Health and Safety News For The Princeton Community, October 2026

EHS Assistant Vice President Robin Izzo hosted the board of directors of the Campus Safety, Health and Environmental Management Association (CSHEMA) for a two-day in-person board meeting involving strategy, socializing and lots of taking in all Princeton has to offer. Robin is president of CSHEMA for the 2026-27 term leading up to the group’s 2027 annual conference in Philadelphia.

Shaundree Davis, EHS Associate Director, Environmental Health, hosted a two-day gathering for volunteer leaders of ASSP, the American Society of Safety Professionals. As ASSP Region VIII Vice President, Shaundree oversees volunteer leaders of 19 ASSP chapters throughout Region VIII, which includes PA, NJ, NY, CT, MA, RI, VT and ME.

Don't be scared—be safe! Nothing takes away those spooky season jitters better than a good safety SOP (Standard Operating Procedure). Especially if you work with particularly hazardous substances, EHS works with researchers to formulate protocols before approval is sought from a principal investigator or chemical hygiene officer.

Learn more by visiting our website or coming to Office Hours this month, where we will be giving out the above sticker along with treats (no tricks, we promise!). Of course, if you have any questions about anything related to safety protocols in your research space or office, just email us at: ehs@princeton.edu

EHS has inaugurated a new laboratory safety survey protocol. The process, explained on our website, involves a self-inspection component accessed through SHIELD. There is also a chemical inventory upload requirement, utilizing an updated template.

If you use a spill kit to clean up a spill, please contact us ASAP for replacement materials. We will get these critical components out to you right away so you won't be caught short handed. To restock, call EHS at 609-258-5294 or email us at ehs@princeton.edu

More information on spill kit procedures is available on our website. We also maintain a list of spill kit locations.

A new episode has dropped of the Princeton Office of Environmental Health and Safety podcast, EHS Stories! 

Our latest episode features Director for Research Safety Steve Elwood recounting the effort to transform Old Frick into an administrative and academic space. Along the way you’ll learn about:

• the birth of air conditioning at Princeton,
• the ceramics industry in Trenton,
• what happens when you cool radioactive materials on a windowsill, and
• the impact of a cancer drug made from butterfly wings.

We also tie this bit of history into our current role helping with numerous clean-outs and moves related to the opening of ES-SEAS and the transformation of Guyot Hall.

There is a page dedicated to the new episode on our 50th Anniversary website - you can listen to it there, or on all the major streaming platforms. The page also has a photo gallery, transcript and historical materials related to the episode.

Originally launched to mark our 50th anniversary in 2021-2022, EHS Stories features interesting tales from the history of our office. Past episodes have included a murder mystery, a decades-old package holding Cold War secrets and a dangerous radioactive incident in what is now Frist Campus Center, among other great stories and anecdotes. They are all available on the main page of the podcast or to stream.

Policy Spotlight: Fire Policy

The University's fire emergency policy covers response to fire incidents and the proper procedures and responsibilities around fire response. The policy applies to all University faculty, staff, students and visitors. It is available on the Emergency Management Website.

The policy covers fire extinguisher use and training, emergency action plans and refers to related policies such as the residential candle ban. Questions should be directed to the University Fire Marshal, 609-258-7343 or novakj@princeton.edu

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