Voiland CollegeVoiland SchoolLaboratory SafetySafety Training

Safety Training

All workers in the Voiland School of Chemical Engineering and Bioengineering (VSCEB) must complete three types of basic safety training regardless of status (employee, staff, visiting scholar, volunteer, etc.). 

  1. Safety Orientation
  2. Supervised Hands-On Training
  3. Online Training

Print out and check off each item on the VSCEB Initial Safety Training Log as you complete each type of training. The hands-on and online training can be completed in any order unless otherwise specified by your supervisor. Once all three trainings are complete, sign the VSCEB Initial Safety Training Log with your supervisor and return this to Alex Lehman-Chong for verification. Workers are only authorized to enter VSCEB labs once all parts of safety training are complete.

1. Safety Orientation (SPPM 2.16)

Safety Orientation Checklist

Review and sign the Safety Orientation Checklist (PDF) with your supervisor or Principal Investigator (PI). Employees complete the Safety Orientation Checklist with their supervisor on the first day of employment, and supervisors must check this requirement off in Workday. Return the signed and completed checklist to Alex Lehman-Chong to store for departmental records.

Safety Orientation Presentation

Next, schedule a meeting with Alex Lehman-Chong (a.lehman-chong@wsu.edu) to review a 40-45 min Safety Orientation presentation.

2. Supervised Hands-On Training 

This is assigned by the direct supervisor and/or a laboratory’s Primary Investigator (PI). The supervisor may direct training to be received from multiple sources, but they are responsible for ensuring it is complete. In a laboratory, hands-on training will include a minimum of the following topics: 

  • Reading and signing the lab-specific chemical hygiene plan (CHP) 
  • Reading and signing the lab-specific biosafety manual (BSM) in labs with biohazards 
  • Laboratory specific standard operating procedures and location of safety equipment 
  • Operational training for uncommon or unique instrumentation 
  • Operational training for lab-specific hazards (e.g. lasers, ionizing radiation, etc…) 

3. Online Training

For WSU employees:

  • WSU employees must complete online safety training through the Skillsoft Percipio platform. Percipio access will occur for regular appointments once the I-9 form is completed in Workday, usually one business day after the employee’s start date. Online modules will be assigned by a department staff member and can be accessed in Percipio by logging in with your WSU username and password. Please email Alex Lehman-Chong once training assignments have been completed for verification.

For non-employees:

  • Non-employees must complete online safety training through Canvas. Instructions on how to enroll in the Canvas Safety Training are here (PDF). Once all online courses are completed, compile module certificates in one Word or pdf document and email them to Alex Lehman-Chong for verification and departmental records. 

Required Online Courses

Courses required for all VSCEB personnel:

  1. Personal Protective Equipment Fundamentals
  2. Slips, Trips, and Falls
  3. Back Safety and Injury Prevention
  4. Emergency and Fire Preparedness
  5. Office Ergonomics
  6. Portable Fire Extinguisher Safety
  7. Asbestos Awareness
  8. University Laboratory Safety – Working Safely
  9. Active Shooter Response

Courses required for all VSCEB laboratory workers (except computational-only labs): 

  1. PPE – Eye and Face Protection
  2. PPE – Hand Protection
  3. Risk Assessment
  4. University Laboratory Safety – Analyzing Chemical Hazards
  5. University Laboratory Safety – Analyzing Physical Hazards
  6. University Laboratory Safety – Developing and Using Controls
  7. Laboratory Compressed Gas Safety
  8. University Laboratory Safety – Analyzing Biological Hazards

Additional Safety Training Modules

Supervisors are responsible for providing any additional relevant training that may be required for an employee to perform work safely. WSU offers several additional safety training modules through the Percipio platform. These online training modules may serve as additional resources but do not replace required hands-on training. Examples of specific training topics that may be relevant include Autoclave Safety, Introduction to Biosafety, Liquid Nitrogen Safety, Laser Safety, etc. Additional specific training modules can be found under the Percipio channels titled Lab Safety at WSU and Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) or through the Canvas safety training course.

4. Training Verification 

Once the safety orientation, supervised hands-on training, and online training are complete, complete and sign the VSCEB Initial Safety Training Log with your supervisor. Return all completed forms to Alex Lehman-Chong for verification.

5. Additional Information 

Please refer to SPPM 2.18 for more information regarding WSU Safety Training.  

Shared Laboratory Spaces

The VSCEB houses several shared laboratory spaces. To work in these spaces, you must follow all WSU Laboratory Safety Program expectations, including those listed in the WSU Laboratory Manual, the WSU Safety Policies and Procedures Manual, and other system-wide requirements. For these shared-user facilities, each user must follow the requirements of their own Chemical Hygiene Plan when transporting and characterizing samples within the facility. If samples are left unattended, then appropriate hazard communication must be posted visible to all other room occupants. Particularly hazardous materials must receive special permission from the facility manager before bringing them into the space. All users are responsible for removing samples or generated waste for disposal under the procedures in their own Chemical Hygiene Plan.

Resources