Environmental Health & Safety

In certain areas of OSU, it is desirable to limit access of students and visitors based on operational needs. OSU staff are encouraged to keep their offices and laboratories locked unless occupied, as a matter of common security practice. All rooms are accessible to maintenance, security and safety personnel under normal circumstances, even if locked. The hazard awareness sign system (Safety Instruction #28) has been established to inform maintenance personnel, students and visitors to a laboratory of the potential hazards that may be encountered. Facilities Services also have operating procedures that require notification of occupants of a space if the utility systems are to be worked on. Neither of these sets of procedures is intended to prohibit access or apply under emergency situations.

There are a few locations on campus where the operations are so hazardous, or the experimental set up so sensitive, that added measures are warranted to prevent access to these rooms except to a select group of individuals. A Do Not Enter sign program has been established to evaluate, authorize and officially identify these special rooms. This program has been established to severely limit access to a room, even during an emergency situation. Placing a Do not Enter sign on a door has the following requirements and consequences:

1. The Do not Enter sign is issued only by Environmental Health & Safety. It is recognized as an official sign and complied with under all circumstances. Other signs indicating the same level of limited access will not be honored and will be removed.
2. The probability of injury if an unescorted or untrained individual enters the room is real and significant, and/or the probability of damage to an critical experiment is significant.
3. The reason for the restricted access must be clearly stated on the sign. This information is a requirement for emergency responders.
4. The name of the contact person for the room must be placed on the sign along with their work and home telephone numbers.
5. A location must also be placed on the sign indicating where people should go for information or to gain access to the posted room.
6. Emergency personnel will not enter the room unless instructed to do so by the contact individual or their department chair. Any damage to equipment, facilities, or experimental results, and all associated financial loss due to the lack of action by emergency response personnel will be the responsibility of those requesting the posting of the Do not Enter sign.