3D printing, also known as additive manufacturing, occurs on UW campuses in maker spaces, research labs and classrooms. New safety resources are available to University personnel and students using 3D printers, including an updated 3D Printer Safety Focus Sheet and two new standard operating procedures (SOP) templates.
Chemical waste generators at the University have two ways to submit waste collection requests:
Directly from your MyChem inventory
From the Chemical Waste Disposal page
You can use these tools for chemicals currently in your MyChem inventory as well as for chemical mixtures, materials and wastes not listed in your inventory.
Lab animal allergens can be a serious health concern for those who work with animals at the UW; it’s important to understand the health risks and how to protect yourself. Environmental Health & Safety has resources that can help.
The University’s 2023 Work-Related Injury and Illness Summaries are posted on the Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) website. The summaries show the number and type of work-related recordable injuries and illnesses. University units are required to download the summary for their location and post it from February 1 - April 30, 2024 in a location where employees can easily access it.
The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), Washington State Department of Health (WA DOH), and other public health partners are investigating a multi-state outbreak of Salmonella associated with consumption of Italian-style charcuterie meats.
Seattle Fire Department launched an initiative to avoid “false” (preventable) alarms.
Preventable alarms include:
EH&S updated the Site-Specific Bloodborne Pathogen (BBP) Exposure Control Plan template in congruence with Washington state BBP regulations. This update includes an expanded list of personal protective equipment (PPE) and engineering controls, a section on sharps safety, and a personnel training log.
Vacuum pumps are used to remove air and other vapors from a vessel or manifold. Weak points in containers or systems under vacuum can create implosion or explosion hazards, and cause injury by violently spraying glass and hazardous materials. An example of this is an incident that recently occurred at the University of Pennsylvania resulting in an explosion and fire.
The 2023 Laboratory Safety Awards & Innovations Event honored 22 labs, departments, and individuals to recognize their significant contributions to fostering a strong culture of safety in University laboratories.
Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) recently identified that the chemical integrator 3M Comply™ SteriGage™ used for steam sterilization of biohazardous waste is no longer manufactured or available for purchase by the 3M company or other vendors. The University of Washington (UW) received approval from Public Health – Seattle & King County to use four other chemical integrators.
The four newly approved chemical integrators are: