January 29, 2021
2020 Summary of Work-Related Injury and Illnesses is now available.
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What's New at ESSR
December 16, 2020
ESSR is excited to announce the implementation of the BioRAFT Facilities Module. This will be used to manage ESSR’s training records for UMD staff. UMD Researcher's training records have been managed in BioRAFT. ESSR training records for all UMD staff will soon be in BioRAFT. More information, including instructions will be available once this implementation is complete.
October 28, 2020
Read how UMD researchers increased their focus on laboratory safety to continue operations during the COVID-19 pandemic
October 28, 2020
Read how the UMD Department of Laboratory Animal Resources continued providing quality animal care during the COVID-19 pandemic
October 28, 2020
ESSR director Maureen Kotlas describes her experience continuing operations during the COVID-19 pandemic.
October 20, 2020
University of Maryland's Locascio: Contributions from Biosafety Experts Never More Important Than Right Now
October 5, 2020
The Office of Research Safety is proud to announce that Official University of Maryland Laboratory Research Notebooks are available for purchase through the Department of Business Services. These attractive, durable notebooks come with a number of features that support robust management of research data.
April 17, 2020
April 1, 2020
Safety for University of Maryland Employees During the COVID-19 Pandemic
March 24, 2020
A collection of ESSR's information on COVID-19.
March 24, 2020
The University of Maryland is committed to providing a work environment that is free of recognized hazards. This fact sheet details voluntary respirator use and guidance on the release of stockpiled N95 filtering facepiece respirators that have exceeded their manufacturer-designated shelf life for COVID-19 response.
March 19, 2020
The CDC has instructions for Cleaning and Disinfection After Persons Suspected/Confirmed to Have COVID-19 Have Been in the Facility
March 16, 2020
The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has information for preparing workplaces for COVID-19.
November 21, 2019
The 2018-2019 Annual Report is now available.
National Biosafety Month 2019-Beyond the Lab: Increasing the Visibility of Biosafety and Biosecurity
October 14, 2019
The Biosafety Office is excited to announce that October 2019 is National Biosafety Month.
October 1, 2019
Annual Fire Safety Report 2019 is now available.
August 1, 2019
This National Safety Council Adult and Child CPR, AED, and First Aid training is given by NSC trained ESSR Employees and certification cards are printed for attendees.
June 3, 2019
The Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability and Risk, (ESSR) joins the National Safety Council and thousands of organizations nationwide in celebrating National Safety Month.
May 9, 2019
A new collaborative effort between the Office of Sustainability and the Department of Engineering & Energy is finding ways to reap the benefits of science while reducing the environmental impacts.
March 27, 2019
This two-day Fire Safety in Research Laboratories Workshop is based on the fire protection requirements in NFPA 45, Fire Protection in Laboratories Using Chemicals, 2015 Edition.
February 1, 2019
Given this week’s frigid temperatures, the Maryland Department of Health has asked us to share information to prevent illness and injury. Please take a moment to read through the guidance below. We would like to especially encourage all Terps to cover up and bundle up to prevent frostbite or hypothermia. Please protect yourselves in these extreme weather conditions and look out for your neighbors.
December 12, 2018
Fire and life safety is everyone’s responsibility; by testing smoke alarms and CO detectors, keeping exits clear of obstructions, and maintaining fire alarms and fire sprinkler systems, we can all avoid injury or death from the effects of fire.
November 1, 2018
Mold and Indoor Air Quality Information
October 1, 2018
See how you can participate in promoting biosafety in your lab. #GetYourCultureOn
September 17, 2018
See how your laboratory can prepare for disruptions, such as campus closures for severe weather or an unscheduled loss of utilities.
May 18, 2018
Find out more about the changes that are happening to our training requirements for laboratory teaching assistants.
February 1, 2018
Graduate students in the School of Public Health collaborated with staff members from the Office of Risk Management in the Department of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk (ESSR) this past semester on their class projects to analyze and make key recommendations about the workplace health and safety environment at the University of Maryland.
January 25, 2018
Stormwater management, permitting, and pollution control is a major priority for the University of Maryland.
November 14, 2017
Get more information about the University of Maryland Climate Action Plan 2.0 and the Sustainability Progress Report.
March 31, 2017
Starting this year, the University of Maryland is taking a historic step on its journey toward carbon neutrality. President Loh has approved a strategy to eliminate the climate impact caused by university-related student, faculty, and staff air travel through a new Carbon Neutral Air Travel Initiative.
October 11, 2016
Mary Ann Rankin, Senior Vice President and Provost, Amitabh Varshney, Interim Vice President and Chief Research Officer and Carlo Colella, Vice President for Administration and Finance renew their commitment to a strong culture of safety by issuing the expanded "Expectations for Conducting Safe Research"
January 11, 2016
I am so pleased to be returning to the University of Maryland as the Executive Director of Environmental Safety, Sustainability & Risk (ESSR.) This is a wonderfully exciting time for the University with record research funding, the addition of new campus facilities, a continuing increase in student enrollment, and membership in the Big Ten (Go Terps!), among many other initiatives and accomplishments. The very capable staff of ESSR are here to provide the University with excellent support and services in line with our vision of a campus where safety and sustainability are core values. I invite you to explore our website (www.essr.umd.edu) for additional information about our programs and resources. I hope to meet as many of you as possible and I look forward to hearing from you with your comments, questions, and suggestions. Sincerely, Maureen Kotlas