Research Insights
Safe Secure Science: New Policies and Training to Enhance UGA Health and Safety
New UGA policies and safety training courses aimed at promoting a culture of health and safety at UGA were announced in April.
New UGA policies and safety training courses aimed at promoting a culture of health and safety at UGA were announced in April.
The policies address UGA’s commitment to provide a safe workplace for all UGA students, faculty, staff, administrators and visitors, and provide the administrative processes and policies to support a culture of safety by defining roles and responsibilities and ensuring accountability. The policies apply to all stakeholders at UGA.
“Safety belongs to everyone, not just a few,” said Chris King, Associate Vice President for Research Compliance, Office of the Vice President for Research.
“Education is a key component of assuring a safe secure environment in which to conduct research,” he continued. “The new policies assure that all lab personnel have the consistent training that makes for a safe workplace.”
Links to the first required safety course were sent to faculty on March 21 and staff links were sent on April 18.
King noted that while many faculty have years of experience in safe lab practices, the training will provide a consistent baseline and assure that training for all is documented. Faculty participation in the training also will assure that those who supervise students will be familiar with the content of the training required for personnel in laboratory spaces. Individuals not involved in laboratory work can opt out of the training via a preliminary one-question qualifier quiz.
Questions about EHS training can be directed to Lisa Kelly, lmkelly@uga.edu.
Policy 6.01, “Environmental Health and Safety,” and Policy 6.02, “Policy and Procedures for Adoption and Ongoing Review of the University of Georgia’s Comprehensive Environmental Health and Safety Management System and Roles and Responsibilities.”
Policies can be found in the Academic Affairs Policy Manual, and on other websites, including Office of the Vice President for Research, Office of the Vice President for Finance and Administration, and the Environmental Health and Safety Division.