ADOPTED:                            12/20/2021

REVISED:                                01/10/2024

RESPONSIBLE OFFICE:         MU Environmental Health & Safety

POLICY STATEMENT

The University of Missouri (MU) is responsible for developing and implementing programs and policies to ensure that MU is in compliance with all applicable environmental health and safety regulations and provides a safe work environment for faculty, staff, students, and visitors as outlined in the Collected Rules & Regulations.

MU strives to offer a safe and enjoyable educational environment for all minors attending their programs. In support of that goal, there are requirements of faculty, staff, students, student employees, appointees, and volunteers who work in activities and programs with minors when conducting youth programs sponsored by or upon the premises of MU.

All Youth Program personnel shall follow appropriate safety measures approved by Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) for laboratory and research work and where otherwise applicable.

DEFINITIONS

• Designated Individual. Any person, including faculty, staff, students, student employees, appointees, or volunteers, eighteen years of age or older, paid or unpaid, who supervises or has responsibilities for oversight of minors and/or other adults of youth programs.

For this policy, this includes individuals who have primary responsibility for an area where biological, chemical, or radioactive materials are used or stored, and include but are not limited to MU Deans / Directors / Department Chairs, Faculty, Principal Investigators (PIs), Laboratory Supervisors and Managers, or Shop and Maintenance Supervisors.

• Youth Leader. A youth leader is a person under the age of eighteen years who assists with the youth program and must be supervised by an adult who has met the policy requirements.
• EHS Laboratory Specific Safety Training. Upon review of Youth Program, the EHS safety training for Minors in Laboratories to complete prior to performing any work in the laboratory.
• A person under the age of eighteen who is not enrolled or accepted for enrollment as a student at the University.
• Laboratory. An area owned by the University of Missouri where relatively small quantities of chemicals and other substances are used on a non-production basis for teaching or research (or diagnostic purposes at a teaching hospital) and are stored and used in containers that are easily manipulated by one person. Laboratory is inclusive of photo laboratories, art studios, field laboratories, chemical stockrooms, and preparatory laboratories that provide a support function to teaching or research laboratories (or diagnostic laboratories at teaching hospitals).
• Youth Program. An academic, athletic or recreational activity or program offered to a minor by the University, or by a non-university group using University facilities, during which Designated Individuals supervise youth participants in the activity or program. This includes but is not limited to, workshops, group lessons, conferences, seminars, camps, competitions, internship programs, group experiential learning opportunities, and other enrichment programs.

RESPONSIBILITIES

MU ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY RESPONSIBILITY

• Statutory Compliance. Develop programs and policies to ensure that MU is in compliance with all laws and applicable regulations; to ensure the health and safety of its students, faculty and staff; and to ensure the proper use, storage, and disposal of biological, chemical, radioactive materials, and any other hazardous materials.

For Minors in Laboratories, this includes but is not limited to:

• Verify conditions described in the Minors in Laboratories Registration Form after approval by the Authorized Adult.

• Training & Documentation. Provide faculty, staff, and students with the relevant rules, the necessary training, and the appropriate resources to comply with standards and regulations, to maintain an appropriately safe work environment, and to maintain appropriate documentation that standards and regulations are being met.

For Minors in Laboratories, this includes but is not limited to:

• Assist laboratory personnel in maintaining and monitoring health and safety requirements.
• Investigate incidents, near misses, and complaints related to laboratory safety.
• Identify and provide all required EHS training courses for Youth Program (Laboratory Specific Safety Training). NOTE:  Minors are not permitted to wear respirators.

OFFICE OF RESEARCH RESPONSIBILITY

It is the responsibility of the Office of Research to provide the following with regard to Minors in laboratories:

• Ensure compliance with all provisions of CRR 210.020 Youth Protection Policy.
• Ensure compliance with all provisions of the Office of Research policy on Minors in Laboratories.
• Ensure compliance with all provisions of the EHS policy on Minors in Laboratories.
• Obtain approval by the Dean / Director / Department Head or their Designee.
• Provide the provision of hazard information to the minor and their parent(s) or guardian(s).
• Obtain signed waivers from the minor and their parent or guardian.
• Review of laboratory conditions from EHS.
• Initiate Training for Minors by presenting to EHS a fully signed Minors Research Proposal Registration Form (Office of Research) to identify training courses required.

 STUDENT, FACULTY, STAFF, AND VISITOR RESPONSIBILITY

• Comply with Rules and Regulations. Faculty, staff and students at the University of Missouri have the responsibility and obligation to act in accordance with all applicable federal and state regulations.
  • It is the responsibility of individual faculty, staff, and students to be informed of applicable rules and regulations and to comply with these rules and regulations. Failure to comply with these rules and regulations constitutes possible grounds for dismissal of students and termination for cause of faculty and staff.
  • In unusual situations where the University is exempt from regulatory jurisdiction due to its status as a government entity, faculty, staff, and students still have an obligation for knowledge of the risk and meeting the intent of the regulations.
  • It is also the responsibility of individual faculty, staff and students having actual knowledge that the actions of visitors are in violation of applicable rules and regulations to inform the visitor(s) of that known fact and to take reasonable steps in an effort to stop such action.
• Deans / Directors / Department Heads. Those responsible for the safety of Minors in Laboratories shall:
  • Comply with Office of Research Minors in Laboratories policy.
  • Comply with Health & Safety Responsibilities policy.
  • Comply with Lab Safety policy.
  • Comply with Personal Protective Equipment policy.

RESOURCES

Federal Policies:

• EPA 40 CFR 262.200 Subpart K

UMSYS Policies:

• CRR 85:010 Risk Management (2007)
• CRR 85.020 Hazardous Chemicals and Radioactive Materials (2007)
• CRR 210.020 Protection of Minors (2021)

MU Policies:

• BPPM 7:001 Environmental Health & Safety (2021)
• BPPM 7:100 Health & Safety Responsibilities (2021)
• BPPM 7:400 Laboratory Safety (2021)
• BPPM 7:500 Personal Protective Equipment (2021)
• Office of Research policy on Minors in Laboratory (2021)

For additional information about any safety or health related policy or guideline, refer to the EHS web site or contact us at ehs@umsystem.edu / (573) 882-7018.