The training ensures that the University of Ottawa fulfills its commitment to creating and ensuring safe working environments for the whole uOttawa community. We recognize that most persons will not require all of the job-specific training, but if working in a lab, then completing Laboratory Safety and Autoclave Safety is required. Check with your supervisor to see if other training sessions are required as well.

Need to verify when you last completed a course? Go to My Training Profile and sign in.

Training sessions required by law

Mandatory for all paid personnel, students (honours and co-op) and volunteers

• WHMIS Laboratory  (Valid 5 years)
• Worker Health and Safety Awareness
• Respect in the Workplace
• Violence Prevention
• Accessibility Standards for Customer Service
• Working Together: The Code and the AODA
• Digital Self-Defence
• Module 1: What to do if someone discloses an alleged incident of sexual violence

Training sessions required by the University

Mandatory for all members of the administrative and support staff:

• Performance and Development Overview

Mandatory training for all supervisors

• Supervisor Health and Safety Awareness *Online course*

Job-specific training (*Valid for 4 years)

• Laboratory Safety
• Autoclave Safety
• Principles of Biosafety
• Radiation Safety
• Principles of Laser Safety

The Faculty of Medicine does not allow for unpaid volunteer research.  The decision to move away from unpaid volunteer work at the Faculty of Medicine has been in effect since March 2020 and remains in effect indefinitely. This decision was based on discussions with risk management, human resources, other Faculties at the University of Ottawa, and Faculties of Medicine across Canada.

In lieu of unpaid volunteers, the expectation is that all staff and trainees will either be paid employees or associated with an academic program (e.g., honors thesis, TMM, co-op, etc.) or formalized volunteerism program (to be reviewed by HR as situations arise).

In addition to liability and health and safety considerations, this decision is meant to ensure that all members of the university community have equal access to opportunities and are appropriately compensated for the work being done. Considering the rising costs of living, work without pay is becoming an opportunity that is only within reach for a subset of individuals. By receiving academic credit or paid work, we support equity, diversity and inclusion (EDI) best practices, track and train all students and staff appropriately, and ensure that they are appropriately covered in the event of an accident or injury.

• Orientation Form
• Access Form
• Equipment Decontamination and Decommissioning.

What is a Hazardous Material?

Hazardous materials represent just about anything that can cause harm to people, property or the environment. They are classified into one of nine classes of dangerous goods (with associated subdivisions) depending on their inherent characteristics.

• Class 1 – Explosives

• Class 2 – Gases

• Class 3 – Flammable Liquids

• Class 4 – Flammable Solids

• Class 5 – Oxidizing Substances and Organic Peroxides

• Class 6 – Toxic and Infectious Substances

• Class 7 – Radioactive Materials

• Class 8 – Corrosive Substances

• Class 9 – Miscellaneous Products, Substances or Organisms

For international shipments: Help Us Help You

So that we can properly and efficiently assist you, you will need:

• Request a commercial invoice online to help your shipment pass through Customs and avoid import duties

  • Note: A commercial invoice is only necessary if the destination for your shipment is outside Canada.

  • Note: We require a minimum of 48 hours notice to prepare your commercial invoice.

• A shipping document, such as a FedEx waybill, available from the RGN Receiving Department (room 1129A).

  • Note: The forms vary depending on whether your parcel’s destination is domestic or abroad. Do not complete Section 4 (Shipment Information) and do not sign the document; we will do that for you.

• A suitable shipping container.

  • Saf-T-Pak sells many great examples

  • As long as a shipping container is in good condition, it can continue to be reused.

• The correct safety marks for your container. We maintain a supply of the regularly used stickers.

Important considerations when shipping with dry ice

If you must send a frozen shipment using dry ice as a refrigerant, make sure you have both an insulated shipping container (comprised of a Styrofoam/polystyrene inner box and a rigid cardboard outer box), and of course, a suitable quantity of dry ice. We recommend 2.5 kg of dry ice per day for every day you expect it to be in transit.

Dry ice, also known as “carbon dioxide, solid”, is regulated as a Class 9 dangerous good. This is because it displaces oxygen as it evaporates. To avoid the likelihood of pressurized carbon dioxide rupturing your parcel, only tape the centre where the flaps meet on top of the box.

Shipping risks

Shipping companies like FedEx have mastered the logistics of getting parcels from one point to another, but things don’t always go as planned.

• How will you react if you learn your parcel has gone missing en route?  Will you be able to send another sample/specimen? 

• If you must send your parcel on dry ice, we strongly recommend that you only send it on a Monday or Tuesday. If you choose to send it later in the week and it ends up on a loading dock late Friday afternoon, there’s a good chance the dry ice will have completely evaporated before it reaches the intended recipient and your samples will have thawed.

• You may require other documentation, like an import permit, for the receiving country. These often take several weeks to obtain, so contact us early in the process to discuss.

Recordkeeping

The TDG Regulations require copies of all paperwork to be held for a period of two years. Electronic copies are acceptable. Additional information concerning the Transportation of Dangerous Goods is available on the uOttawa Office of Risk Management’s website.

It is important to note that not all safety eyewear is suitable for all potential hazards in the laboratory. For example, goggles are preferable when pouring corrosive liquids. Safety glasses are primarily designed to protect one’s eyes from flying objects. Prescription eyewear is never to be considered safety eyewear.

Lab Coats

According to the University of Ottawa’s guidelines on PPE, “lab coats must be worn at all times when working in the laboratory using hazardous materials.”  The Health, Safety and Risk Management Office suggests that ALL personnel, whether employee, student, volunteer or visitor, wear an appropriate lab coat at ALL times within the laboratory environments.

Gloves

Though gloves can be a very useful piece of PPE, it is important to use them correctly. The standard powderless nitrile gloves will not be beneficial in all situations. All gloves are not impermeable to all materials. It is therefore very important to verify the manufacturer’s specifications for your gloves before using them. You may also make use of the glove guide to choose the correct type of glove for the work to be conducted.

If you are a new user who requires login credentials, please contact us at [email protected].

Safety data sheets (SDS)

• Hazardous products - The University of Ottawa subscribes to the ChemWatch database of more than 13 million safety data sheets (SDS/MSDS) provided by manufacturers of pure compounds, products and mixtures. In addition, ChemWatch provides more than 100,000 "ChemGold" SDSs, which consolidate chemical hazard information from multiple sources into a single comprehensive document and distills that information further into one-page mini-SDSs or safety summaries. This database enables students and staff to review these SDS in multiple languages. Access is available on campus networks or via VPN.

• Biohazardous products - many laboratory workers, whether in research, public health, teaching, etc., are exposed to not only chemicals but infectious substances as well. Pathogen Safety Data Sheets (PSDS) are produced for personnel working in the life sciences as quick safety reference material relating to infectious micro-organisms.

Labels

The product (supplier) label serves as one of the primary sources of information about the contents of a container. It is vital that the information depicted is properly understood by end users. The label must be bilingual (French/English) and legible. If the supplier label becomes damaged or unreadable for any reason, the label must be replaced with a workplace label containing the following information:

1. Product identifier (product name matching that on the SDS),

2. Information for the safe handling of the product, and

3. A statement that the SDS is available

Information for the safe handling of the product refers to precautions that a person must take to minimize potential adverse health effects or injury. These precautions can be conveyed through pictures, words, symbols or equivalent means and are usually available on the SDS.