Spectrum - Volume 17 Issue 17 January 26, 1995 - Environmental Health and Safety Classes

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Environmental Health and Safety Classes

Spectrum Volume 17 Issue 17 - January 26, 1995

Environmental Health and Safety offers monthly safety education classes in Building 459, Tech Center Drive, room 12 (downstairs). All three divisions of Environmental Health and Safety--Occupational Health and Lab Safety, Occupational Safety, and Hazardous and Infectious Waste--offer classes, which are listed below:

OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH AND LAB SAFETY DIVISION

Contact Lisa Cole, at1-3919.

Bloodborne Pathogens Introductory Class

--First Wednesday, 10 a.m.--noon. This session is designed to meet OSHA training requirements for employees with occupational exposure to human body fluids. Participants will learn about bloodborne diseases, exposure control methods, vaccination programs, and accident follow-up. Upon completion, participants will be eligible to receive free hepatitis B vaccinations.

Lab Safety

--Third Thursday, 2-3 p.m. This session is designed to address safety concerns of laboratory personnel. Contents include: chemical hygiene plan, university inspection checklist, common safety violations, proper fume-hood use, and biohazard exposure prevention.

Occupational Health

--Second Wednesday, 10-11 a.m. Deborah E. Young conducts this session, which addresses the programs that provide medical services for employees exposed to occupational health hazards, such as chemical vapors, hazardous dusts, noise, lead, and human blood. During the session, participants will learn about occupational health hazards at Virginia Tech, preventative exposure-control measures, program entrance methods, medical services provided, and post-exposure reporting procedures.

OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY DIVISION

Call Occupational Safety Education Team at 1-4056.

Asbestos and Lead Awareness

--Fourth Tuesday, 1-2:30 p.m. This class is required for newly hired custodial and maintenance personnel, and any employee who conducts work that could potentially impact an asbestos material (for example, computer-science personnel who run computer lines) or lead material such as those found in older paints. This training covers the following: what is asbestos, and where it is found; health effects related to exposure; the conditions under which asbestos is a hazard; the university's asbestos operations and maintenance program; regulatory requirements. This course is also presented to all custodial and maintenance personnel on an annual basis.

HAZARDOUS AND INFECTIONS WASTE DIVISION

Call Bernadette Mondy at 1-8758.

Hazardous and Infectious Waste

--Third Thursday, 10-11 a.m. This training explains the university, state, and federal regulations regarding the packaging, transporting, and disposing of laboratory and other chemical and infectious wastes.

Certification to Use Radioactive Material

--First Tuesday, 2-4 p.m., Third Tuesday 10 a.M.-noon. This session is required for any individual who needs to use radioactive material. The prerequisite requires studying the Radiation Safety Training Manual , obtained from the Radiation Safety Office. This session includes a lecture and a test.

Radiation Safety Awareness Training for Non-Radiation Workers and New Employees --Third Wednesday, 9-10 a.m. Required for new custodial and maintenance personnel, optional for any other individuals, this session includes a 20-minute video shown to provide a basic overview of what radiation is and to provide a basic history of radiation uses. A slide show completes the session and includes: potential risks of radiation exposure, examples of radiation sources, radiation dose-reduction techniques, radiation uses at the university, contacting the Radiation Safety Office, and general safe work practices.