These guidelines facilitate the process of laboratory closure when a principal investigator is vacating, relocating or renovating a lab space. Laboratories covered by this guideline work with one or a combination of the following:  

— Chemicals  

— Biohazardous materials covered under a biosafety permit issued by the Environmental Health & Safety Biosafety Group  

— Radioactive materials covered under a radioisotope permit issued by the Environmental Health & Safety Radiation Safety Group.  

These guidelines outline procedures to ensure that the laboratory closure is conducted in accordance with health, safety and environmental regulations and standards. These also cover the situation of a complete lab closure or a partial lab closure. 

Department head 

The department head must ensure that all principal investigators and laboratory technicians in their department are aware of and comply with this guideline. 

The department head must notify Environmental Health & Safety if a principal investigator is leaving the university, transferring a laboratory to another location, performing renovations to a lab space or closing down a laboratory. 

The department head will be responsible for any cleanup costs, regulatory actions or fines resulting from non-compliance with this guideline. 

Principal investigator or laboratory supervisor 

The principal investigator must follow these guidelines to leave the laboratory in a condition that is safe for the next occupant or construction/renovation workers conducting work in their lab space. 

The principal investigator or designate must ensure the proper disposal of all hazardous materials used in the laboratory. 

The principal investigator or designate shall provide any information on location and/or equipment uses related to chemical, biological, radioactive and physical hazards. 

The principal investigator or designate shall maintain a detailed report outlining the closure activities for the lab space. 

In the event of a closure with multiple principal investigators, one individual will be assigned these responsibilities as the designate of all the principal investigators. 

Property manager 

Upon being contacted regarding a laboratory renovation, the property manager will contact Environmental Health & Safety to confirm they are aware of the project. 

Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) 

Upon being notified of the laboratory closure, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) will ensure that the laboratory conditions and hazards are reviewed with the Principal Investigator or designate before any work or removal is done. 

EHS will assist the principal investigator or designate in following this guideline to ensure the closure is performed correctly. 

EHS will make available specialized safety officers to help and direct the principal investigator or designate. 

Environmental Protection Services (EPS) 

The Environmental Protection Services team (EPS) will act as the lead contact for the lab closure for notifications and laboratory surveys. 

EPS will ensure the proper and safe disposal of any waste chemical, biohazardous and radioactive materials. 

EPS will appoint one staff member as the Environmental Protection Services lab closure specialist for each project. 

EHS director 

The EHS director ensures that controllable risks associated with lab closure are minimized. 

The EHS director becomes involved in large and/or complicated closures. 

The EHS director will investigate any issues of non-compliance. 

Health & safety officer 

The health & safety officer is responsible for issuing permits and permit changes for laboratories using biological agents. 

They will advise the principal investigator or designate on proper methods to decontaminate equipment and lab space used for working with biological agents. 

They will confirm with the principal investigator that the lab space is decontaminated to acceptable levels. 

The health & safety officer is responsible for issuing permits and permit changes for laboratories using radioactive materials. 

They will help the principal investigator or designate meet the criteria to decommission a lab space that was working under a radioisotope permit. 

They will confirm with the principal investigator that the lab space is decontaminated to acceptable levels. 

Lab chemical safety specialist 

For laboratories with hazardous chemicals, if there is a concern of contamination either in workspaces and/or fume hoods, the lab chemical safety specialist will perform risk assessments to determine the steps needed to reduce exposure, including decontamination requirements for workspaces. 

The department head must notify the Environmental Protection Services team of a planned lab closure or renovation at least four weeks before the planned closure or renovation. The Environment Protection Services team will assign a lab closure specialist. 

Four weeks before the closure 

A survey of the laboratory will be carried out by the closure specialist and the principal investigator or designate. 

In the event of a large or complicated closure (that is, more than one principal investigator with multiple lab spaces), the EHS director should be contacted for coordination. 

If renovations are involved for the closure, the property manager should be involved in the initial survey. 

Any concerns that arise about the timeline or procedures will be reviewed with the manager of the Environmental Protection Services team well in advance of the action steps. 

Two weeks before the closure 

The principal investigator or designate will circulate a list of all hazards involved in the closure to the lab closure specialist, their department head and the property manager. 

The lab closure specialist will involve the appropriate health and safety officer for the hazards and permits related to the laboratory space (biosafety officer, radiation safety officer or lab chemical safety specialist). 

The lab closure specialist must be advised of any equipment or resources to be offered to other principal investigators at the university. The Environmental Protection Services team will advise the appropriate health & safety officer of any transfer involving biohazardous or radioactive materials. 

Laboratory areas with a biosafety permit must complete the decommissioning form for biological agents (PDF) while communicating the project to their health & safety officer at EHS. 

Radioisotope permit laboratories must communicate in writing the proposed changes to their health & safety officer at EHS and follow the procedures for decommissioning the lab space. 

Should concerns arise because of the chemicals used in the lab space or fume hoods in the past, the lab chemical safety specialist will be contacted by the EHS representative to perform a risk assessment. 

In all situations, a laboratory exit/renovation/decommissioning form (ERD Form (PDF)) must be completed and sent to the Environmental Protection Services team at gord.petre@utoronto.ca. 

Just before the closure 

The principal investigator or designate will place filled-out chemical waste labels on all chemical containers that are to be picked up as waste by the Environmental Protection Services team. 

All gas cylinders should be returned to the supplier before the closure, and gas cylinders that cannot be returned must be reported to Environment Protection Services for disposal approval. 

Biowaste must be sealed, labelled and segregated before contacting Environment Protection Services for disposal. 

Radioactive waste must be properly labelled and any additional unused supplies segregated before contacting Environment Protection Services for disposal. 

The principal investigator or designate should contact the Campus Moving team to schedule the removal of any hazard-free equipment, recyclables or refuse after the hazardous materials are removed but before the final closure. 

The principal investigator or designate must place a safe-to-remove tag (PDF) on any laboratory equipment that campus movers are expected to transport for either disposal, recycling or relocating. 

Closure (when the lab has been vacated) 

The principal investigator or designate and Environment Protection Services lab closure specialist will survey the lab space at the time of the closure to confirm all hazards have been removed and handled in a safe and proper manner. 

The principal investigator or designate will notify the department head and property manager that the laboratory is ready for renovations or a new occupant. 

Caretaking should be contacted regarding full and appropriate cleaning of the vacated space. 

The principal investigator or designate will send copies of his/her detailed closure report to the department head, property manager and the Environmental Protection Services team’s lab closure specialist. 

After closure (when the space is reoccupied) 

The department head responsible for the area should notify EHS when a new principal investigator will occupy the lab space to initiate approval of relevant permits. This notification must be done before any further renovations or moving in takes place.