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The cost of disposing radioactive waste is recovered via a cost center at the UW. Fortunately, the rates for disposing most radioactive waste streams decreased this year due to switching to a waste processing facility with thermal treatment capabilities. The new waste processor charges by the pound for thermal treatment so the new rates are calculated based upon weight as opposed to volume as in the past.

What are the new waste disposal rates?

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:

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 2017's 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.

EH&S has published a new guidance sheet focused on working safely with dry ice. This useful resource reviews the hazards and appropriate precautions that should be used with dry ice, commonly used for the shipment of specimens and during power outages.

EH&S has developed a new Accident Prevention Plan (APP) for University of Washington employees with the exception of employees working at UW Medicine UW Medical Center or Harborview. This document replaces the template for Departmental Health and Safety Plans, and covers general health and safety information applicable to all employees. All employers in Washington State are required to have an APP that details the occupational hazards present in their work environment and how their employees are protected from these hazards.

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.

We often encounter cardboard when we visit biological labs. Unless you are using cardboard as part of your experiment, it doesn’t belong in a biological lab.

Cardboard and other porous materials cannot be decontaminated with a surface spray in the event of a splash, spatter or spill of biohazardous material. In the event of contamination, these items must be autoclaved.

Spring is the perfect time to organize, clean, and remove unnecessary and potentially hazardous clutter, such as cardboard.  

EH&S is implementing a new Lab Safety Award program to acknowledge labs scoring 85% or higher in their safety surveys. 

The Laboratory Safety and Compliance training course is now “required initial training” for all Principal Investigators, lab managers, lab chemical hygiene officers, and people working in a supervisory role in research and teaching laboratories. The class provides essential information on regulatory, policy, and permit requirements, and addresses hazards and risk assessment to ensure lab safety and compliance.