Announcements

Come one, come all!

To promote safety awareness in the lab, EH&S will be hosting one webinar a week, from August to October 2023, covering different topics per week.

Topics that will be covered includes:

• General lab safety
• Chemical inventory
• Hazardous waste
• Laboratory Self-Audit
• Radiation safety
• Hotwork
• And more!

The seminar/webinar schedule is as follows:

• August 24, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• August 31, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• September 7, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• September 14, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• September 21, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• September 28, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• October 5, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (webinar)
• October 27, 1:30 pm - 3:00 pm (in-person seminar)

These events will be fully online and hosted on Zoom. Please visit our calendar on the EH&S homepage for full details and let us know you'll be there by clicking on the "I'm Interested" button under each event page.

Updated 8/2/2023

EH&S's online safety training library will be undergoing extensive changes.

These are the list of courses being affected by the changes:

• Arc Flash
• Back Safety
• Biological and Chemical Threats
• Chemical Handling Safety - Basic Principles - Active/Back online (2/15/22)
• Chemical Handling Safety - Corrosives
• Chemical Handling Safety - Solvents
• Compressed Gas Cylinder Safety - Active/Back online (1/28/22)
• Confined Space Entry
• Defensive Driving - 15 Passenger Vans
• Defensive Driving - Government Employees
• Electrical Safety - Construction - Active/Back online (3/14/22)
• Electrical Safety - General
• Environmental Awareness PT 1 and PT 2 - Active/Back online (1/12/22) (New Title: Environmental Awareness)
• Ergonomics - General
• Fall Protection
• Forklift Basics
• Hand Protection - Currently being worked on
• Hazard Communication (HAZCOM) - Active/Back online (1/4/22)
• Hazmat Awareness
• HAZWOPER Awareness - Active/Back online (1/20/23)
• Hearing Protection - Active/Back online (8/2/2023)
• Incident Investigation
• Infection Control Essentials: Every Action Counts - Active/Back online (10/21/22) - Now titled "Infection Control Essentials: Non-Healthcare Settings (General)"
• Infection Control for Ambulatory Care - Active/Back online (2/2/22) - Now titled "Infection Control in Ambulatory Healthcare Setting"
• Job Safety Analysis
• Machine Guarding
• Mold Awareness
• Needlestick Prevention - Active/Back online (1/12/22)
• Office Ergonomics
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) - General/Industrial - Active/Back online (6/2/22)
• Powered Hand Safety Tools - Active/Back online (6/27/22)
• Respirator Safety
• Respirator Safety - Disposable Respirators - Active/Back online (9/28/22)
• Safety Orientation
• Slips Trips and Falls - Currently being worked on
• Small Spills and Leaks - Active/Back online (1/4/22)
• Tuberculosis - identification and Control - Active/Back online (5/4/22)
• Welding/Hotwork Safety - Active/Back online (9/1/22)

Of this list, courses which EH&S have deemed "mandatory" for your work duties, or which have a high priority for other areas, will be placed back online throughout the month of December and January (2022). Update: This phase completed 

The courses will be more FIU-specific, with new and simplified content, and will no longer be in interactive format. 

Course titles will remain the same, for the most part, in order to avoid general confusion and issues. 

After priority and mandatory courses go live, EH&S will continue to place back courses which have had higher useage. This will take place starting mid-late January and will continue from there. Update: Currently in this phase; working on courses requested by supervisors and instructors.

Less popular courses will not go back online. 

EH&S thanks you for your understanding during this time period. If you have any questions, concerns, or general feedback, please feel free to contact ehstrain@fiu.edu. 

Hi Folks! 

Lab Safety Week is February 13 - 17, 2023. To promote safety awareness in the lab, and in alignment with Lab Safety Week, EH&S will be hosting two safety seminars. We invite you to save the dates and join us! 

• February 13, Monday (in-person) 
  • 1:00 pm - 2:00 pm
  • MMC, WC 130
  • Topic Points: Lab Safety Basics
• February 16, Thursday (online/Zoom)
  • 11:00 am - 12:15 pm
  • Zoom
  • Topic Points: Lab Safety Basics
  • Zoom Details:

    • Join Zoom Meeting
      https://fiu.zoom.us/j/93814515827?pwd=Z1NwMjN0alQ5aXp3ZndoRFFNR1RnZz09

      Meeting ID: 938 1451 5827
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      Meeting ID: 938 1451 5827
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Update (1/23/2023): All resources relating to communicable diseases and illnesses circulating the community/FIU will be addressed at Panthers Protecting Panthers | Florida International University (fiu.edu)

Original Post - As the Coronavirus remains a global concern, FIU EH&S wants to ensure you are getting the most up-to-date information about the virus, and how to take measures to prevent the spread of it. 

