2016ANNUAL REPORT

The Laboratory of Professor Jeff Snyder

Michael Bryan Blayney, PhDExecutive DirectorPhone: (847)491-5581michael.blayney@northwestern.edu

Ward Building, Room B-106303 East Chicago Ave.

Chicago, IL 60611(312) 503-8300, Fax: (312)503-0547

Technological Institute, Room NG-712145 Sheridan Road

Evanston, IL 60208(847) 491-5581, Fax: (847)467-2797

Mission Statement

The Office for Research Safety (ORS) adds value to the extraordinary teaching and research science of Northwestern University through its commitment to high standards and support services. ORS fulfills its commitment by systematically identifying hazards and controlling risks in the protection of individuals, public health and the environment. With guidance from University compliance committees, ORS provides the management and operational support for laboratory health and safety.

Finding reasonable and effective solutions to everyday health and safety problems while striving to be consistent and helpful in aol our activities is an important priority for ORS. To renew and strengthen ORS for the future, we value the importance of educa-tion, training, certification, scholarship and involvement in our professional societies.

Extraordinary Science Done Safely

OFFICE FOR RESEARCH SAFETYChicago & Evanston

Northwestern is committed to excellent teaching, innovative research and the personal and intellectual growth of its students in a diverse academic community.

-Northwesterns Mission

This report highlights the work done by the Office for Research Safety (ORS) in calendar year 2016. Last year, we turned our attention from the removal of historical laboratory waste (The Great Clean-up) toward the futuremeasuring performance, simplifying compliance and setting flexible, higher standards for lab facilities.

While no small undertaking, the major effort to renew ORS from late 2012 through 2015 was essentially straightforward. What comes next for us is much more complex replacing the existing research registration system (called NSIS) and codifying our business pro-cesses to ensure consistent outcomes. Additionally, we are committed to helping our colleagues in Facilities Management create higher, flexible standards for testing, certification and replacement of safety sensitive systems. Easily taken for granted, these lab systems must always work as designedespecially in an emergency.

It is truly a remarkable time to be supporting science at Northwestern. In sever-al ORS programs, we have seen significant growth between 2015-2016.

Special recognition to those in ORS who go above-and-beyond in their service to Northwestern. Several in ORS are investing their personal time and energy to further their professional development through education, training, certification, scholarship and community service.

ORS remains fully committed to the goal of ensuring Extraordinary Science Done Safely.

Michael B. Blayney, PhD Executive Director

INTRODUCTION

HUMAN GENETRANSFER STUDIES(13 LAST YEAR)

rDNA APPROVALS( 11%)

BSL 1, 2, & 3 LABS( 3%)

IBC REGISTRATIONS APPROVED( 18%)

BLOODBORNE PATHOGENS LABS( 3%)

12

337

258

339

244The remarkable growth in biological research over the past year resulted in a significant increase in the number of Institutional Biosafety Committee registrations and the number of recombinant DNA (rDNA) approvals in 2016.

In late 2014, the White House issued a memorandum calling for accountability in biological safety and biosecuri-ty. This mandate applied to all Federal Agencies and to all institutions receiving government funding.

In ORS, we saw this as an opportunity to help laboratories free up valuable freezer space, reduce unwanted items and create better inventory control. Throughout 2015 and into early 2016, ORS provided support to all our biomedical, biotechnical and biology laboratories with freezer clean-outs, associated waste disposal and inven-tory management.

To make the clean-out process easier for everyone, ORS employed a dedicated freezer for temporary storage, large dry ice coolers for transfers, fishing nets to retrieve floating items in chest freezers and industrial vacuum cleaners to collect the menagerie of tubes, vials and lab ware that became lost in the freezer frost.

The results were remarkable, with some labs reporting more than an 80% reduction in their frozen (sometimes forgotten) inventories. In several cases, the freezer contents were unknown or unlabeledsome containers were unearthed and dated forty years ago. Along the way, several old, inefficient freezers were decommissioned and recycled. Inventory management is now part of the Laboratory Safety Review process.

