This document establishes policies, procedures, and guidelines necessary to comply with regulatory standards as well as provide a safe environment for employees, students and visitors.
You can find the document’s latest version here
Working Alone and Lab Buddy Procedure for Students (as added in the new CHP):
Regardless of the time or day of the week, students may only work alone with the permission of their faculty supervisor AND if one of the following conditions is met:
- There is a lab buddy* within voice range. This person may be in the same or an adjoining lab that is interconnected through a secondary exit door but must be aware they are serving in the capacity of a lab buddy*. They may also sit directly outside the main lab door.
- The faculty supervisor (or another nearby faculty/staff) is in or near their office or the workspace being used the entire time and aware that the student is working.
- The student has made arrangements for a continual Zoom call with a lab buddy* the entire time they are working in the lab that listens for any sound of distress, then calls Campus Safety. While we encourage both audio and video streaming, audio-only is acceptable.
*a lab buddy is any member of the Smith community (student/faculty/staff) that serves as a voice contact for the research student to call in case of an emergency. They can be both in person as someone in an adjoining lab or virtual through a continuous Zoom call. If your lab buddy is virtual, they MUST know your location AND to call (413)-585-5555 (ext. x5555 from a Smith landline) if there is an emergency.
Note: Students who are solely performing work on computers not in the same room as hazardous materials or processes are exempt from these restrictions.