Environmental Health & Safety

Environmental Health and Safety (EH&S) is a non-academic service department dedicated to promoting and supporting the university’s efforts to protect human health, safety and the environment.

EH&S, with the administration, faculty, staff, and students, develops and implements WSU’s safety policies and procedures to establish and maintain a safe and healthy university community. EH&S provides consultation and services in the areas of public health, air and water quality, worker health and safety, and chemical waste disposal and cleanup.

To report any emergency involving immediate danger to life or property (fire or smoke, medical issue, or crimes in progress), call 911. For all other incidents, call the campus emergency line at 372-7234

Laboratory Safety

The Laboratory Safety Program assists Principal Investigators (PIs) and lab managers with the development of a comprehensive safety program to reduce the risk of injury to laboratory workers.

Elements of a comprehensive lab safety program include:

  • Completion of a department-level Accident Prevention Program
  • Effective implementation of provisions of the WSU Tri-Cities Laboratory Safety Manual
  • Completion of lab-specific Chemical Hygiene Plan(s) and Standard Operating Procedures, based on assessment of hazards within each laboratory
  • Development and implementation of other safety & health programs, as necessary based on information in the above plans and procedures

The following links include fillable PDF templates for Accident Prevention Programs, Chemical Hygiene Plans, and Standard Operating Procedures. Printable versions of the templates for the CHP and SOPs also appear as appendices to the Lab Safety Manual. Provide an electronic copy of each document to EHS at ehs@tricity.wsu.edu when completed. Contact EHS at 372-7163 for assistance with completion of any of these documents.

Accident Prevention Plan

Chemical Hygiene Plan

Standard Operating Procedures:

For new, low risk processes, complete the Lab Procedure Proposal.  If an existing procedure is being followed, attach it to the completed document.

For processes with complex systems or elevated risk, complete the Standard Operating Procedures template.

Note:  After review of the Lab Procedure Proposal, if it is determined that there are elevated risks, it may be necessary to complete the longer SOP template.

Workplace Safety

WSU Tri-Cities has a number of established programs intended to prevent occupational injuries and illnesses by controlling exposure to hazards. Development of complete health & safety programs requires the combined efforts of each department, Environmental Health & Safety, and all employees.

The WSU Safety Policies and Procedures Manual provides a reference for all departments and employees.

INDIVIDUAL’S ROLE

Each employee must be aware of their surroundings, their responsibilities, and the hazards of their workplace, and each employee has the right to training to ensure that they are familiar with hazards they may encounter in the workplace.  All employees have the right to refuse to perform tasks that are unsafe, or which they have not been adequately trained or equipped to perform.  If an employee is aware of a hazard, or observes unsafe conditions, they must report it to their supervisor or EHS immediately.  Concerns or hazards can be reported to EHS at 372-7163, ehs@tricity.wsu.edu, or online through the Safety Concern Report Form.

DEPARTMENTS’ ROLE

Each department must develop and implement an Accident Prevention Program, which acts as the “umbrella” plan, describing procedures which apply to all employees within the department and identifying additional Work Specific Safety and Health Programs which might be necessary based on the activities performed by employees within the department.  Departments must provide training to each employee regarding the elements of these plans, the hazards to which each employee may be exposed, and measures that must be taken to protect employees from those hazards.

SAFETY COMMITTEE’S ROLE

Safety Committees are composed of employee representatives, and provide a forum for communicating and evaluating employee safety concerns.    Each Safety Committee promotes and supports their department’s safety and health programs, coordinates annual department inspections, discusses solutions to campus safety concerns, and makes recommendations to administration regarding serious safety issues when necessary.

WSU Tri-Cities has adopted a three-tiered system of Safety Committees.  More detailed information on their functions can be found on the Safety Committee page.

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH & SAFETY’S ROLE

EHS’s primary role is to assist departments, employees, and the safety committee in development and implementation of safety & health programs, promoting and supports the University’s overall safety and health program.

Hazardous Waste

Environmental Health & Safety coordinates management of all hazardous wastes at WSU Tri-Cities in order to protect the health and safety of university employees, students and visitors and to meet local, state, and federal regulatory requirements. The Environmental Protection Agency, the Washington State Department of Ecology, and the City of Richland all maintain regulations describing proper management of hazardous waste. Violations of local, state, or federal hazardous waste laws may result in fines and/or imprisonment for university personnel.

Proper management of hazardous wastes requires the cooperation of all university departments, staff, faculty, and students.

Information describing the identification, storage, labeling, and disposal of hazardous wastes appear on the following pages.

Note: The procedures described in this section apply only to chemical wastes. Additional restrictions apply to biohazardous and radioactive wastes. Contact EH&S for assistance with these.

Definitions

Hazardous Waste Identification

Hazardous Waste Accumulation, Storage, and Labeling

Hazardous Waste Disposal

Sewer Discharge Permitting (Non-Hazardous Waste only)

Reporting an Emergency

To report an emergency on campus:

  1. For any emergency posing a threat to life or property (such as fire, medical emergency, or crime in progress): CALL 911. After calling 911, call 2-7234 to notify campus responders of the incident.
  2. For emergencies which do not threaten life or property, report it by dialing 2-7234. The dispatcher will then forward the information to campus responders.

When reporting an emergency, be specific about which building and room you are in so responders go to the correct location. If someone is available to help you, send them out to the building entrance to guide the emergency responders to your location.

  • The West and East buildings are at 2710 Crimson Way
  • The Bioproducts, Sciences, and Engineering Laboratory (BSEL) address is 2720 Crimson Way
  • The Consolidated Information Center (CIC) address is 2770 Crimson Way
  • The Wine Science Center address is 359 University Drive