Lab Safety

Yale University is committed to the health and safety of all students participating in laboratory activities. Lab safety training takes places during orientation at the beginning of the program. All students are required to complete the following sessions before working in the laboratory regardless of their research project.

This training covers the hazards of chemicals in the workplace, including information on hazard classes and exposure limits. It also describes the signs and symptoms of chemical exposure, methods and observations to detect the presence or release of a hazardous chemicals and measures to protect against, including emergency procedures and personal protective equipment.

This training focuses on the safe use of radioactive materials, includes personal and area surveying, and the safe disposal of radioactive materials.

This session provides training for researchers working with agents, toxins or materials at Biosafety Level 1 and 2. It covers safe work practices, use of safety equipment, incident response and emergency spill clean-up protocol, foundation material required for working at BSL2 and the infectious disease process, characteristics of different infectious agent risk groups, and how to conduct a risk assessment.

This training covers the exposure to human material or blood-borne pathogens.

This session focuses on understanding the federal, state, local and institutional regulations and requirements for using animals in research. It gives a foundation for developing skills and proficiency in the humane care and use of laboratory animals.