The proper packing and shipping of hazardous materials is a complex and onerous compliance process in any research institution. Typically, these packages contain biological materials and occasionally chemical or radio-active samples. At Northwestern, we ship (and receive) a large number of biological packages every day.

In 2016, ORS developed a unique on-line biological materials shipping course. This course takes advantage of the Learn@Northwestern training management system. Once the on-line class is completed, a paired, practical classroom experience provides hands-on experience in preparing the necessary paperwork, assembling the proper packaging and affixing the warning labels. This course was developed and implemented prior to new regulations that went into effect in early 2017.

Freezer Clean-out Initiative

New Hazardous Materials Shipping Program

BIOLOGICAL SAFETY

UNDERGRADUATE & HIGH SCHOOL RESEARCHERS ( 0%)

STAFF ( 0%)

POST DOCS, OTHERFACULTY AND VISITINGSCHOLARS ( 17%)

ACTIVE LAB WORKERS( 7.5%)

ACTIVE PIs( 5%)

GRADUATE STUDENTS( 7.7%)

500

1000

1300

1200

4000

570

The periodic inspection and audit of laboratory facilitieswhat we call a Lab Safety Review (LSR)is an important task in any research safety management program. At Northwestern, we are working to make this process more meaningful and effective in the months and years ahead.

For nearly a decade, LSR information resides inside the Northwestern Safety Information System (NSIS). Developed in-house, NSIS is now at the end of its service life and will be replaced with a hosted service in the not-too-distant future. Leveraging what was learned in building NSIS, our intent is to use this knowledge to improve the ease, simplicity and reporting functions of its replacement. An easy to understand dashboard is key to our vision of this new systemhelping all involved to see, understand and resolve any pending issues.

In 2014, a set of performance metrics were created for the LSR process. Laboratories for inspection are assigned each quarter, the number completed then tallied and the totals summarized for the year. Since some quarters are busier than others--and not all labs are created equallyuse of a normalized approach has allowed performance mea-surement. Ideally, we would like to open and close an inspection within 90 days and ensure we meet or exceed 90%.

LABORATORY SAFETY

CAMPUS

ASSIGNEDLSRs

CONDUCTEDLSRs

LSRs 90 DAYS

ASSIGNMENT %

EVANSTON CHICAGO TOTAL

162 288 450

154 259 413

134 246 380

95% 90% 92%

COMPLETION%

87% 95% 92%1

2

1. Completed/Conducted 2. Conducted/Assigned

2016 LSR PERFORMANCE

In 2016 Health Physics Services (HPS) continued to consolidate and improve in both form and function. Last year, we achieved a further 11% reduction in the number of labs authorized to use radioactive mate-rials owing to decreasing use. HPS developed a new (basic) radiation safety course in 2016 that is in production as a Safety Training Consortium course for several schools in 2017. Northwestern also received grant funding in 2016 from the Department of Energy to replace a security sensitive device with a less problematic X-ray unitour second such project in the past three years.

With direction from our Radiation Safety Committee (Professor Stuart Stock, Chair), HPS is working to update our regulatory framework with a new radiation protection program, hand-book and policy by mid-2017. HPS has also redoubled its efforts in 2017 to work to an audit-ed standard and put into place recommended, required program elements that represent the necessary steps in the modernization of the HPS program for the future.

With direction from our Laser Safety Committee (Professor Claus-Peter Richter, Chair) the HPS program developed a new introductory course in laser safety and updated laser safety handbook. Laser safety will continue to be an area of focus and growth in the years ahead owing to its importance and applica-tion in research science today.

Laser Safety

HEALTH PHYSICS SERVICES

LASER PIs( 3%)

X-RAY WORKERS( -42%)*

RAM WORKERS( -26)

RAM USE AREAS( -8%)

RAM PIs ( -11%)

X-RAY PIs( 0%)

LASER WORKERS( -1%)

* Much of this change is attributedto database clean-up

104

156

13

287

150

57

425

After three years of sustained effort, ORS began to wind down its Great Clean-up in the summer of 2015 and transitioned

into what we called our New Normal in hazardous waste opera-tions. With the vast amount of legacy waste gone by the end of

2015, our attention in 2016 focused on ensuring that our Hazardous Waste Services (HWS) Program was operationally effective and

efficient in all aspects.

