General Lab Safety

CloseOut Procedures For Laboratories

Faculty members who are planning to retire or leave the university must arrange for final disposal of all biological, chemical and radiological materials from their laboratory.

Faculty members who are planning to be absent from campus for periods of 90 days or longer must ensure that their hazardous materials are in proper long-term storage or that arrangements are made for adequate supervision of their laboratory in their absence.

There should be no remaining biological, chemical or radiological material in the laboratory, all work surfaces should be decontaminated and the laboratory should be cleaned for next occupancy. Contact the Division of Research Safety (DRS) for more information on how to dispose of biological, chemical or radiological materials.

Please note that biological, chemical and radiological materials cannot be transported to another university or off-site unless they have been transported according to Department of Transportation (DOT) regulations. The regulations require specific packaging materials, labeling, and training of the person packaging the material. An individual who violates these provisions may face civil or criminal penalties.

Please also verify with your unit office that you are allowed to transfer the materials.

Biological Materials

Disposal of various types of biological materials (infectious materials, tissues, and Sharps) can be found in other Fact Sheets (Treatment and Disposal of Biological Materials and Handling and Disposal of Lab Sharps), which are available at http://www.drs.uiuc.edu/bss/factsheets/.
DRS must be notified prior to any transfer or disposal of Select Agents. These agents are defined in Sections 73.4 and 73.5 of 42 CFR Part 73. This documentation can be accessed at http:// www.cdc.gov/od/sap/ and http://www.aphis.usda.gov/vs/ncie/pdf/btarule.pdf.
If samples need to be saved, locate appropriate person to take responsibility for them and transfer.

Chemicals

Determine which chemicals are usable and whether other laboratories could use chemicals that are in good condition. Arrange for the transfer of these chemicals to the other laboratories. Please contact DRS if large amounts of chemicals are to be moved between campus buildings to ensure that you are in compliance with applicable regulations.
No chemicals (liquid or solid) can be disposed of in the regular trash.
Process all remaining chemicals as chemical waste for disposal. Detailed instructions are available through DRS' Chem-Trak program. See the UIUC Chemical Waste Management Guide http:// www.drs.uiuc.edu/css/guidesplans/wasteguide for instructions.

Controlled Substances

Controlled substance permits are issued by the United States Drug Enforcement Agency (DEA) and are issued to individual researchers. Abandonment of a controlled substance is a violation of the DEA permit under which it was held.
Permission to transfer ownership of a controlled substance to another individual must be received from DEA.
Segregate controlled substances in your inventory from other chemicals. DRS cannot accept controlled substances for disposal, but can provide instructions for appropriate disposal.
If controlled substances for which the licensee is unknown are found, contact DRS.

Gas Cylinders

Remove gas connections, replace cylinder caps, and return cylinders to suppliers.
If cylinders are non-returnable, contact DRS.

Radioactive Materials and Radiation Sources

Prepare radioactive waste for disposal following instructions in the campus Radiation Safety Manual http://www.drs.uiuc.edu/rss/manuals/. Call DRS (3-9278) to schedule waste pickup.
Samples and stock vials must either be transferred to another Permit Holder following instructions in the Radiation Safety Manual or prepared for disposal as waste.
Decontaminate all equipments, bench tops, sinks, and other articles or surfaces.
Remove or deface all radiation warning labels.
Call DRS to request a final survey of the space.
Responsibility for x-ray machines must be transferred to another responsible PI or the machines must be rendered inoperable.

Mixed Hazards

Occasionally it is necessary to dispose of materials that contain more than one of the hazards listed above. Contact DRS for assistance in these cases.

Equipment

If laboratory equipment is to be left for the next occupant, clean or decontaminate it before departing the laboratory.
- Wash off fume hood surfaces and counter tops.
- Defrost and clean refrigerators and freezers if they are empty.
- Clean incubators, drying or curing ovens.
If exhaust or filtration equipment has been used with extremely hazardous substances or organisms, inform DRS.
If laboratory equipment is to be discarded, be aware that capacitors, transformers, mercury switches, mercury thermometers, radioactive sources and chemicals must be removed before disposal. Contact DRS for assistance.
Equipment potentially contaminated with radioisotopes should be surveyed by DRS.

Shared Storage Areas

One of the most problematic situations is the sharing of storage units such as refrigerators, freezers, cold rooms, stock rooms, waste collection areas, etc., particularly if no one has been assigned to manage the unit. Departing researchers must carefully survey any shared facility in order to locate and appropriately dispose of their hazardous materials.

Please refer to the PDF Version of this fact sheet for a Model Closeout Procedure Check-List.