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Environmental Health and Safety
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Safety Committees

Environmental Health and Safety Compliance Policy

CLSC

Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee

Formed in order to promote safe procurement, handling, use, storage and disposal of chemicals at each of the university’s campuses, research farms, agricultural centers and related facilities and operations.

Staff

Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee staff can assist with questions about meeting dates and operations, research space inspections or training.

Pramitha Juristyarini
Assistant Director of Research Safety
Phone: 765-494-3244
Fax: 765-494-7403
Email: pjuristy@purdue.edu

Phyllis Hill
Senior Administrative Assistant
Phone: 765-449-6371
Fax: 765-449-47403
Email: plhill@purdue.edu

Chair

Alexander Wei
Professor of Chemistry

Voting Members

Ryan Altman
Associate Professor of Medicinal Chemistry and Molecular Pharmacology

Rey Barreto
Associate Professor Chemistry

Robert Berger
Associate Professor of Chemistry

Eric Butt
Senior Director Environmental Health and Safety

Kendra Erk
Associate Professor of Materials Engineering

Pramitha Juristyarini
Assistant Director of Research Safety

Gabriela Nagy
Industrial Education Director, Chemical Engineering

Jae-Hong Park
Assistant Professor of Health Sciences

Cankui Zhang
Associate Professor of Agronomy

The primary responsibility of the university Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee is to promote safe and proper chemical management and the utilization of safe laboratory procedures at the West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations, regional campuses, university research farms and agricultural centers and related facilities and operations. Chemical management includes, but is not limited to, the procurement and the safe handling, use, storage and disposal of chemicals.

The Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee shall consist of members appointed from the faculty and staff with the ability to make judgments of the safe use of chemicals in the university environment. The committee shall represent as much as possible the major colleges of the university that utilize chemicals to conduct laboratory research. Committee members shall be appointed upon recommendation of the executive vice president for research and partnerships and the senior director, Environmental Health and Public Safety, in consultation with the various deans. The chairperson, a member of the faculty, shall also be appointed by the members. The director of Environmental Health and Safety and designees shall serve as ex officio members of the committee.

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Serve as advisor to the university community on matters related to chemical management and laboratory safety.
  2. Be cognizant of all applicable government and university policies, procedures, guidelines, laws and regulations related to chemical management and transmit this information in appropriate form to the university community.
  3. Develop, review and/or approve procedures and guidelines, and prescribe special conditions and requirements related to chemical management and laboratory safety.
  4. Recommend to the executive vice president for Research and the senior director, Environmental Health and Safety policies related to chemical management.
  5. Develop, review, approve and recommend programs for training in chemical management and laboratory safety in the university community.
  6. Review conditions not in compliance with government and/or university policies, procedures, guidelines and regulations, and recommend appropriate corrective actions. In extreme circumstances, this may include suspension of the activity in question.
  7. Keep a written record of activities, actions, decisions and recommendations of the committee.
  8. Submit to the executive vice president for Research and the senior director, Environmental Health and Safety, and, through appropriate channels, an annual report detailing the activities of the committee.

The business of the committee is administered through the department of Environmental Health and Safety. The director of Environmental Health and Safety and the chairperson shall conduct the interim business of the committee subject to review by the committee. Environmental Health and Safety has the responsibility for overseeing compliance with all government and university policies, procedures, guidelines, laws and regulations related to chemical management and laboratory safety and will advise and assist the committee in areas related to chemical management and laboratory safety.

The responsibility for compliance and the success of these programs rests with the university community. Vice presidents, deans, directors, chairpersons, department heads and supervisors shall inform the faculty and staff of, and require compliance with, all government and university policies, procedures, guidelines, laws and regulations related to chemical management.  Individual faculty members and supervisors shall ensure that chemical management and laboratory safety requirements are understood and followed by their staff, including technicians, undergraduate and graduate students, and post-doctoral fellows.

LSC

Laser Safety Committee

Formed in order to promote the safe use of lasers and laser systems at the university’s campuses, research farms and related facilities and operations, and at temporary job sites in accordance with the American National Standard for Safe Use of Lasers (ANSI Z136.1).

Staff

Laser Safety Committee staff can assist with questions about laser use applications, meeting dates and operations, risk group classifications, research space inspections or training.

