PROVOST’S OFFICE

Hofstra University is dedicated to supporting the health and safety of everyone in the Hofstra Community. Health and safety are the responsibility of every member of the campus community.

Hofstra’s Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) program provides programs and services that promote a culture of safety. Through collaborative efforts between campus departments and various safety committees, we maintain a safety culture that prioritizes environmental, health, and safety responsibility for all students, faculty, staff, and visitors.

For information about EHS, email EHS@hofstra.edu.

Safety Training
EHS provides training to support a culture of safety at Hofstra University. Online, classroom, and hybrid courses are available. Online courses are offered through Canvas but also have a required in-person component. Hofstra also subscribes to CITI program, which is an external vendor that provides ethics and compliance training. Hofstra University is a subscriber organization and extends training courses to Hofstra students, staff, and faculty, on biosafety, bloodborne pathogens (BBPs), and Conflicts of Interest (COI). Supervisors and PIs are responsible that each new employee and or student, whether temporary or permanent, receives appropriate safety training, including lab-specific training, at the start of their tenure. Additional training can be requested by emailing EHS@hofstra.edu.

Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC)
The IBC oversees biological agent use in research conducted at or on behalf of Hofstra University.

EHS Program
The goal of the Hofstra EHS management system is to protect workers from job-related injuries and illnesses, identify and mitigate physical, chemical and biological hazards in the workplace as well as improve training and communications that clearly explain the objectives for promoting a safe and healthy workplace.

Standard Operating Procedure (SOP)
A SOP is a document of written instructions for any experiment or process that carries a risk. SOPs also serve as useful tools to communicate important University policies and best practices in academia and industry. SOPs can be utilized in both laboratory and nonlaboratory operations to help ensure consistency and quality and must be an essential part of training.

• Hofstra’s SOP Template: This is a generic template that must be edited to describe your specific laboratory process. Please email the EHSO to review your SOP.
• Hazardous Waste Collection, Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and Chemical Inventory: TBD  

• Incident Report Form: It is the PI’s/instructor’s/supervisor’s responsibility to report all accidents and injuries that occur in their class/lab/studio. For immediate assistance, please call Public Safety. Email EHS@hofstra.edu with the completed incident report form within 24 hours.
• Eyewash Inspection Log: Used to document testing of eyewashes. Print and post next to your eyewash.
• Lab-Specific Training Template: Used to help document training of new students/employees in your lab/studio/workshop.  
• Safety Training Tracker Template: Used to track all training completed by your lab/studio/workshop personnel.
• Hazard Assessment Worksheet: Used to assess workspace hazards to determine required training and can be used to help write SOPs.

A safety moment is a brief safety talk (about 2-5 minutes) given at the start of a meeting or seminar that can cover a variety of safety topics that serve to remind those in attendance of the importance of being safe at work, at home, or at school. It is an effective icebreaker as well. If you would like to share a safety moment used by your department or office, email EHS@hofstra.edu.

• Safety Moment Template
• Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)