Year: 2021

Great American SmokeOut

EH&S, CWFL, and fellow departments sponsored and participated in the Great American SmokeOut at both campuses on November 18, 2021. Brochures and pamphlets to help smokers kick the habit were on hand. Visit the American Cancer Society’s The Great American Smokeout® web page for information….

COVID-19 N95 Voluntary Use

The revised Cal/OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) allows employees to request N95 respirators without fear of retaliation from their employer. Regardless of vaccination status, USC employees are eligible to request N95 respirators for voluntary use and of no cost to the employee…….

Online GLS and Meet & Greet

The Office of Environmental Health & Safety is pleased to make the following announcements:

Online General Lab Safety Training (GLS) – now available on Trojan Learn
GLS Meet & Greet – new one-time Zoom requirement for GLS participants…….

Common (Lab) Areas

If your lab utilizes Identify and assign ownership to all hazardous materials and equipment in common areas by clearly labeling items with your name as the responsible PI….

Recirculating Water In Experimental Setups

The use of open-circuit water cooling for cooling condensers in research laboratories at USC shall be phased out and ultimately prohibited by Jan. 1, 2024. After the deadline, any observed open-circuit use of water for cooling condensers shall be considered a finding during an EH&S laboratory safety inspection. The most common cause of avoidable flooding…

Phenol Safety

If your laboratory utilizes phenol, it is imperative to stock phenol first aid kits with laminate film gloves for emergency response. The gloves protect against phenol exposure during decontamination of a phenol spill. Review the Phenol Safety Fact Sheet for hazard information, appropriate PPE/supplies and first aid, and spill response….