The Advanced Photon Source
a U.S. Department of Energy Office of Science User Facility

Experiment Hazard Class 15.2 – USDA Regulated Soil

Applicability
This hazard classification applies to all experiments involving soils regulated by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).  Other hazard classifications and their associated hazard controls may also apply to experiments in this hazard class.
 
Experiment Category
Experiments involving this hazard class are categorized as low risk experiments unless other hazard classes apply.
 
Experiment Hazard Control Verification Statements

Engineered Controls – None required.

Procedural Controls – All work with regulated soils must be performed in compliance with the APS Protocol for Handling, Storage, and Disposal of Foreign Soil and Regulated Domestic Soil.  A copy of the current APS USDA Soil Permit must accompany all regulated soil samples shipped to Argonne National Laboratory (contact Liz Schmidt for a copy of the APS' permit).  A copy of the user's home institution's soil permit must be included in the return shipment of untreated, regulated soil samples to the user's home institution.  It is the user's responsibility to provide the APS with a copy of their home institution's USDA Soil Permit.  Transportation of regulated soil samples must be done in compliance with the APS' USDA Soil Permit.

Design Reviews and Equipment Inspections – None required under this hazard class.  Design reviews and equipment inspections may be required under other applicable hazard classes.

Training – Review of the APS Protocol for Handling, Storage, and Disposal of Foreign Soil and Regulated Domestic Soil.

Signs and Labeling – Packages of regulated soil must be identified as such by using a USDA PPQ Form 550 label that is barcoded and numbered.  Labels can be obtained by contacting Liz Schmidt. The USDA PPQ Form 550 label is NOT a shipping label.  The package must be shipped by bonded carrier (such as FedEx) from the port of arrival to Liz Schmidt at Argonne National Laboratory.  NOTE: Please contact the APS far enough in advance to receive the required USDA PPQ Form 550 label. The USDA requires an original of the label be affixed to the exterior of the package.

Personal Protective Equipment – Nitrile gloves for handling samples.

Dosimetry and Monitoring – None required.

 
Experiment Authorization
Unless otherwise noted in the approved experiment safety plan, the PSC Deputy Associate Laboratory Director of Operations delegates the authority to authorize an experiment in this hazard class to a member of the APS Experiment Safety Review Board and resident beamline personnel having the authority to authorize experiments as listed in the ESAF system.  Approval by both the host beamline and APS Experiment Safety Review Board are mandatory prerequisites for experiment authorization.
 
Hazard Control Verification
The PSC Deputy Associate Laboratory Director of Operations delegates responsibility for verifying that required controls are in place to the experiment On-Site Spokesperson and Beamline Management.
 
References
Contact the APS User Safety Program with any questions or if the internal links are not working properly.
Reviewed: February 22, 2024