Education is a key component to any safety program. To ensure that all Georgetown laboratory workers are adequately informed about hazards associated with their work, EH&S conducts mandatory safety training for all laboratory staff members, Principal Investigators, visiting researchers, and students on a routine basis. Core laboratory safety trainings (General Laboratory Safety and BSL-2 Laboratory Safety) cannot be added through standard course self-registration. These courses are automatically assigned to your training portal once you are officially added to a laboratory roster or academic department. If you need access to these trainings, please verify that your Principal Investigator or Department Administrator has added you to their lab roster.
Refresher training (e.g., General Laboratory Safety, BSL-2 Laboratory Safety, Hazardous Material Shipping) are also provided on an annual or biennial basis. Please click on a specific training below to view the course description.
Additional training sessions and refreshers are scheduled as needed for Georgetown staff such as Housekeeping, Facilities, and Public Safety.
This course provides essential safety protocols for research personnel working in university laboratory facilities. It covers foundational safety standards, regulatory compliance, waste management, and emergency response. Required prior to initiating laboratory work and annually thereafter.
Topics covered:
General Laboratory Safety
Chemical Safety, Hazard Communication, Chemical Waste Management
This course covers fundamental laboratory safety protocols with specialized content for personnel working in Biosafety Level 2 (BSL-2) environments or handling potential Bloodborne Pathogens (BBP). Required prior to initiating laboratory work involving BSL-2 materials or human-derived samples, and annually thereafter.
Topics covered:
General Laboratory Safety
Chemical Safety, Hazard Communication, Chemical Waste Management
This course is designed for clinical laboratory personnel who process, handle, or transport human specimens but do not engage in extensive research manipulation of biological agents. It fulfills OSHA standards by focusing on infection control, exposure prevention, and safe waste disposal for clinical specimen handling. Required prior to initiating work with human blood, tissue, or body fluids in clinical laboratory settings, and annually thereafter.
This course is for laboratory personnel who will use Radioactive Material (RAM), and:
Have never taken a Basic Radiation Safety class in the United States, which includes a written exam, or
Cannot provide a copy of their training certificate
Lab personnel must attend prior to working with RAM unless the work is performed under the direct supervision of an Authorized User or Assistant Authorized User; or the individual has challenged the course and passed the exam with a minimum grade of 70%.
After attending the Basic Radiation Safety and GU RAM Worker class, all personnel must complete a refresher training at least once every 12 months. All Authorized Users must complete the training every 12 months or change their Authorization status to Inactive.
This course is required for all laboratory personnel who will be shipping materials classified in Department of Transportation Hazardous Materials Regulation 49 CFR P100-185 §6.2 and 9. §6.2 and 9 materials include but are not limited to: patient clinical/diagnostic samples, infectious agents, other biohazardous materials, and dry ice. After initial training certification, this training course must be retaken every 2 years as per regulatory requirement. Shippers must be added to the Hazardous Material Shipping (HMS) permit on EHSA to receive this training course. This course covers the following topics:
Regulatory definitions
Relevant reference materials and resources
Classifying material;
Proper packaging
Labeling requirements
Documentation requirements
For specialized training (e.g., LOTO, Confined Space Entry, Hearing Protection), please contact EH&S at 7-4712. Register for your required course by calling (202) 687- 4712 or request online.