Robin Izzo is the Associate Director of Environmental Health and Safety at Princeton University, which has over 4,600 undergraduates, 2,000 graduate students, 1,100 faculty members and 11,500 staff working in around 500 laboratories across 16 buildings. Izzo oversees environmental health and safety programs at the university, including training over 150 principal investigators and their lab personnel on safety protocols and building a culture of safety awareness.

1. Robin M. Izzo
Associate Director
Environmental Health and Safety

2. • 12 Science and Engineering Departments in 16 lab
buildings… and growing
• Population
– 4600 undergraduates
– 2000 graduate students
– 1100 faculty
– 11,500 staff (5500 FTE)
• ~150 Principal Investigators
• ~500 Laboratories
• 11.45 FTE EH&S

3. Literate Ape
Arch Sings Eating Clubs
Class Jackets FitzRandolph
Gate Tradition

4. • Communicate
• Set expectations
• Lead by example
• Base on good reasons
• Provide the right tools
• Reinforce – positive and negative
• Incorporate into everything
– SOPs, assignments, performance appraisals

5. • President
• Dean of Research
• Grant Administration
• Executive VP
• VP for Facilities
• Department Chairs
• Department Managers Shirley Tilghman
President
Professor of Molecular Biology
Pervasive and Persuasive

6. • Departmental Level
– Department Safety Manager
– Chemical Hygiene Officer
• Differs for each department – based on
their culture and traditions
• Included in all assessments and
investigations
• Empowered to take action
• Stakeholders for all new initiatives

7. • Safety Committees
– For larger departments
– Quarterly lunches
– Representatives from each lab
• Usually graduate students
– Partners, Stakeholders
• Safety Manager Breakfasts
– Chemical Hygiene Officers, Department
Safety Managers, Safety Committee members
– EHS, Public Safety, Facilities

8. • Mandatory for all Principal Investigators
and laboratory managers
• Meet individually, before the lab opens
• Explain the Safety Culture and
expectations of Princeton University
• Focus on role as supervisor
• Begin the partnership

9. • Letter from President
• Expectations from Dean of Research
• Liability
• Introduction to EHS
• Raising Safety Concerns
– Escalation process
– Their role

10. • Understanding Risk
– Why their lab workers will take risks
– What they can do to reduce it
– Fixes vs. prevention
– Deadlines/Fatigue vs safety
• Lab inspections
– By EHS, Dept
– Self-inspections
– Interviews

11. • Training
– The Matrix
– The PI is responsible
for ensuring their
students/worker attend
– Beyond EHS training
– Scaling up
• Prior Approval
– Particularly Hazardous
Substances

12. • Preparedness
– Emergencies
– Continuity of
Operations
– Chemicals
• Spill kits
• Calcium gluconate
• Fire extinguishers
• Phenol
• PPE
• Hoods and Ventilation

13. • Special Materials and
Protocols
– DHS Chemicals of
Interest
– Fire Code issues
– Biological Materials
– Radioactive Materials
– Drug Enforcement
Agency chemicals
– Select Agents

14. • Funding for Safety
– Writing into grant proposals
– Can’t afford to do it safely = Can’t afford to do it
• Waste Disposal
• Shipping
• Minors in the Lab
• Power Outages
• Lab Security
• Regulatory Inspections and Fines

15. • University Commitment to Environmental
Stewardship
• Pollution Prevention
– Waste Minimization
– Conservation
– Incentives

16. • Lab Risk Assessment
– High Value Materials
– Mission-Critical Equipment
– Potential for Use/Abuse by Terrorists
• Experimental Review
– High/Unusual Hazard Experiments
– Review Team

17. • Profile of the EHS issues in the lab
– Ask series of questions
• Result
– List of programs, concerns, risks
– Identify for lab - contacts within University
• Put into database for EHS review
• Use it for communications, focus,
assessments, training

18. – Do individuals work on or near exposed electrical circuits?
– Do persons under the age of eighteen work in or observe
activities in your labs (excluding Princeton University students)?
– Can you reasonably anticipate that individuals might have
exposure to human blood or other body fluids?
– Do individuals work with ultraviolet (UV) light sources or high
intensity visible light (e.g., germicidal lights, UV wands,
mineralights, etc.)?
– Do individuals use highly toxic metals (e.g., arsenic, lead,
beryllium, chromium, mercury, vanadium, etc.)?
– Does your laboratory have processes, materials or equipment
that require specialized controls to prevent access or theft?

19. • Laboratory Standard • RAM – Open/Sealed
• Eyewash/Shower • Electromagnetic Radiation
• Chemical Waste • Live Virus Worker
• Emerg. Info Posters • Animal Worker
• Minors in Workplace • Select Agent
• Bloodborne Pathogens • DEA Materials
• Laser Safety • Particularly Haz Substances
• UV Light Safety • Business Continuity Plan
• Spill Control Plans • Hazardous Metal Program
• Laboratory Security • Reactive Chemical Safety
• Pressure Vessel Safety • Pollution Prevention/
• Powder Actuated Tool Safety Sustainability

20. • Injury/Illness Procedures • Noise Exposure
• Accident Investigation • Fall Protection
• Emergency Action Plans • Ladder Safety
• Required Postings • Confined Space Entry
• Computer Workstation • Cutting and Welding
• Electrical Safety • Hoisting and Rigging
• Lockout/Tagout • Temporary Employees
• PPE • Respiratory Protection
• Hydrofluoric Acid Prep • Haz Mat Shipping
• High Hazard Gas • Silver Recovery
Requirements • High Temp Equipment
• Water Reactive Materials • Electromagnetic Radiation
• High Magnetic Field Safety • Nanotechnology

21. • Mandatory Training
– Regardless of previous training
– Regardless of status
– One-time 3 hour training
• Refresher Training
– Every two years
• Hazard-Specific Training
• In-Lab Training

22. • Plan
– Set the expection
– Provide the tools
• Do
– Implement
– Lead by example
• Check
– Inspect, review
– Feedback
– Identify decision points
• Act

23. • Culture – 10 years old
• Slowest to “grow”
– Chemistry!
– Embarrassing Audit
• Current Status
– Adolescent
– Showing promise
• Communication is key

24. • Contact information
Robin Izzo
Princeton University
262 Alexander Street
Princeton, NJ 08540
609-258-6259
rmizzo@princeton.edu