If you are partially or completely vacating your laboratory for remodeling, relocation or closure, you are required to leave it clean and safe. By following safe practices, we can help prevent exposures and maintain the health and safety of everyone in our workspaces.
Moveout notice
The Environmental Health & Safety Boating Safety Program created two new resources to help UW personnel identify and reduce the risk of drowning while working on, over, or alongside water. These resources are designed to prioritize the safety of UW personnel and clarify guidance from Washington State Department of Labor & Industries regarding the selection, use, and maintenance of personal flotation devices (PFDs) to protect workers when drowning hazards exist in the workplace.
What is my responsibility to prevent drowning?
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) launched a new Asbestos Awareness Refresher Online course that replaces the annual in-person refresher course, providing participants the flexibility to complete their training at their own pace.
Course highlights:
Are you responsible for a teaching lab that uses chemicals, biological materials, or hazardous equipment? Download new and updated resources to support safe and effective teaching lab operations.
New resources
Teaching Laboratories Risk Assessment Tool & Guidelines
Flammable materials storage
Cold storage of flammable materials, including chemicals, requires a refrigerator or freezer that is explosion-proof or intended for storage of flammable materials. Refer to the updated Laboratory Refrigerators and Freezers For Flammable Materials focus sheet for guidance on storing flammables safely.
Lab housekeeping
Looking for a way to document all in-house trainings in your laboratory? EH&S’s Laboratory-Specific Safety Training Record template is customizable and covers the required elements of safety training for researchers. It can be stored in paper or electronic format to meet compliance requirements.
EH&S Biosafety is sharing a message on behalf of the UW Export Controls Office:
There are U.S. export license requirements for certain pathogens and toxins, including genetic elements from, and/or genetically modified organisms containing such pathogens or toxins depending on the destination country.
In December 2024, the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) finalized a new rule under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA) to protect workers, the public, and the environment from the risks of trichloroethylene (TCE) exposure. While certain portions of the rule are currently under legal review, most of its requirements are still expected to go into effect starting on September 15, 2025.
In December 2024, a group of undergraduate research students conducted an experiment in a shared research/shop space following a standard operating procedure (SOP) they had recently updated. One of the students had performed this work before; no supervisor was present.
The experiment involved heating a chemical mixture on a hot plate inside a fume hood. The mixture overheated, ignited, and caused second-degree burns on a student’s hands. The student received medical care and has recovered.
What contributed to the incident?
Do you generate hazardous waste? If so, are you ready for a regulatory inspection?
The Washington State Department of Ecology can conduct a hazardous waste compliance inspection at any time. Inspections can be scheduled or unannounced and occur at various UW sites throughout the year. Being prepared helps ensure compliance and keeps your workplace safe.