The Environmental Health and Radiation Safety Department (EHRS) is responsible for ensuring the safe use of radioactive materials, radiation- producing equipment, chemicals and biological substances at the University, Hospital and affiliated institutions. EHRS is responsible for identifying safety problems; initiating, recommending, or providing corrective actions; verifying implementation of corrective actions; and ensuring compliance with regulations and University policies for the use of hazardous substances.

Join SafetyNet: The EHRS ListServ

Joining the EHRS ListServ will allow you to be notified with EHRS news, updates, policy changes and much more, all conveniently e-mailed to your mailbox.  All it takes is an e-mail address and you are subscribed.  After clicking the above link, click on "Join or leave the list".  On the next page, simply enter your e-mail address and name and click "Join SAFETYNET."  That's all it takes.

EHRS Works to Minimize Hazardous Waste

EHRS is always working at minimizing hazardous waste. We are doing this in three ways:

1.) CHEMICAL REDISTRIBUTION: This means that EHRS will take unused and unexpired chemicals from one lab and allocate them to another lab that requests them.

Here's how it works:
1.) Look over this LIST. ( LIST UPDATED 11/19/07)
2.) If there are any chemicals that your laboratory is interested in, send an e-mail to ehs@temple.edu. Please include the following info: Name and quantity of desired chemical(s), the name of the lab's P.I., location chemicals should be delivered to, and phone number.
3.) EHRS will be in touch with you regarding your request.

Please note that this is on a first-come, first-serve basis. Contact EHRS at 2-2520 with any questions or concerns about this program.

2.) MERCURY EXCHANGE: Equipment containing mercury (such as thermometers, sphygmomanometers, thermostats, etc) are a hazard to you and the environment. EHRS is working with departments to reduce the number of items that use mercury and to replace them with mercury-free alternatives.

3.) CHEMICAL RECYCLING: Certain chemicals can be recycled and reused, saving the cost of purchasing new chemicals or disposing of old ones. EHRS can and will recycle chemicals and redistribute them to those labs that request them.

For complete information, please take a look at this flyer. If you have any questions, or would like to participate in any of the three minimization programs, please contact EHRS at 2-2520. [10/10/07]

Updated Form 1 (for Ordering Radioactive Materials) is Now Available
There is a new version of the EHRS Form 1. This form must be completed and submitted to EHRS when placing orders for radioactive material.

The new form can be found here.

Assurance on Hazardous Procedures Form Has Been Revised and Updated

The Assurance on Hazardous Procedures form has been revised and updated by EHRS.  You can download the form here.  If you have previously saved the older version of this form to your computer, please make sure to replace it with this newer version.  [7/17/07]

EHRS & Chemistry Department Work to Reduce Number of Mercury Thermometers

Mercury thermometers used to be a common, but dangerous, everyday laboratory item. Luckily, technology has advanced to the point where mercury is no longer a requirement in thermometers. To this end, Environmental Health & Radiation Safety and the Department of Chemistry have worked together to reduce the number of mercury thermometers in Beury Hall. EHRS has switched out approximately 100 mercury thermometers, replacing them with a safer, non-mercury-based solution.

EHRS would like to thank Drs. Albert Findeisen, Mary Jane Daub, Robert Levis and Rodrigo Andrade of the Department of Chemistry for their assistance with this project.

If you have a mercury thermometer that you like to exchange, please call EHRS at 2-2520 and we will be more than happy to assist you. [7/12/07]

Reporting Safety Concerns

The University expects that everyone who works with radioactive materials will raise concerns of unsafe practices, violations of regulatory requirements, or University policies associated with the use of radioactive materials. Such concerns may be reported to the Environmental Health and Radiation Safety Department, the Radiation Safety Committee, Temple University Management, the NRC, or the PADEP. There will be no discrimination or retaliation against any employee who reports such concerns.

Anyone who attempts to discriminate or retaliate against an employee for reporting such concerns will be referred to appropriate administrative officials for disciplinary action, up to and including termination.

During normal business hours you may reach the Environmental Health and Radiation Safety Department at (215) 707-2520. After hours you can reach a member of the Radiation Safety Department through the Temple Hospital Page Operator at (215) 707-4545.