Thomas Grier
Radiation Safety Officer/Laser Safety Officer
Phone: 765-494-1478
Email: trgrier@purdue.edu

Phyllis Hill
Senior Administrative Assistant
Phone: 765-449-6371
Fax: 765-449-47403
Email: plhill@purdue.edu

Chair

Liang Pan
Associate Professor of Mechanical Engineering

Voting Members

Jan Hawkins
Professor of Veterinary Clinical Science
 
Libai Huang
Professor of Chemistry
 
Daniel Leaird
Senior Research Engineer, Electrical and Computer Engineering
 
Maria Makin
Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering
 
Yulia Pushkar
Professor of Physics and Astronomy
 
Carson Slabaugh
Assistant Professor of Aeronautics and Astronautics
 
Justin Wirth
Research Engineer

Ex-officio Members

EVPRP Designee
Office of the Executive Vice President for Research and Partnerships

Eric Butt
Senior Director Environmental Health and Safety

Pramitha Juristyarini
Assistant Director of Research Safety

The primary responsibility of the university Laser Safety Committee (LSC) is to recommend policy and establish procedures for the safe use of lasers and laser systems at the West Lafayette and Indianapolis locations, regional campuses, agriculture facilities and at temporary job sites. Laser safety includes, but is not limited to, the procurement and the handling, use, storage and disposal of lasers.

The Laser Safety Committee shall consist of members appointed from the faculty and staff with the ability to make judgments of the safe use of lasers in the university environment. The committee shall represent as much as possible the major colleges of the university that utilize lasers to conduct research. The senior director of Environmental Health and Safety and the associate vice president for Research shall appoint committee members in consultation with the various deans, directors, and department heads. The chairperson should be a tenured faculty member and shall be appointed by members of the committee. The director of Environmental Health and Safety, with the approval of the LSC, shall appoint the Laser Safety Officer (LSO). The director of Environmental Health and Safety and LSO shall serve as ex- officio voting members of the committee.

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Laser Safety Committee shall include, but are not limited to, the following:

  1. Serve as advisors to the university community on matters related to lasers and laser systems.
  2. Be cognizant of all applicable federal, state, or recognized consensus standards and university policies, procedures, guidelines, laws and regulations related to lasers and laser systems and transmit this information in appropriate form to the university community.
  3. Develop, review and/or approve procedures and guidelines, and prescribe special conditions and requirements related to Class 3b and 4 lasers.
  4. Develop, review, approve and recommend programs for training in laser safety in the university community.
  5. Review conditions not in compliance with government and/or university policies, procedures, guidelines and regulations, and recommend appropriate corrective actions. In extreme circumstances, this may include suspension of the activity in question.
  6. Report items addressing safety or response related to an injury to the department head of the PI.
  7. Keep a written record of activities, actions, decisions and recommendations of the Committee.
  8. Submit annual report detailing the activities of the committee to the vice president for Research and the Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety.

The committee shall meet semi-annually if there are pending issues for committee action, or at the request of any member. Attendance by at least 50% of the members is required for a quorum. The chairperson or the LSO are authorized to act as agents of the committee between meetings to ensure the timely processing of applications and to conduct other business. Any action taken by the chairperson or LSO on behalf of the committee shall be reported at the next meeting.

The responsibility for compliance and the success of these programs rests with the university community. Vice presidents, deans, directors, chairpersons, department heads and supervisors shall inform the faculty and staff of, and require compliance with, all government and university policies, procedures, guidelines, laws and regulations related to laser safety. Individual faculty members and supervisors shall ensure that laser safety requirements are understood and followed by staff. This includes technicians, undergraduate and graduate students, post-doctoral fellows and visiting researcher.

RSC

Radiation Safety Committee

Formed in accordance with U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission regulations to ensure the safety of the university and surrounding community in the utilization of all radioactive materials and radiation producing devices at the university and by its faculty, staff and students.

Staff

Radiation Safety Committee staff can assist with questions about radiation use applications, meeting dates and operations, risk group classifications, research space inspections or training.

