Safety Training Notification System

Overview

Research laboratories across campus have provided important feedback towards constructive improvements to electronic safety applications. This feedback regularly included a high-priority request for automated safety training reminders to promote personal responsibility, increase lab manager efficiencies, ensure regulatory compliance, and, above all, maintain a safe research community. As part of an ongoing effort to provide exceptional safety support to laboratories within the School of Biological Sciences, the School Safety Office and Computer Services have partnered to construct an internal "Safety Training Notification System" and seize this significant opportunity for improvement.

The School of Biological Sciences maintains an internal policy of one required safety training course, UC Safety Fundamentals, for all School personnel regardless of lab or office setting, as it provides an overview of hazard awareness and risk mitigation through standard IIPP ( Injury and Illness Prevention Program) concepts that are universal across the workplace. A short, 20-minute UC Safety Fundamentals refresher is required every three years thereafter. In addition, faculty and staff working within dedicated research space must also complete a second required safety training course, Annual Lab Hazards, on a yearly basis to maintain safety training compliance. Administrative staff and professors emeriti that do not frequent a research setting are exempt from completing the Annual Lab Hazards course.

With the activation of this internal system, all School personnel will be automatically reminded of research safety training status over email for both courses, UC Lab Safety Fundamentals and Annual Lab Hazards, for increased accessibility and safety compliance.

Reminder Logic

These reminders follow the logic as outlined below:

• All School personnel will receive an email alert 30 days prior to the due date and, again consecutively, beginning on day +7 until the training is due.
• Overdue reminders will be sent in succession, starting on the due date up until day -14 with one final reminder on day -21.
• Lab managers/area safety coordinators, the School Safety Office and the individual’s supervisor will also be included as a carbon copy recipient on days -14 and -21 to ensure that training is completed for safe and compliant research work. Lab managers/area safety coordinators also will receive bimonthly reports of all overdue safety training by laboratory staff, with the School Safety Office included on the final monthly report to assist with compliance and training efforts.

Troubleshooting

For notification questions regarding incorrect or missing training data, contact the School Safety Office and submit a detailed request. For all issues concerning outdated personnel (e.g. individual is no longer at UCSD), contact the Biology HR/AP Office to update system records.