• Establish a policy for working after hours and working alone
• Taking prompt action when unsafe acts or conditions are reported or observed
• Promptly investigating and reporting all on-the-job accidents, and/or work related health problems and requesting medical treatment if required
• Report all emergencies, accidents, injuries, exposures, significant spills & releases
• Develop lab specific Standard Operating Procedures as required, and train lab workers on each SOP
  
• Maintain a chemical inventory for laboratories and provide Safety Data Sheets (SDS) for all chemicals stored/used
  
• Provide adequate supervision for workers in laboratories
• Provide appropriate training for workers in laboratories
• Dispose of chemical waste associated with research and laboratory work according to the UB policies and requirement