Minors in Labs and Other Hazardous Areas (S-31)

Standard: S-31
Responsible Executive: Senior Vice President for Administrative Operations
Responsible Office: Environmental Health and Safety and Office of the Vice President for Ethics and Compliance
Date Issued: October 1, 2025
Date Last Revised: N/A

Table of Contents

Contacts
Individuals and Entities Affected
Statement of Standard
Responsibilities
Definitions (defined terms are capitalized throughout the document)
Related Documents, Forms and Tools
History and Updates
Appendix

Contacts

Clarification of Standard

Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety
765-494-9227 | ehps@purdue.edu

Questions Regarding Safety Measures

Senior Director of Environmental Health and Safety
765-494-9227 | ehps@purdue.edu

Questions Related to Program Registration

Associate Vice President for Compliance
765-496-3158 | youthprotection@purdue.edu

Individuals and Entities Affected

All faculty, staff, and students in Potentially Hazardous Areas as defined by this standard.

Statement of Standard

To ensure a safe and healthy environment for educational and engagement activities on Purdue’s campuses, minors who are at least 14 years old are permitted in Potentially Hazardous Areas only in accordance with this standard. Minors under age 14 are never permitted in Potentially Hazardous Areas.

Prohibited Scenarios

Minors are prohibited from entry to a Potentially Hazardous Area under the following circumstances:

1. The laboratory or facility is designated as BSL-3, ABSL-3, or higher for recombinant or infectious organisms;
2. Select agents or explosives are used or stored in the laboratory;
3. The minor is not utilizing the proper personal protective equipment; or
4. There are not at least two adult university employees or graduate students present the entire time the minor is present.

All minors are prohibited from operating farm machinery or state vehicles and from working in machine shops.

The Volunteers policy (VI.B.2) and administrative manual prohibit volunteers who are minors from helping in labs or doing anything that requires the completion of a volunteer agreement. Therefore, volunteers who are minors are prohibited entry to any Potentially Hazardous Area.

Potentially Hazardous Areas must never be used as a substitute for childcare options; minor children of faculty and staff are not allowed in these areas while the employee/parent works due to the nature of risk. This includes instances when an employee office is inside a laboratory space.

Requirements for Entry

Minors may be permitted entry to a Potentially Hazardous Area as observers or active participants under the conditions outlined below. The level of participation determines what requirements must be met. The prohibitions noted above apply unless specifically stated otherwise.

Observation Only

As observers, minors are not allowed to perform any tasks or assist the researcher or guide while in the Potentially Hazardous Area. The minor’s attendance must be as part of a Program registered in accordance with the Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6) policy.

In all cases,

1. The minor’s parent or guardian must give written permission for the minor to be in the area;
2. The laboratory or facility manager must approve the minor’s admittance to the lab/facility. The manager may impose more restrictive conditions for admittance than this standard;
3. There must be at least two adult university employees or graduate students present the entire time the minor is present;
4. The minor must wear long pants and closed-toe shoes and be provided with appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) as needed based on the activity underway in the facility; and
5. The researcher or guide providing the demonstration or tour must brief the minor on potential hazards that may be encountered in the facility and procedures to follow in the event of an emergency.

Participation

As part of the University’s educational and engagement missions, it is possible for a minor to participate in research activities or otherwise have a legitimate need to enter a Potentially Hazardous Area based on their relationship to Purdue (enrolled student, employee or intern).

In all cases, the minor must receive training in all applicable safety procedures and use appropriate PPE. The lab/facility manager may impose additional conditions for the safety of minor participants beyond what is required by this standard.

