Environmental Health & Safety Office

All individuals working in or frequenting laboratories where biological materials are used or stored must receive Biosafety training before beginning work with biological materials. This training reviews the principles of biosafety including risk assessment and management strategies, risk groups and biosafety levels safe laboratory practices, methods of disinfection and decontamination, waste management, and spill and exposure response. This training must be renewed annually.Once you have taken this training course, you may subsitute Laboratory Safety Refresher training (described below) to meet the annual requirement.To register, click here.

In accordance with the OSHA Bloodborne Pathogen Standard, training on risks associated with bloodborne pathogens, safe laboratory practices, medical waste management, and emergency procedures is provided annually to all individuals at occupational risk for exposure to bloodborne pathogens. Individuals working in or frequenting laboratories or clinical settings where bloodborne pathogens or other potentially infectious materials are present must receive Bloodborne Pathogens training before beginning work. Training must be renewed annually. To register, click here.

All personnel working in laboratories or facilities where chemicals are used or stored must receive Chemical Safety training within 30 days of employment and before starting work in the laboratory. This training must be renewed annually. Chemical Safety training familiarizes individuals with common chemical hazards, George Mason University's Chemical Hygiene Program, and safe practices for acquisition, use, storage, and disposal of chemicals. Once you have taken this training course, you may substitute Laboratory Safety Refresher training (described below) to meet the annual requirement. To register, click here.

Tour groups and visitors to George Mason University laboratories must receive Laboratory Safety Awareness training before entering or touring university laboratories. This training provides a brief overview of laboratory hazard recognition, appropriate laboratory attire, and what actions should be taken by visitors in the event of an emergency. Training is provided as needed by OLS staff. To request Laboratory Safety Awareness training for an upcoming tour or visitor, email EHS at safety@gmu.edu.

Laboratory Safety Refresher training satisfies the annual training requirement for Chemical Safety training and Biosafety training by introducing new topics each year that expand upon basic safety fundamentals and regulations covered in Chemical Safety and Biosafety training. Topics include new policies and procedures, personal protection, hazard identification, and additional information about safety issues in laboratories such as waste management, spill and exposure response, proper use of engineering controls, and decontamination procedures. This training is offered as a topical annual refresher for personnel who have previously attended Chemical Safety training and Biosafety training. In order to register for Chemical Safety training, you must have previously attended Chemical Safety Refresher training. To register, click here.

Laboratory personnel who wish to use radioactive materials are required to take Radiation Safety training before beginning work with radioactive materials. This training provides basic information on the principles of radiation, health risks associated with radioactive materials, radiation protection guidelines, radiation survey instruments, and laboratory procedures for conducting radiation surveys, managing waste, and storing and handling radioactive materials. To register, individuals should complete aRadiation User Authorization Form and email EHS at safety@gmu.edu.

Radiation Safety Refresher training is offered to authorized users of radiation who have already completed Radiation Safety training. Refresher training provides an annual review of radiation safety principles including safe laboratory practices, exposure and spill response procedures, and current regulations, policies, and procedures. Radiation Safety Refresher training is required annually for authorized users of radiation In order to attend Radiation Safety Refresher training you must have previously attended Radiation Safety training. To register, email EHS at safety@gmu.edu.

Laboratory personnel working with F. tularensis, must receive agent specific training commensurate with the specific hazards of the agent and the procedures they perform. Through group interaction, Working Safely with F. tularensis examines the hazards associated with the live vaccine strain and virulent strains of F. tularensis, exposure mitigation strategies utilized in the laboratory, and incident response procedures such as exposure or spill response. To register, email EHS at safety@gmu.edu.

Laboratory personnel working with HIV must receive agent specific training commensurate with the procedures and experiments they conduct in the laboratory. Through group interaction, Working Safely with HIV examines the hazards associated with Human Immunodeficiency Virus, exposure mitigation strategies utilized in the laboratory, and incident response procedures such as exposure or spill response. To register, email EHS at safety@gmu.edu.

Laboratory personnel who wish to use instruments that produce x-ray radiation must receive X-ray Safety training before beginning work with x-ray producing instruments. This training provides information on the hazards associated with x-ray radiation, safe operating procedures for instruments that produce x-ray radiation and emergency response procedures. Individuals should complete a Radiation User Authorization Form and email EHS at safety@gmu.edu.