Per University policy, all individuals conducting work in Princeton University laboratories, paid or unpaid, including faculty, staff, students and visitors, must attend Laboratory Safety Training provided by Environmental Health and Safety (EHS). Attendance at similar laboratory safety training provided by other institutions does not satisfy this requirement.

Additional training provided by EHS is required depending on the activities of the laboratory worker. Such training may include laser safety, radiation safety, biosafety or other topics.

The training sessions provided by EHS give an overview of universal safety procedures for working with hazards that may be encountered in the lab. It is generalized and does not cover safety items specific to the hazards present in each lab. As part of normal interactions with laboratory workers, lab supervisors must ensure members of their labs are trained in the safe and proper practices for the procedures and materials used and any lab‐specific safety measures they may take to protect themselves from exposure to hazardous materials, including the location and use of emergency equipment. 

Laboratory personnel should conduct a risk assessment of the equipment, materials and processes in the lab to identify the lab-specific training needed for each individual. There are many resources available to help with this assessment, including, but not limited to:

• Principal Investigators and lab supervisors
• Departmental Safety Managers 
• Departmental Chemical Hygiene Officers
• EHS personnel
• Online resources (i.e., ehs.princeton.edu) 
• Procedural safety literature
• Research Safety Standard Operating Procedures

All new lab workers are required to receive lab-specific safety training from their Principal Investigator, lab manager or other designated experienced researcher.* Emergency procedures and general lab safety procedures must be covered immediately when the new person joins the lab. Other items can be covered as the new researcher begins each new procedure.   

Additional training may be necessary as new equipment, materials and/or processes are introduced.

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* An experienced researcher is a laboratory employee, graduate student or post-doc who has received Laboratory Safety Training provided by Environmental Health and Safety and any other training deemed necessary by the Principal Investigator for the work being conducted, per Environmental Health and Safety protocols.