1. Enrolled Students. If the minor is a student enrolled in a Purdue undergraduate- or graduate-level university class with a lab or workshop component, the minor student may be in the lab or workshop with one adult university employee or graduate student when other students from the class also are present the entire time the minor is present. If no other students are present, at least two adult university employees or graduate students must be present.
2. Employees. Minors who are employees (including paid interns) of the University are permitted entry to a Potentially Hazardous Area when it is required for them to perform a task related to their employment or internship and the minor is never left unsupervised in the area. Refer to the Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors for staff training requirements.
3. Unpaid Interns. Minors who are Unpaid Interns are permitted entry to a Potentially Hazardous Area when it is related to their duties as an intern and there are at least two adult university employees or graduate students present the entire time the minor is present. The lab/facility manager must approve the minor’s admittance to the area and the minor’s parent or guardian must give written permission for the minor to be in the area. Engagement of the minor as an Unpaid Intern must be registered in accordance with the Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6) policy.
4. Youth Program Participants. Minors who are participants in a Program registered in accordance with the Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6) policy, including but not limited to summer college for high school students, are permitted entry to a Potentially Hazardous Area when there are at least two adult university employees or graduate students present the entire time the minor is present. The lab/facility manager must approve the participants’ admittance to the area and each minor’s parent or guardian must give written permission for them to be in the area.

Additional Safety Measures

This standard outlines the basic requirements for all minors. Additional requirements for training and further limitations based on a minor’s age, the activity conducted, or the materials present in the Potentially Hazardous Area are maintained by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) (see Related Documents, Forms and Tools section).

Responsibilities

Senior Director of EHS

• Assist lab and facility managers and Safety Committees as needed in disseminating any supplemental requirements and/or limitations necessary for the safety of minors.
• Coordinate with the Associate Vice President for Compliance to administer this standard.

Associate Vice President for Compliance

• Coordinate with the Senior Director of EHS to administer this standard.

Lab/Facility Managers

• In the absence of an applicable Safety Committee, regularly review requirements for access by minors to the lab/facility and coordinate with the Senior Director of EHS to disseminate any additional necessary requirements and/or limitations to supplement this standard.
• Ensure minors are allowed entry to the lab/facility only in accordance with this standard and any supplemental requirements/limitations.

Safety Committees

• Regularly review requirements for access by minors to Potentially Hazardous Areas covered by the committee’s charter and coordinate with the Senior Director of EHS to disseminate any additional necessary requirements and/or limitations to supplement this standard.

Principle Investigators (PIs) and Supervisors of Minor Employees/Paid Interns

• Coordinate with the lab/facility manager to ensure all safety training requirements are satisfied and all minors have appropriate PPE.
• Satisfy all staff training requirements of the Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors.

Directors of Programs for Minors and Supervisors of Unpaid Interns Who are Minors

• Obtain prior approval from the lab or facility manager for the minor(s) to be granted entry.
• Obtain written permission from the minor’s parent or guardian (see Appendix).
• Coordinate with the lab/facility manager to ensure all safety training requirements are satisfied and all minors have appropriate PPE.
• Satisfy all requirements of the policy on Programs for Minors (III.A.6).

Definitions

All defined terms are capitalized throughout the document. Additional defined terms may be found in the central Policy Glossary.

Potentially Hazardous Area
Research laboratories, clinical laboratories, greenhouses, animal facilities, animal procedure rooms, animal housing areas, and other settings with dangerous conditions, including but not limited to radioactive materials, radiation generating devices, Class III or above lasers, machinery, shop equipment, high voltage and fall hazard areas, temperatures above 95°F or below 40°F for an extended period of time, or noise above 84 decibels.

Program
See definition in the policy on Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6).

Program Director
See definition in the policy on Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6).

Safety Committees
As used in this standard, this general term refers to the following university committees:

1. Chemical and Laboratory Safety Committee
2. Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
3. Institutional Biosafety Committee
4. Laser Safety Committee
5. Radiation Safety Committee

Unpaid Intern
See definition in the policy on Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6).

Related Documents, Forms and Tools

This standard is issued in support of the policies on Environmental Health and Safety Compliance (IV.A.4) and Programs Involving Minors (III.A.6), as amended or superseded.

Additional information and policies:

• Additional safety measures for Minors in Labs and Other Hazardous Areas
• Volunteers (VI.B.2)
• Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors

History and Updates

October 1, 2025: This is the first standard to address this issue. Prior to the standard, information was provided on the EHS website.

Appendix

Written Permission from Parent/Guardian

The required parental/guardian permission form for minors is available for download during the participant registration process outlined in the Operating Procedures for Programs Involving Minors. Signed forms must be submitted to the Assistant Director of Research Safety before the minor may enter a Potentially Hazardous Area.