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Frequently Asked
Questions
Research Safety Checklists
The Research Safety Checklist
serves two important functions. The first is as a Risk Assessment
tool for the institution which is used to identify and address
various hazards in research spaces. The second main function of the
checklist is to provide the Principal Investigator with a
comprehensive tool for recognizing hazards and compliance issues
that affect them. This checklist must be completed for all work
currently being performed by the PI.
Click here to open a blank Research Safety Checklist
Click here to
visit the Grants and Contracts Forms/Policies page
Click here to see your last
Research Safety Checklist submission date
Note: You must utilize Adobe
Acrobat Reader© 9.0 or higher to complete this checklist. Adobe
Acrobat Reader© is available from ITS (http://weill.cornell.edu/its/downloads/).
Who - All Principal
Investigators (i.e., WCMC faculty) are required to submit a
Research Safety Checklist. If WCMC non-faculty (e.g., Post-Docs)
submitting electronic routing forms are prompted to submit a
checklist, they must submit the checklist for the Principal
Investigator (i.e., WCMC faculty) whose lab the research is
being conducted.
What - All research
and/or lab work associated with the PI must be reflected.
Planned or potential work that is part of a grant application
which is not yet approved must not be included in the checklist.
How - All submissions
must be received in the original electronic format (open .pdf)
via the electronic routing form when prompted or email to EHS
for other submissions. The checklist must be signed in order to
ensure authenticity because the checklist assesses hazards and
compliance in the lab. If you are not able to sign
electronically, (1) submit the unsigned checklist as above and
(2) print and sign the signature page and mail/fax directly to
Environmental Health and Safety.
When - The checklist
must be updated and submitted annually, or sooner if new hazards
are introduced to the lab. If you are applying for grants, and a
Research Safety Checklist has not been submitted within the last
year, the Grants and Contracts electronic routing form will
prompt a new checklist submittal.
Research Safety Checklist FAQs
If you do not see the question and
answer you are looking for, contact EHS
so your question can be answered and added to the list.
What happens
if my checklist is not approved?
Failure to submit a checklist or checklists which are not
approved, may cause grant applications to be rejected.
Outstanding issues identified during the review process will be
emailed to the PI with the steps necessary to obtain approval.
If these issues are not corrected within two weeks, the
checklist will be rejected.
Do I have to submit a Research Safety Checklist if I am not applying
for grants?
Yes. A checklist is required for all research and/or lab work
conducted at WCMC.
Do I need to submit a Research Safety Checklist every time I submit
a grant application?
No. Once your checklist submission has been reviewed and
approved, you will not be prompted to resubmit for one year.
I work under a PI but I am submitting my own grant proposal. Do I
need my own checklist?
No. Researchers working under the supervision of a PI or in a
PI’s laboratory must submit a copy of the PI’s most current
checklist signed by the PI. The checklist should reflect all
current research activities associated with the PI.
What if the same PI is responsible for or occupies more than one
lab?
If the PI is responsible for multiple labs, they may submit
separate checklists for each lab, or they may include all
information in one checklist.
Do I need to include information in the checklist about the work
associated with a grant application when submitting it as part of
the application process?
No. New proposed research that is part of a grant application
which is not currently being conducted should not be included in
the checklist. However, once the new research starts, the
checklist must be updated to reflect any new hazards and
re-submitted.
Who must sign the checklist?
Only the PI whose name is listed on page one (1) may sign the
checklist.
I don’t have an electronic signature, how can I submit the
checklist?
If you are not able to sign electronically, (1) submit the
unsigned electronic checklist in the original format (open .pdf)
and (2) print and sign the signature page and mail/fax to
Environmental Health and Safety.
Can I still use my old
checklist?
No. All submissions must use the most current version of the
checklist available on the
Grants and Contracts website.
Can I fax or mail in my
submission?
No. All submissions must be received in the original electronic
format (open .pdf).
I submitted the checklist previously, so why am I being required to
submit a new one?
When submitting a grant application, you will be prompted to
resubmit a Research Safety Checklist if either your previous
submission has not been approved or if it was submitted more
than a year ago.
Who
reviews/approves the Research Safety Checklists?
Environmental Health and Safety reviews all checklists. The
review committee consists of biological safety, chemical Safety,
fire safety and hazardous waste specialists to assess the
hazards in a laboratory and cumulatively for the entire WCMC
campus. This may include follow-up with the PI to clarify
issues and/or provide assistance when requested.
How long does the
review process take?
A typical review takes one to two weeks to be completed.
Who can I call for help in completing the Research Safety Checklist?
Contact Environmental Health and Safety
for assistance or questions regarding the checklist or any
hazards in the laboratory.
How do I find
out the status of a checklist?
To check the
status of a recently submitted checklist, or to find out when a
submission was last approved, refer to the
list of current submissions.
Note: This list is
updated monthly and only includes checklists that have been
received within the last 365 days.
Contact EHS if you need additional information about the
status of a checklist.
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