New PIs

Welcome to the University of Texas at Austin! Below are a list of items that you can do prior to, upon, and after arriving to campus to get your lab setup with EHS.

Prior to Arrival:

  1. Work with Departmental contacts for facility set up.
  2. Fill out and submit your Laboratory Research Checklist for New PIs (PDF) to EHS-LabStaff@austin.utexas.edu.
  3. Submit Biosafety protocols if applicable to the Institutional Biosafety Committee.
  4. Submit animal protocols if applicable to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee.
  5. Request approval for Radiological or Laser work.
  6. You and your lab workers can complete the basic Lab Safety Training required by almost all labs on campus once you have an EID.
  7. Review the New PI Brochure.

When You Arrive on Campus:

The process for establishing your lab with EHS is as follows:

  1. Fill out and submit your Laboratory Research Checklist for New PIs (PDF) to EHS-LabStaff@austin.utexas.edu (if you have not already done so).
  2. EHS will enter your preliminary information into our EHSA database and give you permission for access to this online safety database.
  3. EHS will contact you to schedule an in-person EHS Orientation meeting. During the meeting we will go over any questions you have as well as University policies, safety practices, and training requirements. We will also walk you through how to use our online database. If your lab spaces are open, we will also do a walkthrough with you to answer any specific safety considerations for your lab set up.
  4. The EHS Safety Specialist will enter the information gained during the meeting into your profile in the database. Any additional safety training requirements based on your specific lab hazards will be added to you and your lab member’s profiles.
  5. After the EHS Orientation, you will receive a follow up email reviewing all of the information from the Orientation meeting. EHS will also print and post your Lab Hazard Safety Signs at the entrances of your labs.
  6. Feel free to contact EHS with any questions you have in the future and welcome to UT!

After Arrival:

  1. Appoint a Lab Safety Contact (LSC), a member of your lab group who will be the point of contact with EHS. Make sure EHS is notified of the LSC along with their EID and emergency phone number (usually their cell phone).
  2. Review the Recurring EHS Responsibilities for Labs (PDF) resource document.
  3. Write or review Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for hazardous procedures in your lab. EHS has a template available and is able to assist with any questions you may have.
  4. Review Research Clinical Teaching Labs for other pertinent lab safety information.