Reporting Laboratory Injuries or Exposures

The following instructions apply to all BU faculty, staff, and students.

1. If you sustain an injury, chemical exposure, or biological exposure in a BU laboratory: Implement the first aid steps on which you have been trained, e.g., washing the injury, etc. Refer to a chemical’s safety data sheet.  Another good resource is NIOSH Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards.
2. In case of emergency: Follow BU Emergency Instructions:
   • Call Public Safety for emergency medical assistance, 617-353-2121 (CRC) or 617 358 4144 (BUMC).
   • Report all lab-related injuries or exposures to ROHP, 617-358-ROHP (7647), 72 E. Concord St., Evans 825.
   • Students should contact BU Student Health for any medical incidents NOT related to a chemical or biological exposure, at 617-353-3575.
3. Immediate medical evaluation: Once you contact ROHP, a health care professional will perform a risk assessment, advise you on immediate first aid, and direct you to appropriate medical care.
4. EMPLOYEES after reporting an incident to ROHP should contact StrataCare, an injury/incident intake service available 24/7. Employees should also notify their supervisor as soon as possible.
5. ROHP is staffed with specially trained nurse practitioner’s weekdays 8am-4:30pm.
6. After hours and on weekends and holidays, the number will ring to an after-hours occupational physician call service, and a physician will return your call promptly.
7. Safety investigation: ROHP will report the incident to BU Environmental Health and Safety so that they may investigate the incident and determine whether any changes need to be made to prevent similar incidents.
8. Follow-up care: If symptoms related to your injury or exposure worsen, please contact ROHP.
9. Costs of treatment: No one should hesitate to seek treatment for a laboratory injury/exposure due to cost concerns. ROHP provides medical attention and coordinates aftercare for laboratory injuries and exposures without any charge to research faculty, staff and students. If immediate emergency care is needed, or if follow-up care is needed outside of BU, the costs may be covered by your own insurance, by Workers’ Compensation if you are an employee, or by the Provost’s Fund if you are a student. If you have questions about costs related to laboratory injuries and exposures, please ask ROHP at rohp@bu.edu.