New UGA policies and safety training courses aimed at promoting a culture of health and safety at UGA were announced in April.<\/p>\n
The policies address UGA\u2019s 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.\u00a0The policies apply to all stakeholders at UGA.<\/p>\n
\u201cSafety belongs to everyone, not just a few,\u201d said Chris King, Associate Vice President for Research Compliance, Office of the Vice President for Research.<\/p>\n
\u201cEducation is a key component of assuring a safe secure environment in which to conduct research,\u201d he continued. \u201cThe new policies assure that all lab personnel have the consistent training that makes for a safe workplace.\u201d<\/p>\n
Links to the first required safety course were sent to faculty on March 21 and staff links were sent on April 18.<\/p>\n
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. \u00a0Faculty 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.\u00a0 Individuals not involved in laboratory work can opt out of the training via a preliminary one-question qualifier quiz.<\/p>\n