In a research-intensive organization such as Lilly, laboratory safety is of the utmost concern. Because so many employees work in laboratories, considerable effort has been devoted to enhancing existing and developing new laboratory safety programs. These efforts have involved health and safety professionals as well as numerous laboratory scientists. All have worked jointly to develop policies and establish work practices to ensure safe handling of chemical agents, biological hazards, and radioactive materials. Laboratory safety activities are focused in Indiana, but also extend to other locations, including Puerto Rico, Sphinx Pharmaceuticals in North Carolina, the Analytical Research Laboratories in Canada, and sites in the United Kingdom and Belgium.

Part of our laboratory safety program includes a comprehensive biosafety program developed over the last two years. A biosafety officer and a committee representing several discovery strategy groups have worked together to develop employee training programs. Approximately 1,500 U.S. employees, including 100 in Puerto Rico, receive annual training on blood-borne pathogens. Compliance with the OSHA blood-borne pathogens standard is a component of the biosafety program that extends beyond the laboratory to include emergency response personnel, fire brigades, certain maintenance and crafts employees, and employee health services. Additional biosafety issues involving infectious agents other than blood-borne pathogens exist in areas such as infectious disease research, natural products research, animal health discovery, and laboratory animal-care areas.

Relating to chemical safety, a computer-based training program and comprehensive chemical hygiene plan were developed in 1994 by a committee of laboratory professionals from our Indiana sites. Approximately 3,000 laboratory employees have completed the training program.

For more than two decades, Lilly has had an ongoing program to comply with requirements of the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission for radiation safety. The program involves intensive efforts to maintain scientists' authorizations for use of radioactive materials, conduct training, monitor employee exposure, receive and distribute radioisotopes, and collect and dispose of radioactive waste.

Extensive laboratory safety programs ensure proper handling of chemical agents.