Committed to continuous improvement, ORS adopted the special provi-sions of Subpart K in the EPA Hazardous Waste Rules in early 2016.

Enacted in 2008, this infrequently used option for Higher Education provides additional flexibility in laboratory waste determination, collection and on-site

management. This additional flexibility is important as laboratory research at Northwestern continues to grow and we are keenly interested in hazardous waste

minimization, campus-wide.

Working with the newly established Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) Program in Risk ManagementORS expanded the HWS Program in 2016 to serve the entire

campus. Today, ORS and EHS work together to identify and address hazardous waste needsin our laboratories and our facilitiesacross the institution.

Entering its fifth year, the Clean Harbors InSite Program continues to provide value and service to the Northwestern Community. Key initiatives in 2016 included expanded fume hood

and cabinet cleaning services, recovering a significant percentage of our non-halogenated solvents as energy, recycling latex paint and helping our local secondary schools with hazardous

waste management.

In 2017, ORS will release an updated hazardous waste training program to reflect the significant improvements in the HWS Program over the past four years. The new look at hazardous waste focuses

more detail on our program refinements in waste minimization, sustainability and problematic wastes.

HAZARDOUS WASTEMANAGEMENT

0

50,000

45,000

40,000

35,000

30,000

25,000

20,000

15,000

10,000

5,000

Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4 Q1 Q2 Q3 Q4

2012 2013 2014 2015 2016

Blayney Arrives

22,200

26,833

24,368

42,403

30,185

43,870

45,984

28,335

34,636

32,360

44,743

32,037

35,77137,773

43,55143,841

29,774 30,388

34,917

32,230

7,026

7,191

12,358

17,355

19,418

16,357

20,207

15,13515,637

21,238

16,190

16,90516,011

14,707 15,32216,890

17,678

15,485

14,250

17,995

POU

ND

S

CHICAGO

EVANSTON

Labpack Flammables (Incineration) 15%Labpack Non-Haz 1%

Agarose Gel with EtBr 7%

Photographic Fixer 12%

Labpack Toxics 1%

Labpack Oxidizers 1%

Bulked Flammables (Lean Fuels) 9%

Batteries 1%

Bulked Non-Haz 1%

Contaminated Lab Debris 4%

Halogenated Solvents 15%

Labpack Bases 1%

Labpack Flammables (Fuel Blend) 4%

Photographic Developer 12%

Non-Haz Commodity Pack 9%

Non-Halogenated Solvents 5%

Misc Waste 1%

Vials 1%

Labpack Acids 4%

Labpack Bases 2%Labpack Flammables (Fuels Blend) 3%

Labpack Flammables (Incineration) 9%

Labpack Non-Haz 1%

Bulked Flammables (Lean Fuels) 2%Bulked Flammables (Incineration) 7%Bulked Acids 4%

Agarose Gel with EtBr 1%

Batteries 2%

Vials 2%Silica Gel 2%

Non-Haz Commodity Pack 2%

Non-Halogenated Solvents 10%

Misc Waste 1%Labpack Toxics 3%

Labpack Oxidizers 1%Labpack Oil 1%

Halogenated Solvents 23%

Contaminated Lab Debris 12%

Contaminated Glassware 4%Bulked Non-Haz 3%

2016 HAZARDOUS WASTE: TYPE/CAMPUS

EVANSTON (63.29 tons)

CHICAGO (32.15 tons)

HAZARDOUS CHEMICAL WASTE DISPOSAL

Planning for the 2016 Emergency Response Drills with the Evanston Fire Department (EFD) began in late January. Building on the success of our 2015 drill, the EFD wanted to combine the 2016 training event with their need to practice managing multiple patients and simulated transport to area hospitals. By mid-May, we had developed three scenarios over three days that would combine multiple patients with a wide range of simulated injuries caused by hazardous materials. To be effective and realistic, the scenarios would not be shared with the respond-ing agencies in advance.

