EH&S would like to announce a new High Hazard Research Policy coming in September. Research activities involving physical safety high hazards, such as confined space entry, work from heights, and certain electrical voltages and equipment, carry the potential to pose serious risks to researchers. This policy aims to reduce the likelihood and severity of SIF and SIF-related incidents, ensure high-hazard work is taking place safely, and establish a formal assessment for continuous improvement.
PIs who conduct high-hazard research will need to register that work in a safety management system that will help to identify and assess hazards that meet threshold criteria. Through this safety management system, participating PIs and research groups also select and implement appropriate hazard controls. Threshold criteria for High Hazard Registration include:
- Higher hazard electrical work (will refer to the upcoming Electrical Safety Management Plan for Research for specific details)
- Troubleshooting, servicing, or maintenance of equipment and systems that may create the potential for unexpected release of hazardous energy, i.e., activities requiring lock-out/tag-out (LOTO) for hazard control
- Work at heights exceeding 6 feet
- Permit-required confined space entry
- Welding or other significant hot work in a research space, i.e., not in an area dedicated to welding and associated task
EH&S Research Safety administers the High Hazard Research program and coordinates with participating School and department leadership; University Safety Partners; PIs and research groups; and subject matter experts to continuously improve the high-hazard registration process. Roll out of the registration system will begin in September 2023.
Contact us for more information.
