The EH&S website was redesigned to be more user-friendly, easier to navigate and aligned with the UW brand style.
Please note that most web page URLs have changed; please update your bookmarks and materials accordingly.
The main menu options are organized by safety topic to quickly locate safety information.
According to Public Health — Seattle & King County, as much as 60% of foodborne illness may come from cooking at home.
During the holidays, take these important safety precautions to avoid giving the gift of sickness to your guests (or yourself):
An enhanced version of the Lab Survey Dashboard, a resource vital to campus safety and the Laboratory Safety Initiative, was launched on November 14. The enhanced Dashboard has portals for scientific department chairs, deans and UW executives that allow them (or their designee) to review safety performance data for their units.
EH&S is responsible for collection of hazardous waste for the University, including all its campuses and offsite locations. If you have waste to be collected, you will need to submit an Online Chemical Waste Collection Form. Please be aware that the PDF version of the chemical waste collection form will be phased out soon.
Kidde, a manufacturer of fire extinguishers, is working with the Consumer Product Safety Commission to recall some portable fire extinguishers due to potential safety issues. The recall involves plastic handle and plastic push button extinguishers manufactured between January 1, 1973 and August 15, 2017.
If you hire contractors or invite vendors to work on campus, you need to know about chemical hazard communication (HazCom) requirements. The Washington state HazCom standard requires that:
Updates include revised WAC codes, chemical storage guidelines, chemical shipment guidelines, training information, restrictions on minors in the workplace and new website links. A list of significant changes is highlighted in the log of changes.
MyChem has a new chemical waste report feature to help people who generate routine chemical waste. You can now save your chemical waste list and reuse it for future waste reporting purposes!
EH&S staff were notified of a chemical spill on August 2, 2017, during which a waste bottle ruptured in secondary containment bin, spilling about 3 liters of liquid. The lab was evacuated and a hazardous material team cleaned up the chemicals and shattered glass.
The ruptured 4 liter glass bottle was manufactured for chemical waste storage and disposal purposes, and reportedly contained a mixture of organic solvents. EH&S staff noted that the hazardous waste label was incomplete and the actual contents were unknown.
During National Biosafety Month, you are encouraged to focus attention on biosafety policies, practices and procedures. Investigators and laboratory managers should raise biosafety awareness, discuss the importance of safety, and seek input on ways to strengthen biosafety practices and procedures in their labs. This year, EH&S is focusing on sharps safety in research and exposure response.
