Research & Lab Safety

Staff & Contacts List

Gear up for summer lab work

 

Summer in Seattle means hiking, biking, kayaking and ... lab work. Yes, many of us spend gorgeous summer days working in the lab. While it's fine to wear shorts, skirts, sandals or flip flops outside, wearing these items in the lab can expose you to hazards. Proper lab attire ensures your skin is covered and protected.

Even if you aren't working with hazardous materials that day, your coworker might be, so always dress to protect yourself. We recommend keeping an appropriate change of clothes and shoes in the lab so you are never without the right gear.

Updated ABSL-1 waste disposal procedures

 

Processes for treatment and disposal of animal biosafety level 1 (ABSL-1) animal carcasses have been updated with input from the UW Infectious Waste Committee and the UW Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC). These updates were made to align with current regulatory requirements and best practices.

Updated ABSL-1 waste treatment and disposal procedures

ABSL-1 animal waste will now be packaged and sent for off-site incineration.

Lab Safety Awareness Week 2025

 

Help raise awareness of safe lab practices at the UW!

Lab Safety Awareness Week is sponsored by CSHEMA and held at academic institutions nationwide February 10-14, 2025. This event is dedicated to recognizing the successes of laboratory safety programs and offering ideas on how to keep our faculty, staff and students safe.

Be a Safety Champion in your lab and receive a prize!

New focus sheet explains SDSs vs. SOPs

 

Why should labs have a standard operating procedure (SOP) for a chemical when the manufacturer safety data sheet (SDS) is available? Both documents are required in the lab and offer different types of important information about a chemical.

Use the SOPs versus SDSs Focus Sheet to understand the types of information provided by each document and how to effectively use them as part of your laboratory’s chemical hygiene plan.

Standard Operating Procedures versus Safety Data Sheets

Safety data sheets (SDSs) and standard operating procedures (SOPs) are both required elements of a laboratory’s chemical hygiene plan but each captures different types of information. Use the Standard Operating Procedures versus Safety Data Sheets Focus Sheet to understand what types of information can be provided by or included in each type of document and how to effectively use these documents as part of your laboratory’s chemical hygiene plan.