CSHEMA Virtual Showcase:
Austin Comes to You!

The CSHEMA Virtual Showcase: Austin Comes to You, a 2-day online event designed to extend and amplify the value of our in-person Annual Conference.

Who Should Attend?

• Members and non-members who were unable to attend the in-person conference
• Austin attendees who want to catch sessions they missed due to concurrent tracks
• Anyone interested in leadership, engagement, and innovation in campus safety, health, and environmental management

Registration 

Registration is now open! 
REGISTER HERE

CSHEMA SCHOLARSHIP

CSHEMA offers a $3,000 scholarship (and a waiver to attend the CSHEMA annual conference) to encourage the study of environmental and occupational health, safety, and related disciplines. The program is open to all college undergraduate students preferably enrolled in majors geared toward an EHS career (such as, but not limited to, environmental science, fire protection, health physics, industrial engineering, industrial hygiene, occupational health, safety, etc.) enrolled in 12 credit hours per semester, trimester, or quarter.

Congratulations to the Recipients of the 2024 CSHEMA Scholarship:

Kale Gilbeaux, Southeastern Louisiana University

Arham Hassan, Texas A&M University

William Nuckels, Texas A&M University

SPECIAL PROJECT GRANTS

Note: CSHEMA is not accepting applications at this time.

CSHEMA will consider proposals for innovative special projects (e.g., trainings, research, etc.) that support the Association's mission, affect the broader EHS community, and can be sustained/disseminated after the project's completion. The Board of Trustees will determine the available funds for this program annually and the number of awards will be dependent on the funds available and the size of the grant requests received.

Press Release: Fifth Circuit Vacates Methylene Chloride Rule

EPA TSCA Methylene Chloride Resources 

In April 2024, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued a final rule regulating methylene chloride  (CAS# 75-09-2, also identified as dichloromethane or DCM) under the Toxic Substances Control Act (TSCA).  This rule prohibits most uses of methylene chloride and products that contain 0.1% or more of this chemical, while allowing for select uses under a comprehensive Workplace Chemical Protection Program (WCPP). Significant action by EHS professionals at colleges and universities is required to achieve compliance with this rule. 

A special CSHEMA work group, composed of academic safety and industrial hygiene leaders from across the country, has been working to develop a resource toolkit for all member institutions. These documents are designed for customization to help member institutions effectively meet their compliance obligations.

Purchase the Methylene Chloride Resources Package (for non-members)

CSHEMA members: Access all toolkit documents for free in the Member Library below. Non-members: Purchase the complete package using the button above.

CSHEMA Methylene Chloride Benchmarking Survey:

• View the 2025 Methylene Chloride Benchmarking Survey Results (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)

Online Methylene Chloride Training

We are excited to share a training resource available through our strategic partnership with Safety Training Consortium (STC): a free eCourse that can be used CSHEMA member institutions to help meet training requirements.

• Dichloromethane (DCM) eCourse – Review Link (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Request the SCORM file for uploading to your institution’s learning management system (LMS) (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)

CSHEMA Comment to EPA Docket:

• CSHEMA Comment to EPA Docket
• EPA-CSHEMA Comments Supplementary Information
• EPA DCM Comment Template Letters

The Methylene Chloride Toolkit includes:

• Executive Summary to Campus Leadership
• Methylene Chloride Fact Sheet 
  • For EHS Departments 
  • For Facilities Groups (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • For Laboratory Groups (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Email Communication Templates
  • Leadership (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • Non-laboratory Groups (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • Laboratory Groups (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Product Substitution Guide ACS DCM Alternatives and Resources Site
• Methylene Chloride Use Survey Questions (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Future Use Labels
  • Future Use Label Instructions (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • DCM Future Use Label With QR Code (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • DCM Future Use Tamper Seal (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Potentially Exposed Person Training (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Exposure Monitoring 
  • Sampling Guide (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • Sampling Report Template (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Workplace Chemical Protection Program 
  • Outline of Requirements (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • WCPP Template (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
• Exposure Control Plan Template 
  • ECP Template Overview
  • Institutional ECP Template (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
  • Lab-Specific ECP Template (Only available in the CSHEMA Member Library)
    
    

Lab Safety Awareness Week

Lab Safety Awareness Week is an event held from February 12-16, 2024, that recognizes the successes of laboratory health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep our faculty, staff and students safe.

Why Participate?

Successful laboratory safety awareness and programs can help identify and manage laboratory hazards before they cause injury. Participating in CSHEMA Lab Safety Awareness Week can help get your awareness programs started, boosting one that already exists, or highlight your safety successes.

Award Submission

Get recognized for your creative initiatives in promoting Laboratory Safety Awareness on your campus. Award submission deadline is March 31st. Upload a summary of your institution’s initiative for the promotion of CSHEMA’s 2024 Laboratory Safety Week highlighting the attributes described below:

• Deployment strategy
• Integration and quality of media and mediums
• Message clarity
• Originality

Topics For 2024

Click below to download a packaged ZIP folder for "Engineering Controls" or "Chemical Storage." You can still download content from past topics under the "Other Topics to Consider" section below. Feel free to customize the content with your intitution logo and information. Each folder includes the following:

• 8.5"x11" Poster
• 8.5"x11" Spanish Poster
• Digital TV Graphic - Horizontal versions of the posters. The size of the text and amount of space for bullets has been reduced to aid with readability from a distance. You will have to save the Word doc as a PDF, then save that as a JPEG.

Engineering Controls

Identifying, getting familiar via training, and maintaining engineering control equipment is critical in protecting and saving lives and health.

Engineering Controls (Zip)

Chemical Storage

Best Practices for Chemical Storage are critical to ensure the community safety.

Chemical Storage (Zip)

Media Elements

• "LSAW Comng Soon" Mobile Video (mp4)
• "LSAW Coming Soon" Video Instagram Post (mp4)
• "LSAW Launching Soon Timer" Instagram Video (mp4)
• Clean Minimal "Launching Soon" Instagram Post (PNG)
• "Lab Safety Awareness Week Coin" Animated GIF
  (Right click on the GIF to download, then add it to you email signatures!)
  

Other Topics to Consider

Click below to download a packaged ZIP folder. Feel free to customize the content with your intitution logo and information.

Personal Protective Equipment and General Lab Attire

Personal protective equipment (PPE) helps to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace injuries and illnesses.

PPE and General Lab Attire (Zip)

We're All in this Together!

Safety is everyone’s responsibility. When each person in the lab does their part, the lab is a safer place to work.

We're All in this Together (Zip)

Safety Equipment in the Lab

Identifying, getting familiar via training, keeping and maintaining safety equipment is critical in protecting and saving lives and health in emergency situations.

Lab Safety Equipment (Zip)

Lab Housekeeping

Good lab housekeeping reduces the number of accidents, minimize risks & consequences of slips, trips, falls, unplanned reactions and fire.

Lab Housekeeping (Zip)

Hazard Identification & Risk Assessment

The process of identifying hazards, determining the severity of potential risks and establishing suitable/proper control measures in place are key components to keep the academic community safe.

Hazard Assessment (Zip)

Meet Our Team

Spotlight department leaders or key personal.

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Common Interest Groups (CIGs)

Common Interest Groups (CIGs) are grassroots-organized groups with interests not related to technical areas or the purview of other official CSHEMA groups (e.g., career stage, personal identity, non-EHS issue/ideology, vendor user,  social, etc.). CIGs may request a dedicated forum within CSHEMA Connect by contacting the Central Office and/or may post to the CSHEMA Cafe, provided discussions comply with the CSHEMA Community Guidelines. They are not actively supported by other CSHEMA resources including, but not limited to, use of CSHEMA name in group organization, AEG Central Office support, website support, virtual meeting rooms, or meeting space at CSHEMA-sponsored events. Board of Trustees (BoT) approval is not required to initiate a CIG. However, the BoT reserves the right to moderate CIGs if they are not adhering to the CSHEMA Community Guidelines.

CSHEMA Community Guidelines

CSHEMA is committed to providing platforms and tools to promote the connection of the member community to facilitate the sharing of experience and expertise. It is important that these are spaces where members feel safe and supported. To help everyone enjoy our community, we have developed the following guidelines:

• All activity must be conducted in a way that is respectful to all members, with the overarching expectation that discussions focus on the advancement of the EHS profession within the group represented. Discrimination, hate speech, abusive language, or personal attacks are not allowed.
• Our community is a relatively public space and is not set up to support distribution of confidential or sensitive content.
• As a non-profit organization, we ask that members do not post political or lobbying content. Members with concerns related to issues that fall within this area may approach the Advocacy Committee for consideration.
• While products and services may be discussed, solicitation posts are not allowed.
• Activity found not to comply with these guidelines will be subject to moderation.