Final answer:
The claim that university labs are not subject to OSHA regulations is false. OSHA's authority extends to university laboratories to ensure the safety of workers and students, with regulations based on a comprehensive rulemaking process.
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement that university labs are not subject to OSHA regulations is false. The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) is an agency responsible for ensuring workplace safety, which includes university laboratories. OSHA has the authority to issue standards to protect workers, including those working in academic settings. These standards are established through a comprehensive process that incorporates public engagement and comment.
In its inception, OSHA could adopt regulations from standards organizations without the full rulemaking process, but now must demonstrate the existence of significant risk to workers and provide feasible measures to mitigate these risks. University labs, therefore, must adhere to OSHA's safety standards to protect students and staff from potential hazards.