The University’s 2024 Work-Related Injury and Illness Summaries are now available for download and posting. University units are required to download the summary for their location and post it from February 1 to April 30, 2025 in a location where personnel can easily access it.
Updated Lab Safety Manual now available
The December 2024 version of the UW Laboratory Safety Manual (LSM) is now available for download or printing. It's time for principal investigators to review, bookmark, or print a copy of the updated LSM and make it available for all personnel and students in your lab.
EH&S move to Gateway building
Most Environmental Health & Safety teams relocated to the new Gateway building above the Sound Transit Link light rail station on Brooklyn Avenue NE between NE 45th and 43rd Streets.
Programs and services that moved include:
Replace your obsolete biosafety cabinet
The University has over 950 active biosafety cabinets (BSCs), and about 150 have become obsolete due to safer design standards and the challenge of obtaining replacement parts. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) recommends replacing obsolete cabinets before they fail to minimize disruptions to research projects.
The following resources are available to assist you with the purchase and replacement of BSCs:
Do an annual chemical inventory review
Have you reviewed your full chemical inventory in MyChem this year?
Even if you have been adding to and deleting items from your inventory, you will still need to attest to a full review of the inventory by clicking the Review Inventory button at the top of the list.
Annual review
Many older UW buildings are made of hazardous materials
Do-it-yourself repairs or projects that disturb walls, floor tiles, ceilings, fixtures and other building materials can expose you to substances that pose serious health risks.
University policy prohibits any “do-it-yourself” construction, renovation or modification of University buildings. Even simple projects, such as hammering a nail into a wall, can expose you to hazardous chemicals and result in regulatory fines.
Walk safely on wet, icy and slippery surfaces
Slips, trips and falls are more frequent in rainy or icy weather, in darkness, when walking on uneven surfaces, and when we're in a hurry.
Visit the UW Alert Blog and Snow Removal Progress Map (as appropriate) to check conditions before arriving on the Seattle campus.
Prepare for new rules for methylene chloride
The U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) published a new rule for methylene chloride (also known as dichloromethane) for worker safety and public and environmental protection. The required actions and timelines to comply with the new rule are described below. The new EPA rule is in addition to existing Washington State Department of Labor & Industries rules for workplace safety.
Work safely with human materials
Human source materials, including human cell lines, blood, tissues and other potentially infectious materials (OPIM) are commonly used biohazards in UW research labs. Potentially infectious human materials can contain bloodborne pathogens (BBP) such as human immunodeficiency virus (HIV), and hepatitis B and C viruses.