Lab Safety Training Guide

This guide is designed to help new lab personnel determine what training is required, based on the potential hazards they will be exposed to while working in a laboratory at VU or VUMC.  Most lab safety training topics are required before beginning work and annually.

Complete training if the following hazards are present in the lab: Training Title Training Frequency How Training is Provided
Chemicals Chemical and Physical Safety in the Laboratory initial and annual training Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange, VU Oracle Learn, or as a live training lecture.
Chemicals Chemical Waste Training for Lab Personnel initial and annual training Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange, VU Oracle Learn, and also included in the lecture presentation for Chemical and Physical Safety in the Laboratory.
Human blood, tissues or tissue cultures Working Safely with Human-Derived Materials in the Lab initial and annual training Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange, and included in the instructor-led training for Biosafety 201. New personnel should complete this training via an instructor led course if possible.
Ergonomic hazards (repetitive motion, static postures, cold, back injury prevention, etc.) Laboratory Ergonomics initial Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange and VU Oracle Learn.
Lasers VU Laser Safety initial and annual training Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange and VU Oracle Learn.
Radioactive material Radioactive Material Safety initial and annual Initial Radioactive Material Safety training is provided in two parts. Part one is provided as a live lecture training session and part two is assigned online in the VUMC Learning Exchange and VU Oracle Learn.  Annual refresher training is provided online in the Learning Exchange.
Analytical x-ray Analytical X-Ray Safety initial and annual Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange and VU Oracle Learn.
Biological materials and/or recombinant DNA Biosafety 101: Standard Microbiological Practices initial Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange. This training is the prerequisite for Biosafety 201.
Works with a Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) Biosafety Cabinet (BSC) initial Available online in the VUMC Learning Exchange. This training is the prerequisite for Biosafety 201.
Biological materials and/or recombinant DNA that require BSL2 containment Biosafety 201 initial and annual Lecture course provided through Teams. Registration is required. Biosafety 101 is a prerequisite for this course.
Other biological hazards Biological Safety Training various Refer to the Biosafety Training page and the Biosafety training guide.

Refer to the training topics list for additional biologicalchemical and radiation safety training information.

If you have questions about training requirements for laboratory staff, send a message to safety@vumc.org.

If you will have visitors in your lab, refer to Laboratory Safety for visiting students, staff and faculty.