The newly released Respirable Crystalline Silica Safety Manual outlines the responsibilities of University units, personnel and EH&S to protect personnel from occupational respirable crystalline silica exposure. It contains guidelines and procedures for exposure control, respiratory protection, and medical evaluations.
The 2021 Laboratory Safety Awards & Innovations Event honored 20 labs, departments and individuals to recognize their significant contributions to enhancing the culture of safety at the UW. 
Laboratories, shops and maker spaces where hazardous materials are used or stored are required to post an up-to-date caution sign at the entrance. The sign alerts emergency responders and visitors of potential hazards and precautions for entry. EH&S debuted a new version of the caution sign with the release of the new MyChem platform.
3M™ issued a Stop Use and Inspect Notice for select models of 3M™ Protecta® Self-Retracting Lifelines due to a manufacturing issue that could result in the self-retracting lifeline not engaging properly.
The University’s 2021 OSHA 300A Summaries are posted on the Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) website.
The summaries are required to be posted from February 1, 2022 through April 30, 2022 in a location where employees can easily access them.
EH&S released newly revised Reproductive Hazard Guidelines to inform employees, students, and volunteers about potential reproductive and developmental hazards, and safe work conditions and practices in their work environment.
Individuals who are pregnant or considering becoming pregnant should be aware of the risks associated with potential exposures to biological, chemical, radiological, and other hazardous materials during pregnancy.
EH&S staff had an opportunity to speak with compliance inspector Chad Fisher from the Washington State Department of Ecology regarding three of the most common hazardous waste violations he's encountered at the UW. As it turns out, the majority of these violations are easily preventable and making simple corrections contributes to a safer lab environment.
Petzl issued a Safety Alert with a request for inspection following reports of slippage and identification of defects in the release levers on ZIGZAG, ZIGZAG PLUS and ZILLON products.
This information concerns only the following products: ZIGZAG (D022AA00), ZIGZAG PLUS (D022BA00), ZILLON (L22A 025, L22A 040, L22A 055) with serial numbers between 18L and 21G.
Use extra caution while walking at University locations during wet and icy weather. Check the UW Alert Blog and the Snow Removal Progress Map (as appropriate) to check conditions before arriving on the Seattle campus.
EH&S has developed a new document Anesthetic Gases: Safe Use Guidelines and an Anesthetic Gases webpage to help users of anesthetic gases understand the potential health effects from exposure to anesthetic gases, and to provide guidance on minimizing potential exposures. These gases can be separated into two categories: Halogenated anesthetic gases/vapors and nitrous oxide.
