Safety Training

STUDENT & FACULTY LAB SAFETY TRAINING

Before starting research lab work in the Science Center, everyone (students & faculty/staff) must register and attend one of the General Lab Safety Training sessions offered by the Lab Safety & Compliance Director, Dr. Margaret Rakas or the Lab Safety and Compliance Specialist, Hannah Seawall. Attendance at least once during your time at Smith is the minimum requirement.

Note: Before the training session, you are allowed to work on project components that do not involve chemicals, biologicals, or instrumentation of any kind. 

For more in depth info on training requirements, see sections below for both students and faculty/staff

Do you want to stay updated on Bloodborne Pathogen Certification Seminars and be polled for scheduling? Sign up for the email list here
If you need to attend a General Lab Safety Seminar for Fall 2025...register for a General Lab Safety session here. Choose one of the online sessions and write down the given password. Connect on the day/time of your registered session. Individual Zoom links shown below:  

Tuesday, September 9 @ 12:15PM
Thursday, October 2 @ 12:15PM
Wednesday, October 22 @ 7:30PM
Monday, November 10 @ 12:15PM
Need to check training records? Attendance logs are linked below (Smith access only)
General Lab Safety Training
SURF Lab Safety Training
Bloodborne Pathogen Training

 

Students: What you need to know about your responsibilities

Who has to do what….

  • If only doing course-based research you are exempt from having to attend a general lab safety training session. 
  • If you are a Teaching/Prep assistant in a lab course you must attend the general lab safety training session before you can start working and repeat the training annually if you are working in a Chemistry course.
  • If you are doing SURF (summer) research you are required to attend an in-depth general lab safety training each summer you have a SURF (or other) award 
  • If you are doing Special Studies, Honors, or simply volunteering to do lab research during the academic year you are required to attend an in-depth general lab safety training before you start your lab work, but you don’t have to attend a session every semester. Attendance at least once during your time at Smith is the minimum requirement. This requirement is met by both the General Lab Safety Seminar and the SURF Safety Seminar.

Student research safety training requirements:

  • General Lab Safety:  Sessions will be led by the Lab Safety and Compliance Director, Dr. M. Rakas or the Lab Safety and Compliance Specialist, Hannah Seawall and announced throughout the academic year and SURF period. 
  • Specific Workspace Lab Safety: Your supervisor will go over the specific safety instructions and safety equipment available for your work space. You must have this training session before you use the space. 
  • Specific Subject Safety: If instructed by your supervisor because your research involves radioactive materials, lasers, recombinant DNA, blood-borne or other hazardous pathogens,  you must also attend a specific subject safety training session before starting work.

Research & other types of students are also personally responsible for their own, and their fellow lab mates, safety. This means you must

  • Complete the required safety training mandated by the College and your supervisors.
  • Read and acknowledge provided training documentation
  • Follow the appropriate guidelines when dealing with hazardous materials and processes

 

Faculty/Staff: What you need to know about your responsibilities

Principal Investigators and Laboratory Supervisors are legally responsible for

  • the safety of anyone working in their laboratory spaces.
  • the safety of their own students working anywhere else…unless responsibility has been formally transferred to another faculty/staff member

Specifically, this means ensuring all employees, visitors, and students under supervision…

  • Complete the required safety training mandated by the college
  • Be provided with documented training specific to their laboratory space
  • Follow the appropriate guidelines when dealing with hazardous materials and processes

Faculty/Staff research safety training requirements:

  • You must attend a general lab safety training session at the beginning of your employment. Consult this page or contact H. Seawall or M. Rakas for the session schedule.
  • You must complete Chemical Hygiene Plan asynchronous training at the beginning of your employment. Contact H. Seawall or M. Rakas for further details.
  • You must develop a laboratory safety training protocol for the users of your space. Contact M. Rakas if you need assistance or you need to consult on the matter. 
  • If you work with radioactive materials, Class 3B or 4 lasers, recombinant DNA, bloodborne or other hazardous pathogens you must learn about administrative procedures and attend a specific subject safety training session before starting the work. Contact H. Seawall or M. Rakas to schedule.