National Biosafety Month 2018: Promoting a culture of safety
During 2018's National Biosafety Month, you are encouraged to focus attention on biosafety policies and practices. Investigators and laboratory managers can raise biosafety awareness, discuss the…
Universities get surprise visits from hazardous waste regulators
Several universities in the northwest have been subjected to unannounced regulatory inspections recently by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) or by the Washington State Department of Ecology…
UW Seattle Stormwater Operations and Maintenance Plan
The UW Seattle Stormwater Operations and Maintenance Plan details procedures for protecting storm water quality on the Seattle campus.
Read more about stormwater management on the…
Biohazardous Waste Flow Charts
Refer to the biohazardous waste flow charts below for site-specific information.Animal Research WasteHarborview Medical CenterHarborview Research & Training BuildingLife Sciences BuildingMagnuson…
Spill Response Poster
Use the Spill Response Poster as a guide to clean up radiological, chemical and biohazardous spills.
Post in your lab alongside the Exposure Response Poster.
Plant Research Biosafety
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Plants are an important research tool used to learn more about basic life processes and to help answer questions in agriculture, health and the…
BSL-3 and Select Agent Medical Management Information
Use the BSL-3/ABSL-3 Medical Management site to access agent-specific information and medical management plans for BSL-3 and select agent research at UW.
COVID-19 Research Biosafety
Learn the research requirements and safe lab practices for work with SARS-CoV-2 and associated samples.
Guidance for Building Water Flushing and Sampling During Low Flow or Low Occupancy
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) and UW Facilities (UWF) have established a protocol for water quality verification and sampling in University buildings that were temporarily…
Biological Toxin Safe Work Practices
Review and implement these guidelines in your laboratory if you work with biotoxins.
Use the Biological Toxin Checklist to ensure compliance and safe work practices for research involving biotoxins…
Responding to Lab Inspection Findings in EHSA
University units use the guide Responding to Lab Inspection Findings in EHSA to respond to biosafety lab inspection findings.
Visit the Environmental Health and Safety Assistant (EHSA…
Vaccinia Virus Research Safety Policy
The Vaccinia Virus Research Safety Policy outlines the safety and occupational health requirements for work with vaccinia virus.
Wastewater
All items that enter the the sewer system (e.g. poured down a drain or flushed down a toilet) must comply with local, state and federal wastewater rules, regulations, and standards. These rules are…
Stormwater Pollution Prevention
The number one pollution threat to Puget Sound is stormwater runoff containing trash, chemicals and heavy metals. When it rains on campus, the rainwater runs into a network of storm drains that…
Third Generation Lentiviral Vectors
This document outlines the UW Institutional Biosafety Committee's working definition of 3rd generation lentiviral vectors.
Dual Use Research of Concern (DURC) and Pathogens with Enhanced Pandemic Potential (PEPP)
UPDATE: The White House issued an executive order on May 5, 2025, directing federal agencies to end funding for "dangerous gain-of-function research” and develop a new oversight policy within 120…
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs)
Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) are toxic, persistent manmade chemicals that were widely used as an oil additive in electrical equipment and as a plasticizer in building materials. Congress banned…
UW Biohazard Waste Flow Chart: Life Sciences Building
This flow chart shows the waste stream for different types of biohazardous waste at the UW Life Sciences Building (LSB) location.