Spotlight on Safety

Health and Safety News For The Princeton Community, April 2026

April 28: Workers Memorial Day

No one expects their day at work to be their last. According to the most recent data from the Bureau of Labor Statistics, there were 5,070 fatal work injuries in the U.S. in 2024. Each year on April 28, we remember the lives lost to workplace incidents and stand with those left behind.

Workers Memorial Day is observed on the anniversary of the Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, which established OSHA. Learn more from OSHA or the AFL-CIO, which inaugurated Workers Memorial Day in 1989.

Warm Up to Proper Lab Attire

Our recent mini April heat wave was a reminder that departments must be vigilant about enforcing rules of dress for laboratories when the weather heats up.

Whatever the temperature is outdoors, proper attire is essential in the laboratory:

Shoes should cover the entirety of the foot—toes, heel, and top—and be constructed of a material resistant to the hazards present in the laboratory.
Legs should be fully covered from the waist to the top of the shoes.
Shirts and tops must significantly cover the upper torso, including shoulders and midriff.
Loose jewelry or neckware is not permitted.

Learn More on the EHS Website

We're Getting Salty About Laboratory Safety

Don't miss EHS office hours at E-Quad Cafe, Genomics Cafe, Frick CaFe, LTL Lower Level and the atrium of Briger Hall on Tuesday, April 28 from 11:30am to 12:30pm. Stop by and get our latest cool safety sticker — collect 'em all!

Bring your questions, concerns and comments to EHS staff and browse useful handouts and other materials to help you keep your research space safe and secure.

Learn More »

Bring Your Child to Work Day at Briger Hall

The EHS table at the Bring Your Child to Work Day expo, organized by Facilities, was a big hit! Assistant Director of Occupational Safety Jamie McQuaid and Sr. Campus Safety Specialist Patricia Cruz let kids try on PPE and demonstrated its uses. They also explained how harnesses and other safety devices work to keep their parents safe on the job.

Young visitors also got fun safety stickers and a color-in safety crossword puzzle.

On hand for the fun was Assistant Director and Biosafety Officer Meagan Fitzpatrick with her two kids, and Administrative Coordinator Vickie Harrelson with her son.

Research News

For Earth Month, Join the Freezer Challenge

The MyGreenLab Freezer Challenge is an annual competition highlighting strategies for boosting efficiency and contributing to global sustainability through better cold storage management practices. Measures like defrosting freezers, updating inventories and optimizing temperatures can make a big difference to lab efficiency and lead to significant cost savings. Learn More »

Equipment Clearance and Release

Dealing with old equipment is one of the biggest challenges when shutting down or upgrading a laboratory. EHS works with laboratories around campus to ensure that all used lab equipment is free of hazardous materials.

The EHS Surplus and Resource Recovery Page offers useful information on what can be surplused, cleanup procedures and other details of the process.

Our Lab and Equipment Clearance Request Form on ServiceNow makes it easy to submit requests and begin the process of working with us to responsibly remove and repurpose old equipment. Conact us at ehs@princeton.edu for more information.

Follow EHS on social media:

Upcoming Trainings

Intro to Biosafety
May 13, 9:30-10:30 a.m. TBA

Bloodborne Pathogens For Researchers
May 13, 10:30-11:30 a.m. TBA

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Laboratory Safety at Princeton University (Online)

New researchers to Princeton University should complete the following steps as part of the online Laboratory Safety Training Sequence.

Complete the online components of the laboratory safety training: Fundamentals of Laboratory Safety 1-5 and Final Test, available at: https://putrain.learn.com
After completing the online components, sign up for and attend an instructor-led Laboratory Safety Training session.

Upcoming dates for instructor-led Laboratory Safety Training sessions:

Laboratory Safety at Princeton University

May 5, 22

To sign up for a training session, go to:

https://putrain.learn.com

Select Environmental Health & Safety under "Training By Department"

Contact the editor with any feedback or story ideas at js74@princeton.edu

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Princeton University

Environmental Health & Safety

262 Alexander Street

Princeton, NJ 08540

(609) 258-5294