The Louisiana Cancer Research Center (LCRC) was founded in 2002 with a mission to promote education and conduct research in the diagnosis, detection, and treatment of cancer. The LCRC brought together a consortium of cancer researchers from Tulane University, Louisiana State University, and Xavier University. The Consortium undertook building a state-of-the-art research facility. The LCRC turned to Woodard & Curran to create an environmental, health, and safety (EHS) program from the ground up based on our expertise in comprehensive EHS program development and management.
ACHIEVING IMMEDIATE RESULTS
The LCRC entrusted us with determining the laws and regulations the Center would be subject to based on facility design, equipment, and the types of research planned, including radiation and biological safety. Woodard & Curran prepared written programs, developed systems, and developed and provided required staff training in order to achieve compliance and effectively manage the risk of harm to people working at the facility and to the environment. Because of our efforts, the LCRC was able to begin operations with an EHS compliance program that was extensive yet manageable. The results were well demonstrated when a radiation safety inspector from the Louisiana Department of Environmental Quality described LCRC’s program as one of the best she had ever seen.
OUTSOURCED PROGRAM MANAGEMENT
Relying on our expertise, LCRC hired Woodard & Curran to serve as the facility’s EHS Department. We staff the LCRC with a program manager and EHS technician on-site at the facility. Our staff addresses day-to-day activities from routine inspections and waste management, annual training and EPCRA reporting, program review, and unscheduled needs such as spill response, regulator inspections, and equipment failures that have an impact on EHS. The manager and technician regularly respond to questions from LCRC staff. The organization also benefits by having access to all personnel at Woodard & Curran to provide assistance with any issues that arise within EHS and other facility functions. We also serve as the facility RSO and BSO, where we chair quarterly meetings at the LCRC.
