Ready-to-eat meat and poultry products recalled
In October 2024, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Food Safety and Inspection Service (USDA), U.S.
New Unmanned Aircraft Systems Safety Resource
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) published a new focus sheet that provides information to support the safe and compliant use of small, unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), also referred to as drones. The focus sheet is a resource for units operating/utilizing UASs to comply with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Washington State Department of Transportation (DOT) requirements.
Updated UW Field Operations Safety Manual now available
If your research includes operations out in the field, download the latest version of the UW Field Operations Safety Manual, which provides updated information on state regulations, UW policies, safe work practices, and document templates.
Field research conducted at the UW may include drone work, model rocket tests, water sample collection, boat trips, and wildlife observation, to name just a few examples.
October is Biosafety Month: Schedule a spa day for your lab
October is National Biosafety Month, a time to strengthen and reevaluate biosafety practices in the lab.
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) encourages you to set aside some time for laboratory “self-care” or a spa day! A clean and tidy lab helps ensure a safe and healthy work environment and maintain the quality of research samples.
Failure to keep good housekeeping practices in the lab can lead to time consuming and costly issues including:
New UW Electrical Safety Manual
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) published the new UW Electrical Safety Manual that establishes the requirements and best practices for University personnel conducting work on electrical systems between 50 to 600 volts (V).
University personnel and students who:
Battery recycling on the Seattle campus
The University of Washington recycles all types of batteries, which cannot be placed in the trash because they can be corrosive and contain toxic metals. Batteries and electronics are not allowed in the garbage in the City of Seattle.
University departments and units have two options for recycling used batteries:
Control volatile organic chemical smells
Does your laboratory have volatile organic chemicals that produce strong, pungent odors even when the cap and bottle are intact? Controlling these smells, often found in chemical storage areas, will help reduce your risk of exposure.
Volatile organic chemicals can escape their containers, which presents an exposure risk to everyone in the lab. Restricting the ability for the chemical to disperse into the air can lower that risk.
Safety measures for lithium-ion batteries
Lithium-ion batteries are used supply power to many kinds of devices including smart phones, laptops, e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-cigarettes, and are used in University operations and research applications. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) encourages personnel and students to follow safety practices to reduce the possibility of a reaction, fire, or explosion when handling, charging, storing or disposing of lithium-ion batteries.
Storage
Download the updated UW Accident Prevention Plan
Updated October 1, 2024
When to go to the Employee Health Center
The Employee Health Center provides scheduled preventive health care for UW employees who are at higher risk for occupational exposures to potentially hazardous materials. We provide physical exams, screenings, vaccinations and medical surveillance for personnel working in high risk areas, such as research labs, animal care centers, clinical settings and the UW Police Department.