Thomas Grier
Radiation Safety Officer/Laser Safety Officer
Phone: 765-494-1478
Email: trgrier@purdue.edu

Phyllis Hill
Senior Administrative Assistant
Phone: 765-449-6371
Fax: 765-449-47403
Email: plhill@purdue.edu

Chair

Linda Nie
Professor of Health Sciences

Voting Members

Stylianos Chatzidakis
Assistant Professor of Nuclear Engineering

Jason Harris
Associate Professor Health Sciences

Deborah Knapp
Distinguished Professor of Comparative Oncology, College of Veterinary Medicine

Angeline Lyon
Associate Professor of Chemistry and Biological Sciences

Jim Schweitzer
REM Director Emeritus

Steven Scofield
Adjunct Associate Professor of Agronomy

Rusi Taleyarkhan
Professor of Nuclear Engineering

Kara Duncan Weatherman
Clinical Professor of Pharmacy Practice
Associate Head for Learning, Department of Pharmacy Practice

Paul Ziemer
Professor Emeritus of Health Sciences

Ex-officio Members

Office of Research Designee
Office of Research

Eric Butt
Senior Director Environmental Health and Safety

Pramitha Juristyarini
Assistant Director of Research Safety

The primary responsibility of the university Radiation Safety Committee (RSC) is to ensure the safety of the university and public in the utilization of all radioactive materials and radiation producing devices by university faculty, staff or students at the university or other facilities.

The RSC shall consist of faculty and staff, who by their knowledge and experience and under U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) guidelines are qualified to make judgments and formulate policy in the areas of radiological safety. Members are appointed annually by the Office of the Executive Vice President for Research (EVPR) upon the recommendations of the radiation safety officer in consultation with the respective dean or director.

The chairperson, a member of the faculty, will be appointed in a similar manner. The chairperson will preside at the regular meetings of the committee, assure timely reviews of new projects, report as needed to the EVPR, and perform other duties as may be required to fulfill safety and compliance obligations.

The director of Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) with the approval of the RSC will appoint the Radiation Safety Officer (RSO). The RSO should be an individual trained in the area of radiological science or health physics. The background of the RSO will be such that the individual is acceptable to the NRC as recommended in Consolidated Guidance about Materials Licenses (NUREG 1556). The RSO will report directly to the director of EHS. The director will be responsible for implementation and enforcement of policies and procedures promulgated by the RSC. The director and the RSO shall be ex-officio members of the RSC but shall not hold the position of chairperson of the committee.

The specific duties and responsibilities of the Radiation Safety Committee include, but are not limited to:

  1. Assume responsibility, from the standpoint of radiological safety, for all university programs involving radioactive materials or radiation producing devices. This includes formulation of policy in this area and the establishment of safety standards.
  2. Ensure that Environmental Health and Safety provides faculty, staff and students with appropriate training and information in the area of radiological safety and its applicable rules and regulations.
  3. Review and approve or disapprove the use of radioactive materials or radiation producing devices within the institution from the standpoint of radiological safety. The committee may prescribe special conditions, requirements and restrictions as may be deemed necessary to protect any person from hazards associated with radioactive materials and the operation or use of radiation producing devices on the Purdue University campus, Purdue operated properties and at other facilities as necessary. Such conditions, restrictions and requirements shall in all cases be consistent with any existing federal or state regulations governing such use. Committee or interim approval of radiological safety measures must be obtained before any project involving radioactive materials or radiation producing devices is initiated. Special conditions may include but not be limited to: physical examinations, additional training, limited areas of use, waste disposal conditions and posting requirements.
  4. Establish policies under which the director of EHS or the RSO shall serve as the university’s liaison with the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission, Indiana State Department of Health, Indiana Department of Homeland Security, Indiana Department of Environmental Management and Midwest Interstate Low-level Radioactive Waste Compact Commission in matters of registration, licensing, radiological health and radioactive or mixed waste disposal.
  5. Keep a record of the actions taken in approving the use of radioactive materials and radiation producing devices and of other transactions, communications and reports involved in the work of the committee.
  6. Submit an annual report detailing the activities of the committee to the executive vice president for Research and Partnership.

Actions taken by the committee may be appealed by the staff member or department concerned through the appropriate vice president to the president of the university for final decision, with the knowledge and consent of the dean or director of the organizational unit  involved, and knowledge of the chairperson of the RSC.

The chairperson of the committee or the RSO, or their duly authorized representatives, are authorized to act (under policies established by the committee) for the committee between meetings (interim approval), reporting actions taken to the committee for review at appropriate intervals.

The RSO (or designee), consistent with the protection of university employees, students, visitors, the public and the environment, is authorized to:

  1. Order immediate shutdown or cessation of work in any facility where it is evident that safety hazards exist to the extent of endangering health, safety, property, or to the extent that continued operation would result in any violation of existing federal, state or university regulations.
  2. Carry out unannounced inspections and radiation surveys of any university facility.
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Last modified: March 19, 2026

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