EHS is always available to provide assistance. If you need to contact us for any reason, please refer to our staff directory. In addition, we can be reached by using the information below.
Environmental Health and Safety Weill Cornell Medicine
402 East 67th Street
Room LA-0020
New York, NY 10065
Phone: (646) 962-7233
Fax: (646) 962-0288
ehs@med.cornell.edu
Create an EHS Incident to track your request. (more info)
Spring is here, and safety and sustainability is the theme for the new season. It is the perfect time to check in with the EHS team for reminders, tips, and insight regarding how to protect yourself and others at home and work. Please take this 3-minute survey to help us improve our content, understand community training demands, and provide you with better training resources.
The benefits of using an e-mobility device (E-Bike/ E-Scooter) include convenience, cost, and an exhilarating feeling, but they include lithium-ion batteries, which have caused an uptick in fires nationwide. Learn fire safety tips for buying, using, storing, and charging your device, what to do in the event of a fire at home and work, and how to remain safe.
The shipment of hazardous materials is highly regulated at international, federal, state, and local levels. EHS provides biological material and dry ice training, which is required for authorization to ship clinical, biological, and infectious samples. Lab staff is required to complete this training every two years. Penalties for accidents or incidents fall directly on the shipper and the institution.
Working in a laboratory presents a set of unique risks to researchers. Assessing hazards can be particularly difficult for pregnant researchers as data about toxicity can be unclear during different stages of pregnancy. Review resources for evaluating the safety of your work while pregnant.
Regulated medical waste (RWM) or “red bag” waste is generated when labs and clinics on campus collect biologically contaminated materials for disposal. This waste should not be mixed with regular trash as it can present exposure hazards to WCM employees. Review guidelines on how to assess and dispose of items during biological and clinical procedures.
Spring is the perfect time to start living more sustainably by embarking on a deep cleaning journey to eliminate excess clutter in your living space, primarily your closet. Here are seven ways to promote a more sustainable lifestyle by incorporating eco-friendly practices into your clothing choices.
Read more...
The EHS Laboratory Safety Town Hall was held on Monday, February 13, 2023. Thank you to all who attended. The presentation included updates on new and ongoing laboratory safety programs and is available to view:
EHS is pleased to announce our upcoming Town Hall, where we will share updates on new and ongoing laboratory safety programs.
Monday, February 13, 2023
4:00 - 4:45 PM
Attend in person at Uris Auditorium or join via Zoom
https://weillcornell.zoom.us/j/94253164781 Meeting ID: 942 5316 4781
Important topics that we will cover in this meeting include:
All Laboratory Safety Coordinators should plan to attend this meeting, and additional lab employees are welcome to join as well. If you are unable to attend, please invite another member of your lab by sharing the registration link.
The EHS team would like to thank the WCM research community for another excellent compliance year and end the year with a few winter safety tips. We encourage you to visit the EHS website for more safety tips and sustainability initiatives. We look forward to seeing you during our 2023 Safety Town Hall to be scheduled in January.
EHS wishes you a very happy, healthy, and safe holiday season!
Winter provides many unique challenges, including ice and snow conditions, freezing temperatures, and storm-related power outages. While there are numerous ways to help stay warm during this time of the year, the Weill Cornell Medicine Fire Safety division of Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) wants to reiterate basic fire safety measures for your home and workplace. Read more...
NYC Local Law 97 focuses on reducing greenhouse gas (GHG). In an effort to make the city carbon neutral by 2050, energy efficiency requirements for NYC buildings will begin in 2024, with a direct focus on laboratories, as labs consume 5 - 10 times more energy per square foot than a standard office building. Read more...
EHS offers many different online training courses, covering a variety of safety-related topics to meet your educational needs. The expanded curriculum includes safety protocols and the possible hazards encountered during work in laboratories, offices, clinical areas, or facilities. All courses are located in the EHS library and are free of charge and accessible to WCM faculty, staff, and students. Read more...
Salute recently updated the Chemical Inventories platform allowing any member listed on a lab’s roster within Salute the ability to view the laboratory’s chemical inventory. You can quickly review chemical stocks, assist with inventory audits, check chemical storage groups, and view the lab-approved High Hazard Operating Procedures in a central location. Read more...
Who this message is for:
Laboratory Supervisors, Designated Laboratory Safety Coordinators, Chemical Owners
What is happening:
Weill Cornell Medicine is required to submit Annual Chemical Inventory Reporting of all hazardous chemicals on campus, in order to comply with the NYC Department of Environmental Protection, NYC Fire Department, and US Environmental Protection Agency Community-Right-to-Know requirements, as well as US Department of Homeland Security Chemical Facility Anti-Terrorism regulations.
Supervisors of all locations storing and/or using hazardous chemicals must maintain a chemical inventory in Salute.
What you need to do:
Review and update your chemical inventory in Salute by January 9, 2023. To update your Chemical Inventory:
For further guidance on utilizing Salute for chemical inventory management, please view a short self-paced training video on the EHS website (login required).
Contact us:
If you need access to Salute, need assistance in managing your inventory, or have any questions, please contact EHS at 646-962-7233 or ehs@med.cornell.edu.
We appreciate your cooperation in our efforts to inform regulatory agencies of chemical hazards present in our facilities.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) is responsible for developing, maintaining and promoting policies, procedures, training and educational programs necessary to maintain a safe and healthy environment for our students, faculty, staff and visiting public. We are committed to developing a culture where safety and health are core values, and provide high-quality services that facilitate Weill Cornell Medicine's education, research and clinical missions.
EHS serves as the WCM biological, chemical and radiation safety office, coordinating comprehensive hazardous material and workplace safety programs. EHS takes appropriate steps to ensure that problems are identified and resolved in a timely manner. We coordinate reviews and responses to external agencies, many of which have the authority to cite, impose civil penalties, restrict or rescind operations, and remove or disapprove accreditation. EHS provides an emergency response for college situations that may include exposure to or the release of hazardous materials, and fire scenarios. We implement programs and services to minimize injuries or illnesses, and reduce safety, health and environmental risks in a manner consistent with fiscal and environmental stewardship. Read More
Contact WCM and NYP departments providing safety, security, waste and health services.
Chemwatch: a database of > 20,000,000 SDSs, obtained directly from manufacturers, suppliers and other chemical safety databases
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