SciShield

PIs must to maintain a lab profile in SciShield, the official university record-keeping application for lab safety compliance. This tool aids in lab management and ensures transparency between VCU Environmental Health and Safety and labs. The PI must make sure that the information in SciShield is accurate and up-to-date. While some data may be edited by a lab manager or lab safety liaison, the majority of information must be certified by the PI. The PI is responsible for regularly updating the following information and making changes as necessary:

• Lab member roster certifications: The PI must adjust and certify the lab member list when new members are added or removed.
• Annual hazard certification: Review and certify lab hazards as conditions or experimental scopes change in the lab. The PI must review and certify the lab hazards at least yearly. 
• Safety assessments compliance: Address lab safety inspection reports within 30 days of receipt. The PI must acknowledge receipt of the lab safety reports and address them promptly. Failure to address findings in inspection reports within 30 days will result in escalation to the department chair. 
• Chemical inventory reconciliation: The chemical inventory must be reconciled at least annually, or as chemicals are removed or added to the lab. This is university policy and a state requirement.
• High-hazard approvals: PIs who engage in high-hazard research as it is defined in VCU’s Chemical Hygiene Plan, must complete a high-hazard chemical registration form through SciShield. Examples of high hazards include working with explosive chemicals (TNT, etc.), toxic gasses (carbon monoxide, chlorine, etc.), pyrophoric gasses (e.g., Silane and cyanide agents) and hydrogenation reactions.   
• Biosafety protocols: Work with biological agents or with recombinant or synthetic nucleic acids must have a protocol submitted to the Institutional Biosafety Committee. 
• Training: Complete all required trainings, including "PI Responsibilities" training. Make sure all lab staff complete the required safety training.

Other PI Responsibilities

• Chemical hygiene plan (CHP): Be familiar with the VCU CHP and how it applies to the lab and PI responsibilities.  
• Emergency action/shutdown procedures: Develop and train lab staff on emergency procedures specific to the hazards in the lab. The Emergency action plan (EAP) must be a written standard operating procedure (SOP) to be followed in case of emergencies. Lab staff must be trained on and become familiar with the lab’s EAP procedures.
• Risk assessment/experimental approval/SOPs: PIs are responsible for conducting risk assessments for all experiments involving hazardous chemicals and must communicate the associated risks and mitigation strategies to all lab staff. SOPs should be developed based on these risk assessments, detailing the hazards, limitations and scope of the experiment. After lab staff have been trained on the specific experiment and its limitations, the PI must approve the experiment and establish who is authorized to conduct it, along with any other necessary restrictions. SOPs must include the following information based on the risk assessment:
  • Type of engineering controls needed (biosafety cabinet, fume hood, etc.)
  • Type of personal protective equipment to wear during the experiment
  • Emergency response protocol if exposure occurs
  • Limitations on quantities/volumes of chemicals required for the experiment
• Animal research: If applicable, submit animal research protocols to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
• Ionizing and non-ionizing radiation: Request approval for radiological or laser work through the Radiation Safety Office.
• Injury/incident reporting procedures: PIs must make sure staff report all incidents and near misses and that the PI reports these to VCU Safety and Risk Management. All incidents must be reported here.