Bringing values to life positively impacts our work and team culture. When we better understand one another and know we are working with colleagues who reinforce and solidify our values, together we establish a sense of belonging for all.
How can you recognize those who contribute positively and reinforce the five value principles and behaviors?
Submit nominations for the 2024 University Laboratory Committee “Excellence in Safety” Awards. These awards recognize a university faculty or staff member (Individual Award), student (Individual Student Award) and a laboratory research group (Group Award) who have made a considerable contribution to improving laboratory safety on the Ohio State campus. Nominations will be accepted through April 12, 2024.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) assists the university community in providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for students, faculty, staff, contractors and visitors. EHS also works to protect the local community and environment from potential hazards on campus and instills safety, health and environmental stewardship in the work they perform. The office is responsible for facilitating health and safety compliance at all Ohio State campuses, extension offices, hospital complexes and ambulatory facilities throughout the state of Ohio.
Facilities Operations and Development (FOD) and Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) worked to update the existing chemical fume hood performance testing and certification procedure. This procedure covers hoods with traditional vertical and/or horizontal sashes, walk-in units, and hoods with either low or traditional air flow capabilities.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) offers a wide range of containers for your hazardous waste. Need help deciding which is right for your waste needs? View the quick guide to help you decide. If you think these containers do not meet your needs or you have any questions please contact HazWaste@osu.edu to discuss. To order these containers, please visit ehs.osu.edu/service-requests.
Many researchers on campus use spray bottles of 10% bleach and 70% ethanol to decontaminate biosafety cabinets. Using spray bottles to do this is not recommended. The aerosol bleach droplets created by the spray bottle are not always cleaned up correctly with the ethanol. Over time, the missed droplets cause a cloudy white film, pitting, and corroding in the biosafety cabinet.
Biological Safety Cabinets (BSCs) are one of the primary engineering controls used by laboratories to provide personal, product and environmental protection from potential pathogens. To ensure that BSCs are providing these three types of protection, BSCs are certified by accredited professionals. These certifications are required at least annually and whenever a BSC is repaired or relocated. Relocation and repairs could break the HEPA filter seals or damage the filters themselves resulting in a BSC that does not provide personal, product or environmental protection when in use.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) assists the university community in providing and maintaining a safe and healthy work environment for students, faculty, staff, contractors and visitors. EHS also works to protect the local community and environment from potential hazards on campus and instills safety, health and environmental stewardship in the work they perform.
Learn more about our team in this staff spotlight.
When working in a lab, Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) is almost always necessary to protect workers from chemical exposures, biological pathogens and other hazards. Lab coats, gloves, and eye protection are some of the most common PPE worn in the lab.
Using multiple hazard types (corrosive, flammable, toxic, etc.) together will generate mixed hazard material. When one of the hazards present is radioactivity, then the radioactive nature of the material usually takes regulatory precedent as far as the day-to-day use of the material is concerned. But when the time comes to dispose of this material, then all hazards present must be taken into consideration for final disposal purposes. In some cases, these considerations are negligible.