Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) published the new UW Electrical Safety Manual that establishes the requirements and best practices for University personnel conducting work on electrical systems between 50 to 600 volts (V).
University personnel and students who:
The University of Washington recycles all types of batteries, which cannot be placed in the trash because they can be corrosive and contain toxic metals. Batteries and electronics are not allowed in the garbage in the City of Seattle.
University units have two options for recycling used batteries:
Lithium-ion batteries are used supply power to many kinds of devices including smart phones, laptops, e-scooters, e-bikes, and e-cigarettes, and are used in University operations and research applications. Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) encourages personnel and students to follow safety practices to reduce the possibility of a reaction, fire, or explosion when handling, charging, storing or disposing of lithium-ion batteries.
Storage
Updated October 1, 2024
The University is committed to ensuring a healthy and safe environment for working, learning, research, teaching and service. There are many ways for University personnel to report and discuss workplace safety concerns and recommended improvements. Here are some options:
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) updated several University COVID-19 and respiratory illness prevention resources, including our Illness and Exposure Guidance, Public Health Flowchart, Face Covering Policy, and the UW Respiratory Illness Health and Safety Plan.
Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) published new guidelines for radiofrequency safety aimed at protecting workers who perform tasks on rooftops with wireless cellular antennas.
The key points of the new radiofrequency wireless cellular antennas safety guidelines include:
Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) published an updated Hearing Loss Prevention Program Manual. The updates impact all UW personnel with a potential for elevated exposure to noise in the workplace at all University locations.
EH&S launched an updated online Wildfire Smoke Safety course to address new regulatory requirements. UW personnel can access it in the EH&S Course Catalog.
This course is required for University personnel who work outdoors and may be exposed to wildfire smoke at an Air Quality Index (AQI) of 72 or higher. Annual retraining is required.
The UW community can help save a life by knowing where automated external defibrillators (AEDs) are located in University buildings before a sudden cardiac arrest occurs. PulsePoint provides a map of AED locations and a free app that allows smartphone users to easily find AEDs at UW locations.
