Safety

• ChemFinder
• ChemSpy (chemistry & chemical eng. related terms; definitions, synonyms, acronyms, abbreviations; MSDS; scientific publications; physical data of chemical compounds; worldwide data and spectral data)

In the event of a fire, serious injury, hazardous materials spill, or other life-threatening situation, call 911.

Note: if dialing 911 from a campus phone, you’ll be directed to UC dispatch. If dialing 911 from a cell phone, you’ll be directed to Cincinnati dispatch.

• Chemical Spill Procedures
• Fire/Smoke Emergency Procedures
• Evacuation Procedures for Persons With Physical Disabilities
• Emergency Procedures for Active Shooters, Bomb Threats, Missing Students and Suspicious Activities and Packages
• Rieveschl Hall Emergency Building Plan
• Crosley Tower Emergency Building Plan

For non-emergencies regarding hazardous materials incidents, air quality complaints, or accidents, please call Environmental Health & Safety at (513) 556-4968.

For non-emergency maintenance requests, during regular business hours, please call Facilities Management at (513) 558-2500.

The goals of laboratory safety training are to provide individuals with the necessary information and tools to:

1. Recognize hazards they may be exposed to
2. Assess the risk of those hazards
3. Minimize the risks by utilizing tools such as, but not limited to, the hierarchy of controls: elimination, substitution, engineering controls, administrative controls, and personal protective equipment (PPE)
4. Prepare for emergencies

To ensure the Department remains compliant with the Occupational Safety & Health Administration (OSHA) and the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), appropriate training courses must be completed annually. 

Compliance training and other advanced laboratory safety training are provided by Environmental Health & Safety. Courses can be accessed through their training portal.

Can’t remember if you have taken the compliance courses this year? Check here!

• If using radioactive materials (RAM) or radiation generating equipment (RGE), one must go through training provided by the Radiation Safety Office.
• If using any human-derived materials (established cells, primary cells, blood) or microbial/infectious agents, including viral vectors and transducible proteins (e.g. TAT), one must go through training provided by the Biosafety Office.

Chemical and infectious waste must be disposed of properly. Environmental Health and Safety will pick up waste from laboratories, but one must submit a waste pick up request first.

Chemical waste with toxic, flammable, reactive, or corrosive properties are considered hazardous wastes and must be properly stored, labeled, and disposed of. For a complete definition of what is considered a hazardous waste, as well as, a list of chemicals that are safe for regular trash disposal, consult Advisory 7.3 – Management of Chemical Wastes.

In-use chemical waste containers must be labeled with the words, Hazardous Waste and the contents of the container. To obtain printable waste container labels, contact Jack Hinders at chemsafety@ucmail.uc.edu. Waste containers must be in good condition, closed when not in use, compatible with the waste being collected, and properly segregated. Each area where waste is generated is defined as a Satellite Accumulation Area (SAA) by the EPA.  There is a limit of 55 gallons of waste or one quart of acutely hazardous waste (P-Listed and some F-listed waste F020-F023, F026, F027) permitted in a SAA at one time. Excess amounts must be removed within 3 days. Spill kits must be available in the area or laboratory that waste is being collected or temporarily stored.

Before submitting waste pick up requests, one must have an Environmental Health and Safety account. To obtain an account, submit an account request through Environmental Health and Safety’s account request portal. If experiencing troubles with getting an account, contact Jason Lambers (lamberjp@ucmail.uc.edu) or Nick Basil (basilns@ucmail.uc.edu). Once your account is established, you can submit waste pick up requests through the Environmental Health and Safety waste portal. For training on how to submit requests, contact Jack Hinders at chemsafety@ucmail.uc.edu.

Waste containers are available, free of charge, through the Office of Environmental Health and Safety. Contact Jason Lambers at lamberjp@ucmail.uc.edu or Nick Basil at basilns@ucmail.uc.edu to request a waste container.

Any waste, including sharps, that is potentially contaminated with human or animal blood, bodily fluids, tissues, organs, or blood products is considered infectious waste. For a complete definition on what is considered infectious waste and how it should be managed, consult Advisory 10.1 – Legislation Regarding Infectious Waste Management/Disposal and Advisory 10.2 – Management of Biological and Infectious Wastes.

Infectious waste does carry a disposal charge of $1.00/LB (as of 10/01/2021). Infectious waste pick up requests can be submitted through the Environmental Health and Safety waste portal.