Research & Lab Safety

The University’s Emergency Management and Office of Research have provided guidance to the research community to assist with business continuity planning. As a supplement to these resources and in response to requests for assistance at the lab level, EH&S has prepared a Guide to Business Continuity and Recovery Planning for Laboratories and Research Facilities.

Does your research require the use of Aqua regia or Piranha solutions? These are two types of acidic washes used for very specific purposes and have very important workplace health and safety considerations. 

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.

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.

During National Biosafety Month in October, EH&S is encouraging labs working with biohazards to identify hazards that could be substituted with a safer alternative to reduce the potential for harm while performing the same function.

Examples of safer alternatives include: