EHS - RLE at MIT

Environmental Health and Safety

The Research Laboratory of Electronics (RLE) at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) is committed to promoting a safe environment for all members of MIT and surrounding communities by maintaining a cooperative and progressive working relationship with the MIT EHS office. The MIT Environmental Health and Safety (EHS) office is responsible for the management and the delivery of services that promote environmentally responsible practices at MIT, reduce MIT’s impact on the environment, and protect the health and safety of our community at the operational level.

EHS Training

Training is required by the Institute before beginning work with any potentially hazardous materials or activities in a laboratory at MIT. All PIs, graduate students, UROP students, postdocs, visiting scientists, and other researchers working in a laboratory must complete Training Needs Assessment (TNA). Upon completion, training requirements will be generated based on your activities. Many courses are available both online and in person. Lab-specific training is provided by your PI or EHS rep. If you have any questions about your training, please contact either your EHS rep or Marie Gentile.

Training Needs Assessment (TNA)
Training Needs Assessment

Need help with your Training Needs Assessment?

Emergency Preparedness
Everyone working at MIT should feel comfortable with their knowledge of what to do in case there is a fire or other emergency. There are many campus-wide services as well as department specific procedures that should help to increase your level of comfort. At RLE we think that this information should be provided as soon as possible. Emergency Preparedness is part of our onboarding process to let new members know that we care about their safety and that we have planned for these difficult situations.

Please watch this Emergency Preparedness Presentation that will walk you through many of these situations and the procedures that will be set in motion. All new members to the RLE community will be required to watch this presentation prior to getting key/card door access to labs or offices.

Lab Specific Training
Anyone working in a laboratory where hazards are present must complete Lab-Specific Safety Training upon joining the group and then receive an annual refresher training thereafter. This training is usually given by the lab’s EHS Representative or PI and focuses on specific conditions and hazards within each laboratory. Please contact your EHS Rep to ensure you complete this important requirement. For new members to the RLE community, you will need to complete this training prior to getting key/card door access to labs.

PI Space/EHS Representative contact information

Information for Lab Specific Safety Trainer:

The Checklist for Lab-Specific Safety Training is available here
Please contact Marie Gentile should you need assistance in preparing or giving this important training.
When a new member has been trained, please sign this form and return to Marie in 36–472A or drop off in his RLE headquarters mailbox (36–413). Credit for new members will be given once a completed, signed training checklist has been received.
When the annual refresher training has been completed, use the above checklist as a guide and email Marie a list of trainee names, Kerberos ID’s, and training completion date to ensure credit will be given.

Key/Card Door Access
Please complete the Key/Card Access Authorization Form to get the key and card access that you need for your offices and labs. Some or all of the above training is required before access will be granted.

Chemical Hygiene Plan and Signature

For RLE members that will be using any chemicals within their labs, please read the following executive summary of our department specific chemical hygiene plan and sign the embedded e‑form. **This is a campus wide required task**

Read and sign off on Chemical Hygiene Plan-Executive Summary (PDF)

The above e‑signature does not replace the campus wide requirement and expectation that you eventually read the Chemical Hygiene Plan in its entirety. Link to Full Version of Chemical Hygiene Plan

Laser Safety and Eye Exam
Persons working with Class 3b or Class 4 lasers must receive laser safety training, which is given periodically by the MIT EHS Office (training schedule and registration are available on Atlas Training Center). The laser worker is provided a Laser Eye Examination form at the time of training. Laser Eye Examinations are recommended but not required. The form contains information on making a laser eye examination appointment by contacting the MIT Eye Clinic (3–4351). The Laser Eye Examination form will be signed by the physician performing the examination; the completed form is returned to RPP (N52-496).

MIT EHS Office Laser Safety

EHS Tools

MIT EHS

Atlas PI Space
Create/Change/Display PI Space and Green Cards, Annual Chemical Reporting

Atlas Training Reports
EHS reps can run a PI training report by choosing Report 3: Report on all registered users under a PI or supervisor

Level I Inspection Checklist (PDF)
Completed weekly in each lab by the lab’s EHS Rep

Level II Inspection Checklist (Doc)
Completed twice annually by EHS team

Supervisor’s Injury Report
Click on “Report an Injury”

Chemical waste pickup

Order signs and stickers

RLE EHS contacts

Marie Gentile
EHS Coordinator
617.460.9318
gentilem@mit.edu