Latest News

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:

The UW Radiation Safety Committee approved revisions to the Radiation Safety Manual in May 2023 to reflect current Radiation Protection Program practices. The updated manual is now available for download.

Highlighted changes include:

University personnel who service or maintain equipment, machinery or systems with a hazardous energy source have a resource for understanding group lockout/tagout (LOTO). The Understanding Group LOTO Focus Sheet contains important safety information for Authorized Persons performing service or maintenance activities in groups of two or more.

The 2023 Laboratory Safety Awards & Innovations Event will be held on December 8, 2023, to celebrate our award recipients, lab safety innovators, and the excellent work being done in support of a strong culture of safety.

Guest speakers will include Provost Tricia Serio, Director, Dian Gay from the Applied Physics Laboratory, Chair, David Perkel from the Biology department, and Laboratory Manager, Virginia Engel from the Civil & Environmental Engineering department.

Please join us in congratulating our 2023 awards recipients!

Researchers and departments on UW campuses are constantly coming up with great new ways to address safety issues specific to their labs and workgroups.

Is your lab or department supporting a strong safety culture?

Has your lab created a tool, resource, or practice to enhance safety in your workspace?

The Crane, Hoist and Rigging Safety Program Manual and related safety tools and resources are available for University units and departments that operate and maintain cranes, hoists, and rigging equipment.

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.

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:

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.

Compressed gases and cryogenic liquids are stored in gas cylinders under high pressure, which can have several safety considerations to prevent injury and property damage. University units and departments with compressed gases and cryogens, including liquid nitrogen, are required to follow regulations for safe storage of gas cylinders and Dewars.

Proper storage of compressed gases and liquid nitrogen includes: