Safety Training

STUDENT & FACULTY LAB SAFETY TRAINING

Before starting research lab work in the Science Center, everyone (students & faculty) must register and attend one of the general lab safety training sessions offered by the Lab Safety & Compliance Director, Dr. Margaret Rakas. 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. 

If you need to attend a General Safety Training session for Fall 2024… Go to the registration form 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: Thursday September 19 @ 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM  Tuesday October 1 @ 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM  Tuesday October 22 @ 7:30 PM – 8:30 PM  Monday Nov 4 @ 12:15 PM – 1:15 PM

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 Chemistry Teaching/Prep assistant you must attend the general lab safety training session every semester you are employed and before you can start working. 
• 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.
  

Student research safety training requirements:

General Lab Safety:  Sessions will be led by the Lab Safety and Compliance Director, Dr. M. Rakas, 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 M. Rakas for the session schedule.  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, blood-borne or other hazardous pathogens you must learn about administrative procedures and attend a specific subject safety training session before starting the work. Contact M.Rakas to schedule.