Health & Safety
COVID-19 Important Information
Health screening for campus visits
The University is now required health screening for all staffs, faculty members and students when they are on any of the three UofT campuses or any property owned and operated by UofT. The health screening procedure can be done through:
- UCheck: this is the easiest and most secure way to complete the health screening. It will generate a COVID-19 risk status prior to your visit on campus. The data is securely shared with the University to protect the community.
- Paper based assessment log (UofT COVID-19 Employee Self-Assessment)
If you receives a red risk status on UCheck, please immediately contact safety.bme@utoronto.ca or manager.bme@utoronto.ca. In addition, please contact the University Occupational Health Nurse (ehs.occhealth@utoronto.ca).
We all play a role to keep the University and BME's community safe and healthy. Please complete the self-assessment before showing up on campus.
As the university continue with its response to COVID-19, many essential research labs are gradually re-opens. It is important to ensure the safety for each lab members by following these guidelines:
- UofT-EHS COVID-19 Guideline For Reopening Research Spaces
- COVID-19 Awareness Video for Research Laboratories
- Procedures in Event of a Confirmed or Probable COVID-19 Case
- Procedures in the Event of Feeling ill with COVID-19 related symptoms on campus (non-urgent, immediate assistance not required)
- COVID-19 Testing Information
And most importantly, please refer to the University of Toronto - Environmental Health and Safety COVID-19 Information as the situation on campus evolves.
Emergencies Contact
Emergency Dispatcher: 911
- Be sure to provide:
- Your name
- Your location
- Your contact information
St. George Campus Police: 416-978-2323
Campus Emergency Control Centre: 416-978-2222
UofT-Environmental Protection Service (EPS): 416-946-3473
UofT-Environmental Health and Safety (EHS): 416-978-4467
COVID-19 exposure related issues:
UofT's Occupational Health Nurse: ehs.occhealth@utoronto.ca.
UofT EHS Emergency Procedures
Accident/Incident Online Report
Please inform the BME Health & Safety Committee via safety.bme@utoronto.ca and complete one of the following forms within 24 hours of the accident:
***Please note both of the following forms require UTORid authentication.
Safety Training
What courses am I required to take?
All research-stream students (and professional-stream students working in laboratory environments) must take the BME Health and Safety Orientation at the beginning of the program, and take the Workplace Hazardous Materials Information System (WHMIS) refresher course annually thereafter. Students are prohibited from starting the research program until the aforementioned requirements are completed. Additionally, you are required to attend mandatory specialized safety courses (e.g. laser safety, radiation safety, etc.) specific to your training environment.
| Course code | Name | Frequency |
|---|---|---|
| (Quercus) BME001 | BME Health and Safety Orientation | One time |
| EHS101 | WHMIS and Lab Safety Training | One time |
| EHS112 | WHMIS Refresher | Mandatory renewal annually |
| EHS601 | Laboratory Biosafety Training | One time |
| EHS602 | Biosafety Refresher | Mandatory renewal annually |
| EHS002 | Basic Health and Safety Awareness | One time |
*Please note that EHS Training is ONLY accessible from the U of T campus network. Make sure you are logging in while on campus or using VPN. To obtain VPN access see these instructions.
Additional Safety Training Requirements
Depending on the type of research and lab that you are working in your training requirements will vary. Consult your supervisor to learn more about additional training requirements. A laboratory safety training matrix is provided below to facilitate discussion.
It is the joint responsibility of the student and supervisor to maintain all documents pertaining to biosafety agreements and training records. The student and supervisor should work together to ensure that training requirements and records are current and readily available for inspection (when requested) to be compliant with university regulations. All research participants (i.e. students) and biosafety permit holders (i.e. supervisors/lab managers) should acknowledge their agreement and understanding of university biosafety guidelines by completing the Biosafety MOU and Agreement below. Retain the signed document in a designated area of the lab or office.
If you work in an administrative role or as a BME facility staff, please be sure to check with the corresponding training matrix below to take the required health and safety training.
BME001 Laboratory Health and Safety Orientation
This orientation is now offered online through Quercus. Please follow these steps to register for the course:
- Fill out the BME Health and Safety Online Orientation Quercus Registration.
- Check your utoronto mailbox for the Quercus invitation to the course.
*Please send an email to: safety.bme@utoronto.ca in case you are having trouble with accessing the online orientation.
Guidelines & Resources
Important Forms:
*For all biosafety lab - a hard-copy of this safety agreement signed by each lab worker/student listed on the Biosafety Permit. Each of these signed form must be kept in the office/lab.
Note that your records may be audited during a lab inspection normally conducted prior to permit renewal
Resources
