Lab safety

A lab is a room or area that contains hazardous materials subject to EHSO permitting for the purpose of teaching or research. This includes X-ray rooms, workshops, storage areas, and research and instructional laboratories. 

To be subject to EHSO permitting, your activities must meet one of the following requirements: 

1. Biosafety permit - required to work with biological agents.
2. Radiation safety permits - required to work with radioactive material or X-Ray equipment.
3. Chemical safety permit - required for rooms or work that meet(s) threshold quantities of chemicals. 

More information on each type of permit is found within each section below. 

EHSO permit application and management activities occur using the EHSA database. 

All permitted lab spaces must have a Workplace Hazardous Information Placard (WHIP) posted on the door. This placard identifies personal protective equipment (PPE) that are required for entry into the lab, hazards that are present in the lab space, and contact information for the supervisors in charge of the lab space. A WHIP is generated from the permitted hazards specific to a lab space and can be printed directly from EHSA.

The following lab posters are for reference and will be located in labs where their information applies. These posters will be provided by EHSO and are not required to be printed from this site. 

A lab has two levels of personal protective equipment (PPE) requirements, entry level requirements which are designated on the lab door and task-specific personal protective equipment, which are communicated through safe work procedures and lab-specific training. Information on different types of PPE, including gloves, safety eyewear, respiratory protection, and safety footwear, can be found here.

Safety training consists of both formal courses offered through UMLearn and task-specific training that will be offered through the lab. Use the Lab Safety Training Checklist for New Lab Workers (PDF) to ensure workers in the lab are fully trained before starting their work.

Some of the specialty equipment in labs require additional monitoring and safety requirements. Guides and other documentation are available for users on the UM Intranet, including information for the following:

• Fume Hoods
• Incinerators
• Autoclaves and Biological Safety Devices
• Emergency Showers and Eyewash Stations
• Radiation Safety Devices

For information regarding equipment used for chemical storage such as chemical safety cabinets (i.e. flammable cabinets), refrigerators, or freezers, please see Chemical Storage on the Chemical Safety page. 

Any equipment used with hazardous products (chemical, biological or radiological) must be decontaminated prior to disposal or having maintenance conducted by Physical Plant. Decontamination of lab equipment is the responsibility of the equipment owner, who may delegate that work to the person or department using the equipment.

Servicing lab equipment in the lab

The Hazard Clearance Form needs to be completed for any equipment to be serviced in the lab by non-lab staff. Send the form to EHSO when the equipment is ready, and we will schedule an inspection with you to confirm and provide a sign-off. Include the completed form when submitting a maintenance request with Physical Plant. 

Hazard clearance form (PDF)

Disposing of lab equipment or servicing outside the lab

The Lab Equipment Decommissioning Form needs to be completed for any equipment that leaves the lab. Send the form to EHSO when the equipment is ready, and we will schedule an inspection with you to confirm and provide a sign-off and attach appropriate identification to the equipment. Include the completed form when submitting for disposal of capital assets with Finance or submitting a maintenance request with Physical Plant to have the equipment relocated.

Once lab equipment has been appropriately decontaminated, it can be disposed of as regular waste. This could include recycling, landfill, scrap metal, or selling or donating to another lab. 

Note: This includes disposal of fridges or freezers used for chemical or lab sample storage.

Lab Equipment Decommissioning Form (PDF)

Activities involving lab design, whole room decommissioning, lab hazard clearance or decommissioning of lab equipment may only be undertaken by technically qualified persons. The signatory on the forms must be someone with technical knowledge and a significant level of responsibility in the lab. Under no circumstances may administrative staff be tasked with these duties.

Lab chairs and furnishings 

For lab use, chairs should be non-porous and non-absorbent, easy to clean, and resistant to physical damage caused by decontamination procedures. Non-absorbent materials may include stainless steel, epoxy resin, or chemical-resistant plastic laminate for benchtops, and urethane or vinyl for stools and chairs.  These materials will ensure that in the event of a spill, liquids won’t soak in or lie in crevices in the back and seat.  Lab users must be able to collect any hazardous liquid with an absorbent, wash with an appropriate cleaner or disinfectant and enable the chair to be continually used in a safe manner. 

This information promotes safe work practices with all lab hazards, but it is best referenced in the Canadian Biosafety Standard, section 3.3.

According to the Manitoba Workplace Safety and Health Act and Regulation, all workplace facilities require annual safety inspections to identify hazards. The purpose of these inspections is to proactively mitigate the risk of hazards in order to prevent an incident or injury. The laboratories of the University of Manitoba are inspected by members of the Environmental Health and Safety Office, whose programs help to promote a safe working and learning environment within our laboratories. The inspection criteria are derived from EHS legislation as established by EHS programs and approved through the various safety and health committees.

Review the Lab Safety – General Inspection Procedure document posted on this site to learn more.

Lab Safety - General Inspection Procedure (PDF) 

Lab Safety - Self-Inspection Checklist (PDF)

Permits for the use of chemicals and biological agents in lab spaces are administered through the Environmental Health and Safety Assistant (EHSA) database. To apply for a new lab permit and manage existing permits including items regarding lab workers, training, hazardous materials, and inspection findings, log into EHSA using your UMNetID and password.

Log in to EHSA Request access to EHSA

Instructional materials are available on the UM Intranet to aid you in common tasks including initial applications, submitting permit amendments, viewing lab inspection results, and closing corrective actions.

University employees who do not regularly work in the lab may be required on occasion to work in lab spaces in various facility support roles. This affects employees, such as those in Information Services and Technology (IST), Operations & Maintenance, and Caretaking. Training is available for ancillary workers to ensure they are able to identify hazards and assess risks in order to work safely in a specialized environment. Lab Safety for Non-Lab Workers can be found in UM Learn as an online course for self-registration.

Visitors to a lab include any person who is not a student or employee of the University of Manitoba. Visitors are required to follow all safety requirements, including donning of personal protective equipment for entry and/or work within these spaces.

Refer to the requirements for hosting a visitor, as outlined on the Hosting a Visitor section of the Visitor Safety page.