APPENDIX A

Richard F. Ewing

Vice President for Research

October 25, 2001

MEMORANDUM

TO: Texas A&M University Faculty and Laboratory Staff

FROM: Dr. Richard E. Ewing

SUBJECT: University Research Facilities and Laboratories Security

In light of the recent acts of terrorism in our nation, it is necessary that the Texas A&M research community review the security of Texas A&M's research facilities and laboratories. While the University, and the Nation, consider possible long-term security and safety measures, we believe this is an appropriate time to examine, reinforce, and/or increase existing security measures across our campus. The actions that need to be taken at this time result from an assessment by the Office of the Vice President for Research, which is under my purview; the Environmental Health and Safety Department, which reports to Vice President for Finance and Controller William B. Krumm; and the University Police Department, which reports to Vice President for Administration Charles A. Sippial, JR Research Facilities.

With that in mind, attached is a suggested Laboratory Security Plan to aid in your review of security procedures in your colleges' facilities and/or laboratories. These actions should be implemented immediately, as appropriate, in all University facilities and laboratories where hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, biological agents or toxins are located, as well as at sites at which laboratory animal or human participants research is conducted.

Again, this is an intermediate security plan while, in conjunction with the Environmental Health and Safety Department and the University Police Department, we are in the process of developing long-term security and safety measures. We are also in the process of developing broader information to provide to you on security and safety concerns, which we hope to send to you in the near future

On a related note, it is increasingly likely that faculty and staff will be contacted or visited by members of the media, law enforcement, or concerned citizens regarding hazardous materials and/or security. You are not obligated to respond to any of these individuals or groups. Contacts and visits by law enforcement members or groups should be referred to Robert E. Wiatt, Director of Security and University Police (845-8058, or bobwiatt@tamu.edu), contacts by the media should be referred to Cynthia J. Lawson, Executive Director of University Relations (862-2302, or cil@univrel.tamu.edu); and contacts by regulators and/or inspectors should be referred to Christopher M. Meyer, Director, Environmental Health & Safety Department (845-2132, or c-m-meyer@tamu.edu). If you have general questions, you may contact Michael W. Buckley, Director of Compliance and Administration, in my office, at 845-8585, or mwbuckley@tamu.edu.

Research facilities and laboratories where hazardous chemicals, radioactive materials, biological agents, or toxins are present must be kept secure at all times. At a minimum, this involves limiting access to the facility and laboratory and locking the door when no facility and laboratory personnel are present.

Facilities and laboratories need to take the following steps to prevent unauthorized entry into a facility or laboratory and, in turn, prevent unauthorized removal of hazardous materials from a facility or laboratory:

• Approach any visitors that appear to be wandering in facility or laboratory areas and ask if you can help direct them.
• Report suspicious or unexplained behavior to the University Police Department (emergency = 9-911; nonemergency = 845-2345). Lock all equipment (e.g., freezers, cabinets, incubators, and scintillation counters) that contain hazardous materials and are located in hallways or areas outside of facilities or laboratories.
• Keep facility and laboratory doors closed at all times.
• Lock facility and laboratory doors when no one is present.
• Put emergency contact signs on facility and laboratory doors, including a 24-hr contact number.
• Program speed dial of emergency contacts (e.g., 9-911, facility or laboratory director, etc.) on the phones in the facility or laboratory, if possible.

Facility and Laboratory Security and Emergency Response

• Facility and laboratory directors should review security procedures regularly to ensure that they are adequate for current conditions and consistent with other facility- and laboratory-wide policies and procedures.
• Facility and laboratory supervisors should ensure that all facility and laboratory personnel and visitors understand security requirements and are trained and equipped to follow established procedures.
• Access to areas where hazardous materials are used and stored should be controlled. The facility or laboratory and animal housing areas should be locked at all times. Only workers or students (required to perform a job) should be allowed in a facility, laboratory, or housing areas, and workers should be allowed only in areas and at hours required to perform their particular job.
• Access during nonroutine work hours should be limited to authorized personnel.
• Access for routine cleaning, maintenance, and repairs should be limited to hours when facility and laboratory employees are present.
• Freezers, refrigerators, cabinets, and other containers where stocks of biological agents, hazardous chemicals, or radioactive materials are stored should be locked when they are not in direct view of workers (e.g., when located in unattended storage areas).
• All new employees should be known to facility and laboratory personnel. Depending on the hazardous materials involved and the type of work being done, a background check and/or security clearance may be appropriate before new employees are assigned to the facility and laboratory areas. Guests must be escorted or cleared for entry using the same procedures as for regular workers.
• It is best to use the "buddy system" when using hazardous materials in a facility or laboratory. However, if it is necessary to work in the facility or laboratory alone during nonroutine hours, let someone know where you will be and how long you expect to be in the facility or laboratory. Arrange for someone to check on you at least hourly.
• Know what materials are being brought into the facility and laboratory areas. All packages should be screened before being brought into the facility or laboratory area. If a suspicious or unexpected package is delivered to the facility or laboratory, do not open it. Contact the University Police Department (emergency = 9-911; nonemergency = 845-2345).
• Know what materials are being removed from the facility and laboratory areas. Hazardous materials must be packaged and labeled in conformance with all applicable local, federal, and international shipping regulations. The recipient should be known to the sender, and the sender should make an effort to ensure that materials are shipped to a facility or laboratory equipped to handle those materials safely. Contaminated or possibly contaminated materials should be decontaminated before they leave the facility or laboratory areas.
• Control of access to facility and laboratory areas can make an emergency response more difficult. This must be considered when emergency plans are developed. Police, fire, and other emergency responders should be informed as to the types of hazardous materials in use in the facility or laboratory areas and special access control devices that are in use (e.g., card key, etc.).
• Facility and laboratory emergency planning should be coordinated with facility- and laboratory-wide plans. Bomb threats, severe weather, power outages, and other natural (or unnatural) disasters should be considered when developing facility and laboratory emergency plans.
• Facility and laboratory directors, in cooperation with the University Police Department, should have procedures in place for reporting incidents such as unauthorized persons in the building, missing chemicals or other hazardous materials, and unusual or threatening phone calls.