For National Biosafety Month 2023, Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) encourages labs to develop written standard operating procedures (SOPs) for procedures involving biohazards. Download a customizable biosafety SOP template or build your own.
If you are organizing an event at a UW location where food will be served, sold, or given away, you may need to apply for a Temporary Food Service Permit from the UW Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S).
It’s time again for the biannual health and safety committee elections. Nominations will open soon for the next two-year committee term, which will begin on January 1, 2024. Don’t miss your chance to nominate yourself or a coworker!
Sprains, strains, and work-related musculoskeletal disorders account for more than 30% of total workers’ compensation injury claims in Washington state each year. Work-related musculoskeletal disorders include injuries to the muscles, nerves, tendons, joints, cartilage, and spinal discs.
During Global Ergonomics Month and year-round, supervisors and personnel should consider the following resources to help prevent injuries:
The updated UW Accident Prevention Plan contains new and updated health and safety information and resources for University units to share with personnel. Department/unit administrators and supervisors should review the UW Accident Prevention Plan and the Supplemental Accident Prevention Plan with their existing and new employees.
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) updated rabies information for University personnel who conduct field work in areas where rabies is endemic.
The updated Rabies Information includes the latest recommendations from the CDC Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices:
The Air Quality Index (AQI) has increased in the Seattle, Bothell, and Tacoma areas, which may require public and occupational health and safety measures to be taken (summarized below).
The University of Washington has multiple locations where KN95, KF94, N95 and surgical masks can be picked up through the 2023/2024 academic year.
Masks will be available to UW students and personnel at no charge on a first-come, first-served basis.
Updated 7/24/23
The University implemented the changes outlined in the message to the UW community from Dr. Geoff Gottlieb, chair of the University Advisory Committee on Communicable Diseases. Key updates include:
Alumni, affiliates, visitors, and students with valid UW NetIDs are (at various times) not able to log into EH&S online training courses and will see an error message when attempting to do so. This is because Bridge, the UW learning management system, does not recognize their UW affiliation. The Environmental Health & Safety Department (EH&S) developed a new self-service tool to assist these individuals with obtaining access to Bridge.
