Safety Information

Mandatory employee training: for all in Earth and Environmental Sciences

All employees

The following is for anyone working or volunteering in the Earth and Environmental Sciences Department and includes undergraduate researcher, graduate students, postdocs, visiting scientists, staff and faculty.

All those with paid or volunteer work (not those taking courses) within the Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences need to complete the following mandatory training offered through the UW Safety Office:

  • WHMIS 2015 for employees - staff, faculty, postdocs, grad students (must be renewed every 5 years)
  • Workplace Violence & Harassment Training (SO1081)
  • Employee Safety Orientation
  • Accessibility Training Module

All new employees and students working in labs must complete all mandatory training prior to receiving keys to their lab. Send proof to your supervisors.

Supervisors

All supervisors of postdocs/graduate students/undergraduate students, including undergraduate laboratory instructors, are required to have Supervisor Online Orientation completed:

  • Supervisor Orientation Online (SO1100)
  • Risk Assessment (SO2500)

Additional research/laboratory training and hazard-specific training

You will need additional training for research and laboratory work, such as laboratory safety (SO1010), biosafety (SO1069), cryogenic and compressed gas safety (SO1030), open and sealed radiation sources (SO2030-O and/or SO2030-S), laser safety (SO1066), safe chemical handling (SO2032), chemical waste segregation (SO2070), and X-ray safety (SO1011). Hazard-specific training may also be required, such as silica awareness (SO2037). Risk assessment training (SO2500 and possibly SO2501) should be taken by supervisors / managers. Supervisors must keep a record of this training by their employees.

Laboratory Safety

The Safety Office has a very important webpage with information on laboratory safety and maintains an alphabetical listing of all their extensive resources related to safety including required laboratory posters.

Laboratory inspections

Laboratory supervisors are required to undertake a safety evaluation of their space every month. Inspections are completed online at the University of Waterloo Safely website. Term inspections will be carried out by the department’s Safety Committee and annual inspections by the Safety Office.

Injury and incident reports

All members of the University community must report any injury or illness related to their work (includes University of Waterloo walkways, parking lots and field sites) to their supervisor. It is the supervisor's responsibility to ensure that prompt first aid and health care treatment is obtained, if necessary, and that University reports are completed.

If there is an accident, even if people are not hurt, but where either a spill, fire or explosion occurred that could have hurt someone or damaged property, please submit the Incident and Investigation Form to the Safety Office in Safety Spectrum.

Emergency contact information

Post on the inside of all laboratory doors an Emergency Contact Form so others in the building know who to contact should people need to enter the laboratory.

The form can be found on the Posting requirements page of the Safety Office website in the General faculty/department space (laboratories, shops and studios) section.

Field Work Safety

Field work consists of authorized work, study or teaching activities which are undertaken by faculty, staff or students at a location outside of the geographical boundaries of University property.

The Field Work Risk Management Program supports the University’s endeavours to engage in scholarship and research activities outside of its geographical boundaries, while maintaining a safe work environment and managing risk related to such activities. This program is designed to define risk management responsibilities and requirements for conducting field work to enable those in authority to take every reasonable precaution to protect the health and safety of participating members.

See the Safety Office's Field Work webpage for more information.

Training

All University of Waterloo field work supervisors should complete:

Field Work Risk Management Program Training (SO2071)

Forms, templates and guidelines

The following forms, templates and guidelines can be found on the Safety Office Field Work webpage:

  • Field Work Risk Management Plan (fillable PDF)
    • Emergency Contact Form
  • Field Work Planning Guidelines
  • Pre-Departure Briefing Template

Travel requirements