The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry at the University of Maryland is fully committed to maintaining safe conditions in all its teaching and research labs as well as in its classrooms, offices and support facilities. We are fortunate to have many resources available to us:
The American Chemical Society, whose Committee on Chemical Safety has as its prime responsibility the encouragement of safe practices in chemical activities, has its headquarters located nearby in downtown Washington, D.C.
The campus Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk is staffed with dedicated professionals with expertise in Biological Safety, Environmental Affairs (including Hazardous Waste Management), Fire Safety, Occupational Safety and Health, Radiation Safety, Risk Management, and more. ESSR is our primary resource for information on state and federal safety and training requirements and maintains their own website whose information can be easily searched.
Compliance Officer
The departmental contact for questions and information on safety issues is the Safety and Compliance Officer, Jason Kahn, who is responsible for the distribution of information between the department and the campus ESSR; serves as a contact for ESSR initiatives (hazardous waste minimization, laboratory labeling, safety training, environmental and safety audits, etc.); ensures that training requirements for faculty, students and staff are met; and works with ESSR during regulatory agency interactions.
Training
Campus offered lab safety training based on general campus job categories can be found here. The information located here is intended to assist managers with the identification of safety training requirements for personnel in their departments. Specific training requirements are based on particular responsibilities and differ across various colleges and departments. Refer to the University SciShield (formerly BioRAFT) database here for training schedules and online courses. For additional training assistance, contact the Department of Environmental Safety at (301) 405-3960.
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry maintains its own requirements for safety training. All incoming graduate students and research personnel in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry are required to take the following courses:
New Laboratory Researcher Training (in person) : https://umd.scishield.com/raft/training/training_prerequisite/1467503
Laboratory Exposure Controls Training (online) : https://umd.scishield.com/node/1388339
Chemical Hygiene Training (online) : https://umd.scishield.com/node/1388322
Teaching Assistants (both graduate and undergraduate) are required to also complete the following course:
Laboratory Teaching Assistant Training (online) : https://umd.scishield.com/node/1982696
Advisors can and will require other training, including lab specific training. The campus-approved template for Lab Specific Training can be found here.
Anyone working in a lab in the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry is required to read the Personal Protective Equipment Program and follow the procedures contained in the program. They may also want to attend the ESSR offered Personal Protective Equipment and Risk Assessment Course.
Additionally, the Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry requires all new lab personnel/students to complete a Laboratory Safety Training Requirements form before building/card key access can be issued to new personnel/students: Laboratory Safety Requirements.
Register for Training
The Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk will assist you in scheduling your training. A complete list of all the training which is offered on campus is available and you may select the training you require, and register online to attend the training. Many classes are web-based and can be completed at your convenience.
Additional Safety Information
The Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry enforces the federal requirement for all teaching and research labs to maintain a Chemical Hygiene Plan which should include (at minimum):
- Lab Chemical Inventory
- Laboratory Personnel Safety Checklist
- Standard Operating Procedures
Safety Data Sheets for any chemicals kept in the laboratory must be in a location available to any occupant or researcher.
Contact the departmental compliance officer for information on SOPs.
The department also requires all departing faculty and research workers as well as graduating students to complete Checklist for Vacating Laboratories.