Campus Lab Safety for Teaching Assistants

Duration: ~3 hours (asynchronous)
Required Before Beginning Any Lab Work Involving Chemicals, Biohazardous Materials, or Bloodborne Pathogens

Course Description

Campus Lab Safety for Teaching Assistants is a mandatory online course designed to prepare TAs for the dual role they hold in undergraduate science labs: safeguarding students and modeling professional laboratory behavior. Whether you support a chemistry teaching lab, guide students through microbiology techniques, or oversee activities involving biohazardous materials or bloodborne pathogens, this course equips you with the foundational knowledge, decision-making skills, and leadership mindset needed before facilitating any lab work.

Through engaging multimedia lessons, scenario-based examples, and practical assessments, Teaching Assistants learn how to recognize hazards early, prevent exposure through strong habits and engineering controls, and respond confidently and correctly when spills, injuries, or unexpected events occur. The course demystifies essential safety frameworks, including OSHA’s Laboratory Standard, CDC biosafety guidance, and NIH policies, so you can reinforce safety expectations with clarity and support students in meeting institutional and federal requirements.

This applied curriculum emphasizes the real decisions TAs make every day: verifying student training, reinforcing PPE use, interpreting SDS and GHS labels, preventing sharps injuries, coaching safe handling of chemicals and biological materials, and guiding students through emergency procedures. Whether you are new to the TA role or renewing your qualifications, Campus Lab Safety for Teaching Assistants provides the critical competencies and communication strategies required to lead safe, ethical, and effective lab learning experiences.

Learning Outcomes

By the end of this course, Teaching Assistants will be able to:

• Identify chemical, biological, and physical hazards and evaluate risks commonly encountered in undergraduate teaching laboratories.
• Interpret and teach the use of SDSs, hazard labels, pictograms, and signage in alignment with GHS and biosafety communication standards.
• Model and reinforce proper use of PPE, hand hygiene, engineering controls, and safe-work practices for diverse laboratory activities.
• Apply and explain biosafety principles for handling, storing, and disposing of biohazardous materials, BBP-containing specimens, and instructional microorganisms.
• Recognize exposure routes and coach students on effective control measures when working with infectious agents, sharps, or potentially hazardous materials.
• Respond appropriately to laboratory incidents, including spills, exposures, and injuries – by guiding students through emergency actions and institutional reporting procedures.
• Exhibit ethical leadership and support a culture of safety, accountability, transparency, and regulatory compliance across teaching laboratories.

Why This Course Matters

Teaching Assistants play a critical role in shaping students’ first experiences with scientific work. By completing this required training, you help build a laboratory environment where safety is visible, consistent, and integrated into every learning moment. Campus Lab Safety for Teaching Assistants ensures you are prepared not only to protect yourself, but to mentor students, recognize risks early, and lead with the professionalism expected in modern scientific environments.