I-Safety
Spotlight Tips of the Week
Do you work with degreasers, cleaning products, paints, adhesives or resins? If so, you may be generating hazardous waste.
When most people think of hazardous waste, lab/ag chemicals, etchants, solvents or other products that require safety data sheets come to mind. However, there are many common products used throughout campus that are also considered hazardous, and it is important to learn how to properly dispose of these chemicals.
Do any of your work activities generate waste during or at the end of the procedure or process? If so, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) requires you to perform a waste determination to ensure that hazardous waste is not disposed of as normal trash, sent to a storm drain or to the water treatment plant.
Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) provides guidance for managing hazardous waste to help ensure proper disposal. The guide, found on the EHS website, provides information on how to accumulate, label, store and submit waste to EHS for proper disposal according to the EPA regulations.
Additionally, EHS provides frequent in person training workshops that provide detailed instructions on properly managing hazardous waste. Contact EHS at 208-885-6524 or safety@uidaho.edu to attend the next hazardous waste workshop, or for additional assistance in managing hazardous waste.
The Report a Safety Concern form provides users a quick and easy way to submit non-emergency safety concerns on campus. With three required questions: what the safety concern/issue is, location and date observed; it only takes a moment to complete the mobile-friendly form. You also have the option to include a picture of the hazard if applicable. The form may be submitted anonymously if desired, keeping in mind it may be harder to resolve the situation if further information is required.
Submitted forms are directed to the appropriate department/unit for review and consideration.
The Report a Safety Concern form can be found on these U of I websites: I-Safety, Environmental Health and Safety, Facilities and Parking and Transportation Services.
Thank you for taking the time to report a safety issue or concern right away. For questions, please contact EHS at 208-885-6524 or safety@uidaho.edu.
Campus Contacts
Emergency Numbers for: Boise, Coeur d’Alene and Idaho Falls Campuses
Moscow
- Campus Security (24/7): 208-885-7233 (SAFE) | campus-security@uidaho.edu
- Environmental Health and Safety: 208-885-6524
- Facilities (office hours): 208-885-6246
- Facilities (after hours): 208-885-7233
- Parking and Transportation Services: 208-885-6424
- Public Safety and Security: 208-885-2254
- Recorded Emergency Updates: 208-885-1010
- Safe Walk (24/7): 208-885-7233 (SAFE)
- Vehicle Assistance (Pit Crew) Monday-Friday: (office hours) 208-885-6424 or (4:30-9 p.m.) 208-885-7233 (SAFE)
University of Idaho Emergency Response Team
The University of Idaho maintains an Emergency Response Team (UIERT) through the office of Environmental Health and Safety. This team’s purpose is to provide rapid response to incidents that threaten lives, property and/or the environment, including chemical, radiological and biohazardous incidents.
The UIERT, comprised of all members of EHS, is trained and equipped to handle most incidents that may occur on campus. All team members have completed, at a minimum, a 40-hour hazardous waste operations and emergency response (HAZWOPER) course as well as FEMA training in Incident Command and are ready to respond to small and major incidents. The UIERT maintains an Emergency Response Vehicle (ERV) which is fully stocked and ready to use at a moment’s notice.
The team responds to about 9 incidents of any size per year; these are mostly small incidents. The last major response was in June 2018 for a major oil spill at the dairy farm. A dump truck caught on overhead lines, pulling down two attached power poles which had 3 transformers on each and resulted in a spill of approximately 100 gallons total of mineral oil. The team worked long hours in the sun to capture the spilled oil from the pavement and dig up barrels of contaminated soil to protect the environment.
The team also has an agreement with the City of Moscow to respond to other incidents in the city as requested. This service is activated as needed by the Incident Commander acting for the City of Moscow and may be initiated by calling 911.The team continuously collaborates with the state of Idaho Fire Marshal, Moscow Volunteer Fire Department, Idaho Department of Environmental Quality, and Washington State University to share information, plan incident responses and participate in training.