For the latest national information on the Coronavirus, please refer to Coronavirus.gov or the Center For Disease Control's Website.
For the latest information specific to Florida, please refer to Florida's Department of Health Website.
For the latest updates pertaining to FIU, please refer to FIU's Website.

EH&S thanks all participants of our first ever Virtual Escape Experience!

Winners will be drawn on December 1st and will be notified via email. 

If you were unable to complete it this time around, have no fear, it returns in Spring 2023!

EH&S's Virtual Escape Experience is now live....

Are you looking for a fun way to learn about safety AND for a chance to win a prize? 

The FIU Department of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) is excited to announce the launch of the EH&S Virtual Escape Experience. Navigate your way through a series of clues and puzzles to free yourself while learning about safety. Successful completion of the experience will enter you for a chance to win!*

Do you have what it takes to escape? Enter now by clicking here

Good luck!

*The sweepstakes will refresh every semester; four (4) winners will be randomly selected in the Fall and Spring semesters, and two (2) winners will be randomly selected in the Summer semesters. Only one submission per Panther ID per semester will be considered.

FIU EH&S will be hosting safety tabling events across multiple locations in June! 

Here is the schedule and locations:

• June 2 - MMC, GC Panther Pit (11:00 am - 2:00 pm)
• June 7 - EC, West Lobby (11:00 am - 2:00 pm)
• June 9 - BBC, MSB 105 (11:00 am - 2:00 pm)
• June 14 - CTS, Main Lobby (11:00 am - 2:00 pm)

 What can you expect at each event?

• Meet and greet with the EH&S team
• Safety program information
• Safety scenarios
• Learning moments
• and more! 

 Please come out and join us, we'd love to see you! 

Please join EH&S as we host the 5th safety webinar of 2021 discussing Workplace Safety in laboratories at FIU.

Fisher Scientific and Justrite will also be joining us as they will be presenting useful information on how organization can increase safety and productivity in your workspace. 

The webinar will take place October 25, 2021, at 1:00 pm. Please visit the event page for full details and how to tune in through Zoom. Click on the "I'm Interested" button to let us know you'll be joining us.

October is National Biosafety Month!

The NIH has designated October as National Biosafety Month to encourage institutions to highlight the importance of Biosafety. 

Please join EH&S as we host a safety webinar discussing Biosafety at FIU. The webinar will take place October 18, 2021, at 1:00 pm. Please visit the event page for full details and how to tune in through Zoom. Click on the "I'm Interested" button to let us know you'll be joining us.

Also, please visit our webpage for general information on Biosafety at FIU.

Environmental Health & Safety has launched a new self-audit program intended for general and workshop spaces at FIU! 

The 2021 General Safety Self-Audit (GSSA) aims to promote awareness of safety and regulatory compliance for the FIU community. 

The GSSA commenced on October 4, 2021 and will conclude on December 31, 2021. All FIU workspaces where industrial work is performed are required to complete the GSSA. Completing the GSSA fulfills the FIU EH&S requirement for the annual safety inspections. 

For full details, required participants, and other important dates, please refer to the latest GSSA communication. 

You can also visit the EH&S Industrial Safety webpage for all GSSA resources.

Environmental Health & Safety is launching a new self-audit program intended for general and workshop spaces at FIU! 

The 2021 General Safety Self-Audit (GSSA) aims to promote awareness of safety and regulatory compliance for the FIU community. 

The GSSA will commence on October 4, 2021 and will conclude on December 31, 2021. All FIU workspaces where industrial work is performed are required to complete the GSSA. Completing the GSSA fulfills the FIU EH&S requirement for the annual safety inspections. 

For full details, required participants, and other important dates, please refer to the latest GSSA communication. 

You can also visit the EH&S Industrial Safety webpage for all GSSA resources.

Great news! The new EHS Chemical Inventory Tracking System is now live! Access it at https://ehsinventory.fiu.edu. You can also access it through our Resources page. Use your FIU credentials to log in.

Background: Over the past year, EH&S has partnered with FIU Division of IT to create a new, in-house, web based, user-friendly chemical inventory sytem. This system has replaced the EHS Assistant system. 

