URI’s Environmental Health and Safety Department offers various seminars and training classes to educate people about waste management, lab safety, hazard communications, and more.
If you work in a wet lab, annual safety training is required per the University’s Chemical Hygiene Plan. To meet this requirement, you can register through the form below to access Brightspace classes.
training registration form- Undergraduates: Take the Initial Lab Safety and Hazardous Waste Management classes annually as long as you are an undergraduate. If you go on to graduate school here, you will take the Refresher class annually.
- Faculty, graduate students, postdocs and staff: you will take the Refresher on arrival and annually in subsequent years. The Refresher includes a section on hazardous waste management and a Risk Assessment module.
For any of the above, additional training may also be required. Read through the list of classes to see which apply to you.
For URI staff looking to complete occupational health & safety classes, contact your supervisor for required training aligned with your job description, then register or log on to Beacon Mutual’s Online University for State Employees
Brightspace Lab Safety Classes Offered by EH&S
Initial Lab Safety
This is an introductory class for undergraduates who work in a wet lab and use chemicals. It includes an overview of laboratory safety and sections on Safety Data Sheets and protecting lab staff from exposure to hazards. Comprehensive sections on managing chemical risk in the lab and benchtop spill cleanup are also included. This course is required by the University’s Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). It was previously part of Initial Lab Safety + Hazardous Waste Management but was made a separate class to clarify the regulatory requirements.
Target Audience: Undergraduates who work in a wet lab and use chemicals.
registration formHazardous Waste Management
This is the companion class to Initial Lab Safety. It is required by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and the University’s Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP). It details the EPA’s RCRA hazardous waste disposal regulations. It was previously part of Initial: Environmental Awareness and Hazardous Waste Management but was made a separate class to clarify the regulatory requirements.
Target Audience: Undergraduates who work in a laboratory and use chemicals.
registration formRefresher: Prudent Practices in the Laboratory and Hazardous Waste Management
Based on the OSHA Laboratory Standard, this course focuses on researchers’ responsibility for ensuring the safety of those who work in their labs. The class describes methods for protecting individuals and the environment from exposure to hazards. A comprehensive section on Risk Assessments and a refresher on RCRA hazardous waste regulations are included. This course is required by the Rhode Island Department of Environmental Management (RIDEM) and the University’s Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
Target Audience: Faculty, graduate students, postdocs and staff who work in wet labs and use chemicals.
registration formAdditional training may also be required depending on the type of work you do.
Bloodborne Pathogens and Biosafety
If you work with any of the following materials, you also need to take this class:
- Recombinant or synthetic nucleic acid molecules (r/sDNA)
- Biological agents (i.e., viable infectious microorganisms – including prions – regardless of their pathogenicity to humans).
- Human or non-human primate materials
- Biological toxins subject to the National Select Agency Registry Program managed by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services (HHS) and Agriculture (USDA).
The Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) requires annual biosafety training if you work with any of these materials or are included on an IBC-approved protocol. Your initial training must be this EHS Brightspace class but your refresher training can be either the EHS class or two CITI classes (see CITI Training below).
Target Audience: Researchers and students who work with any of the above-mentioned materials.
registration formFinger Sticks and Bloodborne Pathogens
This class is for those who are doing finger sticks, working with blood volumes in the 5uL – 80uL range and using Cholestech analytical instrumentation or similar. If you are working with blood draws that are collected in Vacutainer tubes, you need to take the BBP + Biosafety class above.
Target Audience: Researcher and students who are doing finger sticks.
registration formZoonotic Diseases
This one-time class is recommended for anyone who works with non-laboratory animals and has risk for exposure to zoonotic diseases: ticks, mosquitoes, farm animals, fish, wild rodents, wild mammals, amphibians, reptiles, birds or marine mammals.
Target Audience: Researchers and students that are at risk of being exposed to zoonotic diseases.
registration formConducting Field Research Safely
This one-time class covers what you need to know to work safely in the field (land-based). Topics covered include an introduction to the US Geological Survey Field Safety Manual, time management, personal safety, Zoonotic diseases including tick-borne diseases, risk assessments, field emergencies, and the impacts of weather (lightning, heat, cold).
