Frequently Asked Questions
The office is located on the Uptown Campus East, in the University Hall Building, Suite 260, 51 Goodman Drive, as indicated in the map below.
If you need a waste pickup, simply call 556-4968 or you can complete a form on-line.
A pickup will be scheduled for you as soon as possible. You can also contact EH&S and someone from our staff will help you. For further information on waste pickup and schedules, see the EH&S Hazardous Waste Disposal program.
You can contact your Department’s Business Administrator. When you place an order for a chemical, the vendor sends a copy of the corresponding Safety Data Sheet (SDS) to EH&S that is forwarded to each Department's Business Administrator. If for some reason you do not receive the SDS, you can either look it up on the EH&S SDS Information area, or contact EH&S at 556-4968 and we will be happy to send it to you.
If you detect an unusual odor, contact EH&S at 556-4968 and the on-call EH&S responder will be paged to contact you. The EH&S responder will come to your location to investigate the odor. It may be necessary to have a member of Facilities Management visit your location to perform an evaluation and inspection of the mechanical systems in the space.
All you need to do is call EH&S at 556-4968 and you will be scheduled for the course or courses you require. Or you can register for courses online. For more detailed information on this topic, read about our Safety Training.
You should first contact EH&S (556-4968) to notify the Office that an inspector is at your facility. EH&S is typically aware of scheduled inspections and will be present during the process. If however, an inspector arrives at your location unannounced contact EH&S immediately. Escort the inspector to an office or conference room and wait for an EH&S representative to arrive.
Your first step is to receive prompt medical treatment for your injury either through University Health Services (call 584-4457) or the nearest medical facility. If you require follow-up medical treatment, you must coordinate this treatment with UC Benefits, call 556-6824 for further details.
Report your incident using the University of Cincinnati Initial Report on Work-Related Injury or Illness. If you must file a Workers’ Compensation claim for your incident, contact Human Resources at their Leave of Absence Administration mailbox (loaadm@ucmail.uc.edu) for more information.
If you miss work other than the date of the incident, coordinate your return to work through UC Health Employee Health and Wellness Clinic. Call 585-6600 for details.
To reduce the chance that a similar incident will occur, work with your supervisor to identify the cause of the problem and initiate appropriate corrective actions.
The University's work-related injury/illness policy is available for download.
EH&S can provide these materials for you; simply contact EH&S and let us know what items you need. Some items that our office provides are: laboratory entrance room signage customized to your requirements, biological waste labels, biological waste bags, biohazard boxes, and barrels.
There are many factors to be considered when vacating a laboratory for a move or remodel. In addition to seeing that the laboratory is clean, the following must be taken into consideration: verification that there is no chemical contamination in the laboratory, removal of excess chemicals – some of which may present special hazards. For more detailed information contact EHS at 556-4968 or see EH&S Advisory 7.1.1: Laboratory Departure Procedures.
If you need to be Fit Tested and Trained for a respirator, call EH&S at 556-4968 to schedule an appointment.
There are many considerations regarding transport of hazardous materials, for example, whether you are transporting within the UC campus, off campus, etc. For information specific to your transportation situation contact EH&S at 556-4968 before transporting any hazardous materials to a new location.
Call EH&S at 556-4968 and request an ergonomic evaluation and a member of the office will meet you to evaluate your workstation. For more information on ergonomics, try performing a self-assessment of your workstation. An office ergonomics checklist and laboratory ergonomics checklist are available for download. Office ergonomics training is also available to members of the University community.
If the spill is large in nature and represents a serious hazard to the occupants of the laboratory, leave the laboratory immediately and contact Environmental Health and Safety at 556-4968.
Spills that are smaller in nature (< 300cc) with moderate to low hazard and that can be cleaned up without the need for respiratory protection are to be handled by the laboratory occupants. All laboratories using chemicals or biological agents that may potentially be spilled are required to have materials designed to contain and neutralize acids and bases, absorbent materials that will contain spilled liquids, bleach or other US EPA registered disinfectants designed to disinfect biological spills, mercury spill kits, etc. In addition to these items, laboratories should also include with the spill materials appropriate personal protective equipment (nitrile gloves, safety glasses, lab coats, etc) to protect them while cleaning spilled materials. If you have questions regarding spill cleanup procedures or need waste disposal information for the spill cleanup materials please contact EH&S at 556-4968.
Call EH&S to schedule a time for an audit of all applicable spaces, and develop a plan for correcting compliance issues noted during the audit. You also need to ensure all lab workers have participated in applicable health and safety training within the past twelve months. Workers who need training can use EH&S's computer-integrated training program to satisfy the requirements.
Complete a University of Cincinnati Initial Report on Work-Related Injury or Illness; indicate your job title as "student" in item 7. Keep a copy of the report, and forward the original to EH&S.
Yes, if you work with hazardous chemicals, you should have a spill kit available in the space(s) where hazardous chemicals are used or stored that will allow you to at least contain a spill, if you can do so safely. Spill kits are commercially available from most chemical manufacturers and distributors, or you can assemble your own. If you assemble your own spill kit, be sure to include gloves and safety goggles along with your acid and base neutralizers and absorbent materials, and place all materials into a labeled container. Make sure everyone in your lab knows the location of the spill kit and how to use it properly.
Yes, the Ohio EPA requires a biological spill kit to be available in all spaces where biological/infectious waste is generated or stored. For more information see the University Biosafety homepage. For a list of materials that are required in your spill kit, see Appendix E in Advisory 10.2: Management of Biological and Infectious Wastes.
Type A, B, and C fire extinguishers are located at strategic points around all of our buildings. The different types of fire extinguishers are designed to be effective against different types of fires. For more detailed information about the use of fire extinguishers, contact Fire Prevention at 556-4992.
If you can do so easily, trap the bug and tape it to a piece of paper to aid in proper identification and remediation. If you saw the bug in a residence hall, notify the front desk. Your RC will provide directions for you to prepare for an exterminator inspection. If you are located in another building, contact Grounds and Moving at 556-4147. An exterminator will evaluate the area and determine the best approach for pest control.
If you would like more information about bedbugs, visit Hamilton County Public Health - Fact Sheet: Bed Bugs, or Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Health Information About Bed Bugs.