Laboratory Safety

Environmental Health and Safety

The University of Texas at Tyler offers students a myriad of opportunities for learning.  Laboratories are one exciting way to further your education.  Composed of hands-on applied learning, students can receive real world experience inside modern laboratories and art studios on campus.  These spaces can come with a certain amount of risk.  The risk varies greatly depending the contents and/or amounts being handled, knowledge of handling procedures and on the amount of lab patron experience.  The differences can range from department to department, even lab to lab!  It is therefore prudent to set a standard to create a foundation for safe and effective use of this educational time.  


                                       Laboratory Safety Policy

EH&S along with faculty and staff from across the campus have created a laboratory safety policy.  The policy comes about through a rigerous peer-review process, risk assessments of individual laboratories (contact EH&S for more info on the risk assessment), and common practice and doctrine across the scientific spectrum.  This policy applies to all UT Tyler owned, leased or operated facilities.  The program describes the basic do's and don'ts inside all labs, shops and studios within these spaces.  The policy can be found here:

Laboratory Safety Policy

The University of Texas at Tyler also has an additional Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the Texas Department of Public Safety and Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.  The guidance pertains to controlled substances and glassware.  All UT Tyler patrons are required to obide by this MOU.  The MOU can be found here:

UT Tyler laboratory MOU

The Laboratory Safety Policy also includes addenda to safety programs for many specialized areas on campus including the different laboratories, shops and art studios.  These programs can be found here: 

  • Chemical Hygiene Program - required by the State of Texas, this robust program provides details on handling chemicals and general Chemistry lab safety.

  • Biosafety Program - required by Universities receiving federal funds for research, this program features safety measures to aid in the safe practices unique to biology labs.  This program follows BMBL guidelines for work inside biology, microbiology and molecular biology laboratories.

  • Laser Safety Program - required by the State of Texas, this program guides the use of any high powered lasers (non-ionizing radiation) within UT Tyler laboratories.  Special practices are required to work in these labs.

  • Radiation Safety Program - required by the State of Texas, information on ionizing radiation safety, laws, regulations and specific programs governing X-rays and radioactive materials can be found here.

                                     University Wide Programs:

Specific programs mentioned in the Laboratory Safety Policy apply to all laboratories, shops and studios across campus.


                                      Chemical Safety Information

  • BioRAFT SDS Search - this will provide you with the most up to date handling information on any chemical on campus