Owing to the construction work in and around the Technological Institute last summer, and thanks to the Athletic Depart-ment, we were able to relo-cate our training event to Ryan field during the last week of July. Multiple government agencies and our local hospi-tals all played a role in preparing, presenting and evaluating these exer-cises.

For a look at some of the excitement and team work involved, please visit our Vimeo Site:

https://vimeo.com/184715074

EMERGENCY RESPONSE DRILLS

Safe use of NaK for Solvent Drying

Nitric Acid Wastes

Use of Vented Caps

Glove Permeation, Penetration & Degredation

Skin Exposures and Effects

New Videos & Animations

The Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety produced by the Safety Training Consortium (Michael Blayney, Chair)

Safe Shipping of Biological Materials and Dry Ice

New On-line Courses Completed in 2016

Training is a key element in the ORS Safety Strategy. The importance of training and the range of offerings from ORS continued to grow in 2016. With the implementation of Learn@Northwestern in the fall of 2015, ORS took advantage of its many features to assign and deliver training throughout 2016.

Nearly 4,000 faculty, staff and students registered in the NSIS system completed almost 12,200 on-line courses in 2016. Training compliance is a key aspect of a successful Laboratory Safety Review (LSR). The priority given to training, combined with a successful LSR, resulted in a remarkable 92% compliance rate across all ORS courses in 2016.

Last summer, we provided introductory training and personal protective equipment to 75 undergraduate and high school teachers working in our research labs.

Last September, we welcomed 272 new science graduate students in a series of special events hosted on each campus. Included in each event were presentations from colleagues in the Research Integrity Office, Risk Management and from our Counsel-ing and Psychological Services Program. A tradition at Northwestern since the fall of 2012 is the presentation of a new laboratory coat to each incoming graduate student as part of their safety orientation.

ORS has produced a number of short subject videos, many of which are embedded in other on-line learning courses. These videos are also shared outside the institution via our Vimeo site. Our site today contains 58 videos, 18 of which were added in 2016 and have received over 8,500 views.

Training Services

Laboratory Safety Specialist 2018-2019

Mark Bachrach, PhDChemical Hygiene Officer

Katie KollhoffSr. Safety Engineerfor McCormick

Brett BergSr. Laboratory Safety Specialist

Markus Schaufele, CSP Standards, Compliance & Emergency Planning

Gwen Sullivan Administrative Manager

Clean Harbors, Inc. Hazardous Waste Services, ORS7 FTEs (both campuses)

Instructional Designer 2018

Film Studies InternUndergraduate Work Study

Anna StasekInstructional Designer

Cindi Mason,Training Manager

Angelica GheenAssistant RSO,Health Physicist

TJ WhittenhallLaser Safety OfficerHealth Physicist

Joe PrincewillHealth Physicist

Jose Macatangay Director, Health PhysicsServices, RSO

Iwona SpathLaboratory Specialist, rDNA

Johanna FisherAdministrativeAssistant

Marina Zelivyanskaya, DVMLaboratory Specialist, CCM

Robert Foreman, PhDAssociate BiologicalSafety Officer

Andrea Hall, PhD Biological Safety Officer,Director, ORS Chicago

Laboratory SafetySpecialist 2018-2019

Lucy GalindoLaboratory SafetySpecialist

Luis Samaniego, CSPSr Laboratory Specialist

Reginald Blythe Associate Director,Sr Laboratory Specialist

Michael B. Blayney, PhDExecutive Director

Jay Walsh, PhDVice President for Research

Ward Building, Room B-106303 East Chicago Ave.Chicago, IL 60611(312) 503-8300, Fax: (312)503-0547

Technological Institute, Room NG-712145 Sheridan RoadEvanston, IL 60208(847) 491-5581, Fax: (847)467-2797

Office for Research Safetywww.research.northwestern.edu/ors

Published March, 2017 Northwestern University

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