What does this mean for you? In a nutshell...

• You will be working with a system designed and built around the needs of the FIU research community. 
• Support will be fully in-house and prompt. 
• Continuous system improvements.
• FIU single sign-on access.
• System accessible from anywhere, with any device.
• No more third-party vendor.

For any questions, comments, or general feedback, please email ehs@fiu.edu. 

Great news! Over the past year, EH&S has partnered with FIU Division of IT to create a new, in-house, web based, user-friendly chemical inventory sytem. This system will replace the EHS Assistant system. 

Here are important dates to remember:

August 13 - All data from EHS Assistant will be transfered over by DoIT to the new EHS Inventory System.

August 16 - New EHS Inventory System officially goes live.

August 16 @ 11:00 am - Zoom presentation and Q&A covering full details of the new inventory system. Join us here

What does this mean for you? In a nutshell...

• You will be working with a system designed and built around the needs of the FIU research community. 
• Support will be fully in-house and prompt. 
• Continuous system improvements.
• FIU single sign-on access.
• System accessible from anywhere, with any device.
• No more third-party vendor.

For full details and benefits, we invite you to join us via Zoom on August 16, at 11:00 am. Here is a preview of what we will be covering in the Zoom presentation. For any questions before then, please email ehs@fiu.edu. 

EH&S is happy to announce four, 1-hour, virtual lab safety seminars for FIU staff and students. We invite you to join us for as many sessions as possible! 

The topics covered vary with each session. Here are the dates and topics:

October 21 - EH&S & Fisher Scientific discuss chemical safety
October 28 - Environmental & general safety 
November 4 - Laboratory safety topics relating to the lab self-audit, hazardous waste, biosafety, radiationa and laser safety
November 10 - EH&S website, trainings, and fire safety
November 18 - Safety questions and Lab Self-Audit Program

You will receive 1 hour of CEU's for each session you attend. Please let us know you will be attending by going to our training calendar and RSVPing. 

Update: The transition will now take place on July 31. Please continue to complete training on Moodle and download/save your certificates from now until July 31.

We are excited to announce that as of July 31, the courses previously found in Moodle will have a new home, FIU Develop.  

FIU Develop is the new home for online professional development at the University.  To access FIU Develop, visit develop.fiu.edu and search for your course of interest.  

If you have previously completed coursework or certificates in Moodle, please take this opportunity to download those certificates prior to the July 31 transition. 

To learn more about FIU Develop, visit develop.fiu.edu 

In case you have been unable to participate in the latest laboratory roundtable events, you still have one more chance to attend the October 3rd session! It will be hosted in BBC and will include a polycom broadcast. For more information and to RSVP, go here.

Additionally, we will be hosting a Biosafety Seminar on October 8th! Along with your EH&S partners, guest speakers from Steris and Triumvirate will be offering a wealth of safety information and tips pertaining to hazardous waste, autoclaving, spills and more! For more information and to RSVP, go here.

As the University readies itself for Hurricane Dorian's potential impact on South Florida, EH&S wants you and your workspace to be fully prepared for any outcome. 

Please use and follow the resources and information listed below:

General:

• FIU Alert System Sign-up
• Miami-Dade County's Hurricane Guide 
• National Hurricane Center 
• Monitor FIU email for updates about the storm and University operations
• If possible, cover computers and other electronics with plastic or water repellent materials
• Remove items from the floor, especially first floor offices and labs
• Ensure computer files/documents are being stored/backed-up in your FIU OneDrive, not your desktop
• No sheltering allowed in unauthorized FIU locations, such as laboratories, offices, etc. 

Laboratories: 

• Hurricane Preparedness Guidelines for Laboratories
• Dry Ice Usage Guidelines
• Dry Ice Safety Quick Guide

EH&S is bringing its roundtable safety series to the Engineering Center!

Multiple EH&S personnel will be presenting and answering questions in the following areas:
1. EH&S webpage and forms
2. Lab self-audit
3. Chemical safety
4. Radiation and laser safety
5. Fire safety
6. Electrical/industrial safety

For full event details and to RSVP, including how to join in with Zoom, please click here.

EH&S is teaming up again with Fisher Scientific, Triumvirate, Brady, and TEL to host a Laboratory Safety Seminar.

Topics will include: Fumehood Use; General Laboratory Safety Practices; Spill Kits; EHS Training and Website.

