Hazard Alert for dry ice and liquid nitrogen
Washington State Department of Labor & Industries (L&I) issued a Hazard Alert to inform businesses about the dangers and safety precautions associated with the use, transport, and storage of dry ice and liquid nitrogen. University units involved with COVID-19 vaccine distribution efforts and research groups should take all necessary precautions when working with dry ice and liquid nitrogen.
Laboratory Safety Manual
Welcome to the UW Laboratory Safety Manual (LSM).
Please bookmark this page electronically or print a copy of the complete LSM and make it available to laboratory staff. Staff in UW laboratories using hazardous chemicals must have access to a copy of the manual and the supplemental laboratory-specific information.
Soldering SOP
Standard operating procedure (SOP) template for labs using electric soldering irons to address the hazards of leaded and non-leaded soldering of electrical components.
2-Mercaptoethanol SOP
Standard operating procedure template for laboratories using 2-Mercaptoethanol
New rules for pharmaceutical waste
New rules went into effect on October 31, 2020, for the management of dangerous waste pharmaceuticals, which set new requirements for Washington state health care facilities that generate pharmaceutical waste.
Chemical Container Labels
Updated 12/19/23
Chemical container labeling is one of the most effective and efficient ways to communicate hazard information to your coworkers and prevent accidents and injuries.
Clear and consistent labeling that follows the Hazard Communication Standard is required in all University of Washington facilities including laboratories, shops, clinics, and other locations where personnel use, store, and transport chemicals.
Training Records
Please allow 1-2 business days after training course completion for your training record to be reflected in the training report.
University personnel: View your training records and print certificates of completion using the Safety Training Report tool.
Prepare for a hazardous waste inspection
Your workspace should always be ready for an inspection. The most important thing you can do to be prepared for an inspection is to keep your lab, shop, clinic, or other workspace clean, organized, and up to University of Washington standards.
Nitric acid incidents: How to reduce your risk
The hazards: Nitric acid is a highly corrosive mineral acid and strong oxidizer used primarily for nitration of organic molecules and washing glassware or metal equipment. Nitric acid reacts violently with alcohols, alkalis, reducing agents, combustible materials, organic materials, metals, acids, cyanides, terpenes, charcoal, and acetone. It produces exothermic reactions, as well as toxic, corrosive, and flammable vapors.