EH&S launched an updated online Wildfire Smoke Safety course to address new regulatory requirements. UW personnel can access it in the EH&S Course Catalog.
This course is required for University personnel who work outdoors and may be exposed to wildfire smoke at an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 72 or higher. Annual retraining is required.
The UW community can help save a life by knowing where automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are located in University buildings before a sudden cardiac arrest occurs. PulsePoint provides a map of AED locations and a free app that allows smartphone users to easily find AEDs at UW locations.
If your research involves the use of centrifuges, ovens/furnaces, vacuum pumps, or other laboratory equipment, the Laboratory Equipment Maintenance webpage provides resources that can help you mitigate the hazards associated with commonly used lab equipment.
Principal investigators planning to use nitric acid should follow safe use and storage practices, develop an SOP and provide documented training to all lab personnel.
The hazards
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) published updates to our Shop and Maker Space Safety resources for units and departments that operate shops and maker spaces at the University of Washington.
MyChem requires users to upload a safety data sheet (SDS) when adding a new chemical to an inventory if that chemical does not currently exist in the MyChem database. If you have chemicals in your MyChem inventory that do not have an SDS linked to them, you must either upload the missing SDS or have an easily accessible copy of the SDS in your workspace to remain in compliance.
Search for an existing SDS
Personnel working on UW research vessels can now add their chemical inventories into MyChem, the University’s chemical tracking system. UW personnel who use chemicals or chemical-containing products at any UW owned or leased facility are required to maintain chemical inventories in MyChem, and chemicals can include, but are not limited to, paint, compressed gas cylinders, epoxies, and fuel.
The EH&S Biological Use Authorization (BUA) application has undergone major revisions with the goal to clarify and improve the questions necessary for the biosafety risk assessment for biohazardous research approval by the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) and EH&S Biological Safety. These revisions will reduce the review time and follow-up communication on application gaps. The application format, submission, and approval process remain the same.
The main changes include:
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) launched the revamped course Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP) for Researchers Online! The updated version offers enhanced language, visuals, and interactivity to provide a more engaging and informative learning experience. This updated course reflects the latest best practices and regulatory requirements, ensuring that lab workers, researchers, professors, and students receive the most relevant and valuable training possible.
Updated May 15, 2024
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) has taken steps to increase staffing and is working with campus partners to reduce delays with chemical waste collections. The two most common issues that delay chemical waste pickup from labs include: