The chemical safety team at the University of Chicago is available to support principal investigators, research personnel, and students with handling, storing, and disposing of hazardous chemicals in a way that minimizes risk to people and the environment.
Since chemicals can have a variety of properties, knowledge of the hazards and effective controls are crucial to safety. Our team includes chemical safety experts with extensive research experience.
If you're dealing with a chemical or biological spill, please call 1-2-3 (on-campus phone) or 773-702-8181 (off-campus phone). Remember to complete a UCAIR report after conditions are safe.
Exposures call the Needlestick/Bloodborne Pathogen Hotline at:
On-Campus Phone:
31880 pager 9990#
Off-Campus Phone:
773.753.1880 pager 9990#
Free chemical carriers for UChicago labs
To promote the proper and safe transport of hazardous chemicals, we make available to all UChicago laboratories one Eagle Thermoplastics container that holds a five-pint or one-gallon bottle. To receive your free carrier, contact Chemical Safety.
Our other services and responsibilities
- Conduct annual chemical safety inspections of campus-wide research laboratories
- Prepare and provide basic chemical hygiene/general lab safety training online and in the classroom
- Develop online and in-person training about chemical hazards in the laboratory
- Assist research groups and principal investigators with the development and implementation of standard operating procedures for hazardous chemicals
- Update UChicago's Chemical Hygiene Plan and oversee its implementation campus-wide
- Collaborate with various safety entities campus-wide, including Environmental Health and Safety, the Institutional Biosafety Committee, the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee, and lab safety specialists
- Perform risk assessments for the administration of, and use of chemicals in, animal work submitted to the Institutional Animal Care and Use Committee
- Consult on emergency response involving chemical spills and other chemical hazards
- Oversee and maintain chemical inventory system for chemicals campus-wide