Safety Policies

Mandatory Safety Training

All Voiland College employees, students, and visitors, utilizing Voiland College resources, are required to be trained, and perform their duties in a safe manner.  Please visit the safety training page for details.

All training programs at Washington State University are offered to personnel and visitors free of charge, with the exception of CPR, and are available to those that request it.  Specific training is available as applicable to the hazard/environment/conditions and any question can be answered by numerous sources. Each individual is free to seek answers from the source they are most comfortable with, such as the lab PI, unit’s Lab Safety Chair, lab technician, Voiland College Safety Chair, Voiland College Facility, Operations, & Safety Services, Voiland College Associate Dean of Research, or WSU’s Environmental Health and Safety. Seeking additional help and/or training is a positive and encouraged behavior, and is expected if an individual feels in any way uncomfortable or unsafe in their environment. Each laboratory is fundamentally charged, via the Primary Investigator(s) to:

• Secure and operate the laboratory and its research materials/equipment appropriately
• Utilize correct personal protective equipment
• Operate hygienically
• Have current SOPs available
• Effectively manage waste streams
• Ensure visibility and access are maintained into the laboratory, with exception of protected research
• Ensure lab personnel are trained in the emergency process to address applicable research risks
• Possess a stocked safety kit, with items that may be pertinent to applicable research risks
• Facilitate an annual safety evaluation, performed by the PI’s home unit’s Safety Committee

Security Camera Policy

For the protection of people and property, Voiland College requires all security cameras to follow it’s Security Camera policy.

Stop Work

The purpose of a Stop Work request is to help each other prevent accidents, and create a safer environment together. All Voiland College personnel have the right to stop work when a situation appears to be unsafe. If it appears that someone or something can be harmed through the action or inaction of another, any person in Voiland College or at WSU has the right to request all lab occupants to stop work. If such an action is requested, individuals in the lab are asked to safely cease what they are doing and exit the lab. The lab occupants and person requesting the stop work need to request a response to the safety concern in question before resuming work. This response is required to confirm that the concern in question is safe or not. The response can be performed quickly by any of the following sources: School/Department’s Safety Committee Chair, School/Department Chair or Director, the Voiland College Safety Committee Chair, Voiland College Facility, Operations, & Safety Services, the Voiland College Associate Dean of Research, or Environmental Health and Safety. Such a review can be conducted immediately, and all parties can be advised if the practice was safe, or if not, receive positive feedback on how to take cautious and appropriate actions.

Visibility and Access

In the event of an emergency, being able to see into the area, before walking into the space, is a critical safety assessment tool. A clear view into a lab allows respondents to visibly verify aspects of a situation, or if the location is not clearly known, help in the discovery process to find the lab in need of assistance.

Viewing active lab work is also a showcase opportunity for units to demonstrate the activities they are investigating. For the aforementioned reasons, views into labs need to be unobstructed. Exceptions can be made, but only in situations where the research absolutely requires it (for example, investigations requiring sheltered lighting environments or proprietary information).

It is also critical to keep the doorways clear of items for easy entry and exit into and out of the lab.

• A clear, unobstructed view into all laboratory windows/doors is required (research and teaching included).
• All laboratories should have all interior window/door blinds open, and any possible obstructions to views through windows/doors removed.
• Anything that could block visibility into the area should be located out of the way of the windows/doors.
• All doorway vestibules and entry/exit areas are to remain clear and unobstructed.

University Policy

All employees are expected to follow university policy related to their activities. Please visit the Safety Resources page for reference.