Mission Statement

The Institutional Chemical Safety Committee (ICSC) is based in the Office of the Vice Provost for Research (OVPR). The ICSC is here to be a resource on the safe use of chemicals to the research, teaching, and training communities at Tufts University. Our mission is to create a culture of safety for students, faculty, and staff by ensuring that everyone understands the hazards and risks associated with chemical use. The committee focuses on promoting safe work environments and practices on the storage, use, and disposal of chemicals. The ICSC reviews and approves policies, high hazard registrations, and accidents/incidents that involve chemicals in Tufts spaces.

The ICSC works closely with the chemical safety officers at Tufts University, and the Laboratory Safety and Industrial Hygiene Groups to ensure that any work being conducted with high hazard chemicals is done safely and complies the federal, state, and local regulations.

Scope of Review and Responsibility

The Institutional Chemical Safety Committee (ICSC) was established to provide review and oversight of research, teaching, and training spaces and activities that are associated with chemicals at Tufts University while promoting a culture of chemical safety. Specifically, the ICSC is charged to ensure that Tufts is in compliance with federal, state, and local regulations on the safe use of chemicals in our research, teaching, and training environments. The ICSC is responsible for formulating, establishing, and implementing University-wide policies and efficient procedures to support the Tufts community. This expanded oversight is designed to be in compliance with the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450), and the Hazard Communication Standard (29 CFR 1910.1200) under 29 CFR 1910 Subpart Z: Toxic and Hazardous Substances.

To this end, the ICSC will evaluate, approve, and oversee work involving chemicals in research, teaching, and training based on the criteria set forth by the committee. The ICSC will ensure that applicable safety precautions, work practices, engineering controls, trainings, medical surveillance, and incident response procedures are in place to support the safety of faculty, staff, and students. The ICSC will review reports of accidents and incidents involving chemicals, and if needed, help to ensure that appropriate corrective actions are implemented. For research, teaching, and training-related use of high-hazard chemicals, review and approval from the ICSC will be handled through a registration process.