Faculty, staff, students and visitors who may have difficulty exiting during a building evacuation are encouraged to consider these options in advance of spending time at a University location to prepare for building emergencies and evacuations, including fire drills.
Individuals who have a mobility, visual, auditory, or other condition (temporary or permanent) that may make evacuation difficult are encouraged to:
University units and departments that establish hybrid work schedules need to ensure adequate coverage for evacuation wardens in the event of an emergency that requires evacuation. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) recommends University units and departments train as many evacuation wardens as possible within their work areas to ensure there is at least one warden on site at all times during normal business hours.
Follow the guidance in the Fire Extinguisher Safety Focus Sheet to prepare to use a fire extinguisher safely.
Updated April 10, 2023
EH&S is offering a Low Voltage Electrical Safety training course which is required for University electricians, welders, and other personnel who are assigned to work with (or near) exposed electrical circuits operating at 50 to 600 volts to ground in accordance with the Washington Administrative Code (WAC 296-24 Part L).
The December 2022 version of the UW Laboratory Safety Manual (LSM) is now available for download or printing. It's time to review, bookmark, or print a copy of the updated LSM and make it available for all staff and students in your lab. Keeping your safety documents up to date and easily accessible are key for staying safe.
The Post-Earthquake Checklist was recently updated to improve accessibility and provide guidance for all campus locations. Evacuation directors, building coordinators, or other responsible persons should keep hardcopies available and/or bookmark it in preparation for an earthquake.
Office privacy pods or booths help meet the need for small, private spaces in larger open areas; however, pods could present a new set of hazards that should be considered prior to installation. Review the Office Privacy Pod Safety Focus Sheet when considering selection and placement.
When 9-1-1 is called on the UW Seattle campus, UW Police and Seattle Fire Department emergency vehicles will use designated fire lanes to get to the scene of the emergency quickly. It is critical that campus fire lanes are kept clear at all times to avoid emergency responders losing time getting to someone who needs help.
An unqualified electrical worker may reset a breaker if they are trained to do so, and the cause of the trip was an overloaded circuit. Follow the guidance in the Electrical Safety: Resetting Circuit Breakers Focus Sheet when resetting a circuit breaker.
A hazardous material spill is an uncontrolled release of a substance that is potentially hazardous to humans, animals and/or the environment. University personnel and students working with hazardous materials should be prepared to respond in the event a spill occurs.