Target Audience: This class is strongly recommended for everyone doing field research during the semester or over the summer; it also provides useful information for novice hikers and backpackers.
registration formWorking With Nanomaterials Safely
This is a one-time class for students who work with engineered nanomaterials. Since there are no regulations governing nanomaterials, you need to be aware of the hazards and risks you may encounter when working with these materials and know how to protect yourself from an exposure.
Target Audience: Undergraduates, grad students and postdocs who will be working with engineered nanomaterials.
registration formRisk Assessment
This safety class is available to undergraduates as a freestanding class. It’s useful for those who want to start thinking 3-dimensionally about those “what if’” events in the lab.
registration formCITI Trainings
The Collaborative Institutional Training Initiative (CITI) Program is dedicated to serving the training needs of colleges and universities, healthcare institutions, technology and research organizations, and governmental agencies, as they foster integrity and professional advancement of their learners.
CITI Compressed Gases Safety (ID: 230728)
This optional class can be initial training or a refresher if it has been a while since you last had training. A live on-site training may be arranged at a later date with the University’s compressed gases vendor. If live training becomes available, it is recommended that you attend the live training as well.
Target Audience: Anyone who works with compressed gases.
learn more and registerCITI OSHA Bloodborne Pathogens (ID: 93340)
CITI Training for Investigators, Staff, and Students Handling Biohazards (ID: 93336)
After you have completed the Brightspace BBP + Biosafety training, you can either repeat it for your refresher in subsequent years or take this CITI training. Both classes must be completed to count as your annual training for the IBC.
Target Audience: Refresher training only for those who work with biohazards.
learn more and registerCITI Lab Chemical Safety (ID: 229988)
This optional class is also offered through CITI. We highly recommend this class for anyone planning a career in the sciences. The course covers Fundamental Concepts of Laboratory Chemical Safety, Chemical Storage and Segregation, Emergency Planning, Chemical Fume Hoods, Hazard Identification and Risk Management, Personal Protective Equipment, Laboratory Waste Management, Transporting Hazardous Chemicals, Chemical Security and Compressed Gas Cylinders.
Target Audience: Anyone who plans a career in the sciences or Chemical Engineering.
learn more and registerOther Lab Safety Training Opportunities
Viral Vectors
This online course is offered by the University of Cincinnati. It includes a Viral Vectors Risk Assessment, and covers Lentiviral Vectors, Gamma-Retroviral Vectors, Adenoviral Vectors and Adeno-Associated Viral/AAV Vectors.
It is open to participants from other institutions, but you will need to create a free account. Log in to: https://ce.uc.edu/cpd/Workshops/Index/Biosafety?term=viral+vectors
In the upper right corner under Compliance Training, you will see four options: Go to Categories, Go to Workshops, New User? And Log in. Set up your account through the New User tab then log in to take the class.
Target Audience: Faculty, staff and students who work with viral vectors in their research.
Brightspace Occupational Health and Safety Classes Offered by EH&S
Hazard Communication and Right to Know
You have a right to know about the hazardous substances you use or come in contact with at work. Understand the potential hazards of the chemicals around you and learn how to reduce the risks involved in working with hazardous substances. All employees who work near, around or with chemicals must be trained annually as required by the Rhode Island Department of Labor (RIDOL) Right to Know Law.
Target Audience: Required for all those who work or come into contact with hazardous chemicals in the course of their job outside of a laboratory setting. Examples are: Facilities Maintenance, Custodial Services, Dining Services, Printing Services
registration formIn Person Occupational Health & Safety Classes Offered by EH&S
Fire Extinguisher Training
This training is conducted in lab or classroom settings using a fire extinguisher and augmented virtual reality to extinguish a simulated fire. Instruction is provided on types of fire extinguishers, types of fires, and steps to take during and after a fire, including when to evacuate.
Target Audience: Staff or students willing to use fire extinguishers for very early stages of a fire.
registration formShop Safety
This training is required before employees and students are permitted to perform work utilizing shop equipment, such as lathes, table saws and drill presses. This training is a one-time requirement and covers safe work practices.
Target Audience: Required for staff and students using shop equipment and hand tools.
registration form