Minors in Labs and Other Hazardous Areas

All lab/facility managers, PIs and supervisors of minors must follow all information on this page.

SAFETY MEASURES

Minors are not allowed to use or be exposed to any hazardous substance with the signal word “Danger” on the label.

Minors are not allowed to be assigned tasks that require the following respiratory protection:

A self-contained breathing apparatus
A supplied-air respirator
An air-purifying respirator
A gas mask
A chemical cartridge respirator

Minors are not allowed to be assigned tasks that involve the following types of equipment:

Power-driven wood-working machinery
Power-driven metal-forming, metal-punching and metal-shearing machines
Power-driven saws
Power-driven hoisting apparatus including a power industrial truck, crane or hoist
Knifes or blades, including a cryostat, microtome or vibratome

Hours and types of work for minors must comply with federal regulations applicable to the minor’s age. See federal regulation 29 CFR Part 570.

All near misses, injuries, accidents and illnesses involving minors must be reported immediately to Risk Management. Programs registered in the Purdue Protection of Minors Portal also must complete the incident report in the portal.

RADIATION

Minors under age 14 are prohibited from using radioactive materials or harmful radiation production equipment.
Minors aged 14 or 15 may only use radioactive materials or harmful radiation producing equipment with the approval of the Radiation Safety Committee.
Minors aged 16 or 17 may only use radioactive materials or harmful radiation producing equipment with the approval of the Radiation Safety Officer.

ANIMALS

Regardless of the time interval, minors who work in any capacity with animals must be added to an Animal Care and Use protocol currently approved by the IACUC. Minors must be enrolled in the Animal Occupational Health Program. Declination of participation is not an option for minors.

LABORATORY SAFETY TRAINING

Minors must complete the following trainings. The lab/facility manager or PI may assign additional training based on the activity.

Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP) training when chemicals of any kind are involved in the work, or Hazard Communication Program (HCP) training when no chemicals are involved in the work or if any chemical use is other than “laboratory use” in nature (e.g., cleaning). See the Hazard Communication page for details.
Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) training when any kind of PPE is likely to be involved in the work, and PPE specific to the hazards has been provided to the minor with instructions for use and disposal.
Building Emergency Plan (BEP) training for the building(s) where the minor will do the work.
All other applicable training as required by EHS.

The lab or facility manager must go over (or designate a competent adult to go over) the following rules with any minor working or otherwise engaged in an activity in a Potentially Hazardous Area (downloadable version of rules):

Never work in any laboratory or other hazardous environment without direct, immediate supervision from the manager, PI or a competent adult designated by the manager or PI.
Always follow instructions and obey rules.
Report any accident or near miss incident (regardless of severity) immediately to the manager, PI, or designee.
Always wear at least the minimum personal protective equipment as directed, such as eye protection, gloves, lab coats/gowns, and other face/body protection, as dictated by the hazard assessment.
Always keep hands away from face and wash them well with soap and water prior to leaving any laboratory or hazardous area.
Never eat, drink, chew gum, apply lip balm or touch contact lenses while in any laboratory or other hazardous environment.
Always wear closed-toe shoes while in the laboratory or hazardous environment.
Always tie back long hair to keep it out of any hazards.
Wear clothing that reaches to the wrists and ankles to reduce the amount of exposed skin. Avoid clothing that is loose or baggy to avoid it catching on apparatus or overturning small pieces of equipment.
If skin or eye contact is made with any hazardous chemical or unknown chemical, wash immediately and report the incident.
Always ask questions to clarify and improve understanding of the safety requirements.