Environmental Health and Safety Training
The following training is required for all faculty, staff, and students participating in research or working in laboratory settings at UC Denver, or those supervising individuals participating in these activities:
- Hazardous Waste Generator Training — an online course and test for all persons generating chemical waste, or working in laboratories where chemical waste is generated and/or chemicals are used. This course must be taken annually to remain current.
- Lab Safety Training - an online introductory course required of all new hires working in a lab at UC Denver. Must be completed upon initial hire.
- Radiation Safety Training — a five-part modular training program followed by annual online refresher training, for all persons working with radioactive materials.
- Blood Borne Pathogens Training — an online course and test that is required for all persons performing tasks with potential exposure to infectious materials and pathogens. This course must be taken annually to remain current.
- Shipping of Biological Materials - an online course and test. This course must be taken biennially to keep current and is required for all persons shipping biological materials.
For more information and required timeframes for completing training, visit the Training webpage
On our campus, a variety of Institutional Committees confer authorization for different types of research work. The following committees are administered by the Health and Safety Division.
- Committee on Ionizing Radiation (CIR)—research involving any ionizing radiation used on these campuses, to include x-ray and other radioactive materials. Phone: ext. 40234.
- Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)—research involving recombinant and synthetic nucleic acids materials and Select Agents.
- Environmental Health and Safety Committee (EHS)—faculty advisory committee to the Chancellor for environmental health and safety matters. Phone: ext. 40345.
In addition, the following committees are administered through the Office of the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Regulatory Compliance.
Audits
UC Denver EHS conducts a variety of laboratory audits to assist research laboratories with compliance to environmental health and safety requirements as governed by federal and state regulations or as required by the funding source or accrediting bodies. Compliance to these requirements ensures uninterrupted research and clinical activities for all programs and is the responsibility of all departments and PIs. Lab audits are performed routinely on a scheduled basis or may be conducted upon request. You may be contacted to schedule an audit or the visit may be unannounced. Some inspections are conducted along with accrediting bodies, federal and state regulators, or funding source representatives. Your cooperation during these visits is imperative to ensure successful outcomes. Request an Inspection
You may wish to be pro-active when setting up your new lab and request an inspection to assist you with establishing safe practices and ensuring compliance with institutional policies or procedures. You may also request an inspection to help you prepare for an accrediting board inspection.
Contact one of the compliance assistants to schedule an inspection and/or hazard assessment:
Visit the Compliance Assistance webpage for more information.
Things You Need to Know
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
MSDS provide researchers with useful information on the specific chemical and physical hazards of materials used in laboratories and clinics. If you order a research chemical from either Sigma/Aldrich or Fisher Scientific, you must access this information on their respective homepages.
You can locate MSDS for chemicals through various websites on the Internet. Find links to these resources in the EHS MSDS webpage.
Shipping and Receiving Hazardous Materials
Tax-Free Ethanol Distribution
Campus Policies
UC Denver has policies related to occupational safety, laboratory safety, fire and life safety, and environmental health. The following are critical policies that must be followed for public and personal safety.
- All persons must evacuate during fire alarms.
- Individual buildings have policies related to hallway storage.
- No more than 10 gallons of flammable liquid may be stored outside of an approved flammable liquid storage cabinet (per lab).
- Cold storage of flammable liquids is not allowed in general refrigerators.
- Compressed gas cylinders must be secured from falling.
- The campus has specific policies concerning children in labs
- Eye protection must be worn in laboratories
- No food or drink is allowed in any laboratory on UC Denver facilities.
- Prior to disposal or moving of lab equipment (and decommissioning of the lab) the item/area must be "Green-Tagged" (environmentally cleared) by EHS.
- Sink Disposal Guidelines should be posted at all sink locations. The list indicates what can and cannot be disposed into the sanitary sewer.
Contact EHS for more information on related policies and procedures or to obtain guidance documents.