Laboratory Safety – Physical Hazards

UNV-19.2

Laboratories and research facilities are an important aspect of many institutions of higher learning. Unfortunately they can also pose a number of hazards to students and laboratory workers. Chemical, biological and radiological hazards all might come to mind, but in fact statistically the largest category of hazards for laboratory workers is the same as for workers in all other industries: physical hazards. Physical hazards are conditions or situations that could cause physical forces to act on the body or the environment in a harmful manner. This course will teach the learner to recognize the most common types of physical hazards in laboratories and their controls, including equipment hazards, environmental hazards such as radiation and noise exposure, and glassware and sharps hazards. This course is designed for all employees and students working in a laboratory or research setting.