Safety Protocols

Laboratory safety is not optional. Regulations, institutional policies, and common sense all require that labs maintain up-to-date safety documentation and ensure every member is properly trained. AcaTrove's safety protocols feature centralizes this responsibility so nothing falls through the cracks.

Safety Documentation

The Safety tab in your lab serves as a centralized repository for all safety-related documents. Common documents to store here include:

• Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) -- Step-by-step instructions for hazardous procedures.
• Safety Data Sheets (SDS) -- Chemical hazard information for every substance used in the lab.
• Emergency Procedures -- Evacuation routes, spill response protocols, and emergency contact lists.
• Institutional Policies -- Your university's or institution's lab safety guidelines.
• Risk Assessments -- Documented evaluations of hazards associated with specific experiments.

Adding Safety Documents

1. Open your lab and navigate to the Safety tab.
2. Click Add Document.
3. Upload the file or create a new document directly in AcaTrove.
4. Assign a document type (SOP, SDS, Emergency Procedure, Policy, or Risk Assessment).
5. Set a review date if the document requires periodic review.
6. Save.

Documents with review dates generate reminders when the review is due, ensuring your safety documentation stays current.

Compliance Tracking

AcaTrove tracks compliance at the individual level. For each lab member, you can define required safety items:

• Required training courses -- Institutional safety training, chemical handling, biosafety, radiation safety, or any other mandatory courses.
• Required document acknowledgments -- Confirmation that the member has read and understood specific SOPs or policies.
• Certification expirations -- Dates when safety certifications expire and need renewal.

Setting Up Compliance Requirements

1. In the Safety tab, click Compliance Settings.
2. Define the requirements that apply to your lab. For example: "All members must complete Chemical Hygiene Training" or "Members working with BSL-2 agents must complete Biosafety Training."
3. Assign requirements to specific roles or to all lab members.
4. Save.

AcaTrove automatically checks each member's compliance status against these requirements.

Safety dashboard showing compliance status across lab members

Training Tracker

The training tracker provides a consolidated view of who has completed required training and who has not.

• Compliant -- The member has completed all required training and has no expired certifications.
• Non-compliant -- The member is missing one or more requirements. Non-compliant members are highlighted, and the PI receives a notification.
• Expiring Soon -- A certification or training completion is approaching its expiration date.

Members can log their training completions directly from their lab profile, or the PI/lab manager can update records on their behalf.

Training tracker showing completion status for each lab member

Tips

• Upload SDS documents for every chemical in your lab. This is a regulatory requirement in most jurisdictions and is the first thing an inspector will ask for.
• Set review dates on all SOPs. An SOP that has not been reviewed in years may not reflect current procedures or regulations.
• Check the compliance dashboard monthly. New lab members often have outstanding training requirements that can be addressed quickly if caught early.
• Use the safety tab as the single source of truth. Avoid storing safety documents in personal drives or email attachments where they cannot be tracked or updated centrally.