Radiation

Summer in Seattle means hiking, biking, kayaking and ... lab work! Yes, many of us spend gorgeous summer days working in the lab. While it's fine to wear shorts, skirts, sandals or flip flops outside, wearing these items in the lab can expose you to hazards. We recommend keeping an appropriate change of clothes and shoes in the lab. Proper lab attire ensures your skin is covered and protected. Even if you aren't working with hazardous materials that day, your coworker might be, so always dress to protect yourself.

As of April 2019, the online radiation safety training looks very different. The new training is interactive, features quizzes and activities along the way, and contains voiceovers by our very own Radiation Safety staff. 

Does your biological safety cabinet (BSC) have an ultraviolet (UV) lamp in it? If so, it may not be as effective for sterilization/decontamination purposes as you need it to be.

Ultraviolet radiation is a form of non-ionizing radiation, and biological effects from it vary with wavelength, photon energy, and duration of exposure. The 100-280 nm wavelength band is designated as UV-C, which is used for germicidal purposes.

The sterilization/decontamination activity of UV lights is limited by a number of factors, including: