Principal Investigator (PI)

The Principal Investigator (PI) is a faculty member or research scientist appointed by the University to conduct research. The PI has overall responsibility for safety and compliance in his or her laboratory, although the below responsibilities can be delegated to a competent designee(s) in the laboratory. The PI is responsible for:

  1. Ensuring that laboratory personnel have read, understand and adhere to this Manual, its applicable Plans, including the Laboratory Assessment Tool and Chemical Hygiene Plan (LATCH), and all University, school, departmental and laboratory policies and procedures.
  2. Ensuring that new laboratory personnel attend Laboratory Safety, Chemical Hygiene and Hazardous Waste Management Training, and all other applicable safety training at the time of hire or before involvement in laboratory research activities, and that refresher training is completed as required.
  3. Ensuring that current and new laboratory personnel receive adequate laboratory process and/or equipment-specific safety training from the PI before use.
  4. Ensuring that personnel are advised of applicable safety procedures when introducing new hazardous biological or chemical substances, radioactive materials, compressed gasses, equipment, and procedures.
  5. Ensuring that appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE) is available and used.
  6. Developing operating procedures to address a particular hazard or operation encountered in the laboratory. EH&S may be consulted to determine which operations warrant documentation of a standard operating procedure (SOP).
  7. Ensuring that proper signage is present inside the laboratory to identify where hazards may exist.
  8. Ensuring that containers are labeled so that laboratory personnel or emergency responders can determine the identity of the contents.
  9. Ensuring that a FDNY Certificate of Fitness (CoF) holder is present in the laboratory at all times when personnel are working in the laboratory.
  10. Reviewing the laboratory's operating procedures, plans and other relevant safety procedures, whenever changes occur, but no less frequently than annually.
  11. Completing Vacating Procedures prior to any laboratory renovation or move.