Please RSVP by clicking here, and in the new page, click on the "I'm Interested" button. Use your FIU Employee ID to RSVP. For more information about the event, please contact Gina Oubrar at 348-6849 or gigallia@fiu.edu.  

Refreshments will be provided. 

Polycom will be available at BBC in MSB 362.

Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) launched an updated version of the “Lockout and Tagout” or “LOTO” Program. “LOTO” applies to operations where the unexpected energization of the machine or equipment could cause an injury to employee(s). This program provides safe work practices to effectively control the energy sources of equipment while performing maintenance operations.

Please refer to this memo for more information on how this program may affect your area(s).

If the LOTO program impacts you or your employee(s), or you are unsure, please take this brief survey. This will help EH&S identify if you need additional support.
NOTE:  The survey will not take more than a minute to complete.

Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) is kick starting the 2018 Laboratory Self-Audit (LSA) to continue to promote awareness of safety and regulatory compliance for the FIU laboratory community. EH&S is very appreciative of all participants that contributed to the success of the 2017 LSA. 

NEW!! The LSA Summary Reports for 2016 and 2017 are now available for review. Visit the Lab Safety Webpage to access the reports. 

The 2018 LSA is mandatory for all FIU research and academic laboratories to submit. Completion of the LSA fulfills the FIU EH&S requirement for the Annual Safety Inspections. NOTE: this does not include Special Hazard Compliance Inspections. 

The 2018 LSA will commence on August 15^th and conclude on November 30^th, 2018. The LSA Preview will be made available August 13^th, 2018 & the links for the LSA Survey and the LSA feedback survey will only work during the scheduled time frame. 

EH&S is teaming up with Fisher Scientific, Medrep, and Health Environmental Services (HES) to host the EH&S Biosafety Seminar.

In recognition of National Biosafety Month, the National Institute of Health (NIH) is encouraging institutions to focus their efforts on sustaining and enhancing a culture of safety and responsibility in life science research laboratories. EH&S will provide information and resources focusing on biosafety procedures, policies and safe practices. In addition, those who attend will earn 2.0 hours towards professional development/continuing education.

For full event details and RSVP information, please click here

If you encounter any issues with the calendar or reservation, please contact the Safety Education Office at 305-348-1421.

Fire Prevention Week is in full swing and we want you to come by one of our events to learn about fire safety, prevention, and response!

The Department of Environmental Health & Safety (EH&S) is hosting the 2018 Lab Safety Roundtable on September 11^th, 2018 from 10 AM to 12 PM in WC 130. EH&S will provide information on upcoming programs, safety initiatives, and regulatory changes that impact your areas.

This roundtable presents a great opportunity to:

• Help EH&S continue to improve the culture of safety at FIU
• Ask questions and voice your safety and compliance concerns
• Meet the FIU EH&S Team 

Target Audience:

We request that all PIs and Lab Managers be present for this session. Lab Staff, Graduate Students, Interns or any individual that works in a lab space AND is familiar with lab procedures, processes, compliance, and safety issues should also attend.

Please RVSP by clicking the link below, selecting the “I’m Interested” button, and logging in with your FIU credentials. For more information about the event, please contact Tamece Knowles at 348-3387 or knowles@fiu.edu. Polycom will be available for BBC attendees. 

Feel free to share the event invite with others. We look forward to seeing you there!!!

To RSVP, click here: https://calendar.fiu.edu/event/2018_lab_safety_roundtable_1?utm_campaign=widget&utm_medium=widget&utm_source=Florida+International+University#.W4gUg8Qna70

If you encounter any issues with the calendar or reservation, please contact the Safety Education Office at 348-1421.

With the summer months in full swing, the risk of bites and stings increases with outdoor activities.  EH&S wants you to be aware of these potential threats and be safe while enjoying the beautiful South Florida summers!

Please feel free to print or download this guideline to preventing bites and stings. 

Mosquitoes and Zika 

As the summer months roll on in South Florida, so does the rainy season. During the rainy season, mosquito populations increase, along with the risk of mosquito-borne disease transmission.

The Zika Virus has been a global concern, and in the past few years, has made its way to South Florida. Although reported cases of infection are extremely low and remain rare, Florida International University takes the threat seriously and is being proactive in its approach to preventing members of the community, especially its students, faculty and staff, from exposure by raising awareness.

At this moment, FIU is not aware of any member of the University community being personally impacted by Zika. In order for the community to remain vigilant against Zika, and other mosquito-borne diseases, FIU urges each community member to use the following resources to educate yourself and stay informed: