Ethics and safety

Research ethics

All research projects at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ must be approved through the appropriate review processes.

The University's Office of Research Ethics regulates all matters related to ethics as it relates to the conduct of research at the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ, including:

Mandatory safety training

The University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Safety Office specifies mandatory training programs for all persons working at the University. Graduate students should consult their supervisor and visit the Safety Office training programs website for more information.

Those working in any of the laboratories at the School of Pharmacy are additionally required to complete SO1010 Laboratory Safety, SO1030 Cryogenic & Compressed Gas, and SO1069 BioSafety training courses, as well as any other hazard specific training identified by the supervisor or department. These modules are offered online and must be completed within your first week of study, before you gain access to the labs.   

Students who work in a basic sciences laboratory at the School must also complete pharmacy-specific training. 

Transportation of research materials

Transporting hazardous materials is prohibited on any transit system. While the University of À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ has no specific prohibition on the use of private vehicles to transport biological material, animals, or chemicals, the UW Safety Office does not recommend this. If a private vehicle is used, the vehicle owner is responsible for informing their insurer and ensuring that they have the appropriate insurance coverage. Alternately, students may use Chem Stores or schedule a taxi service.  

Students should always discuss transportation of research-related hazardous materials with their supervisor(s) to make appropriate arrangements.  

Chem Stores

UW Chem Stores sells common glassware, labware and chemicals; all items for sale are listed online.

To place an order, contact the front counter (ESC-109, ext. 33072). Chem Stores also offer delivery services and hazardous material handling/disposal.

To organise hazardous materials to be transported to campus and disposed of, students can call the Chem Stores Environmental Safety Facility (ESC-151, ext. 35755) and an officer will visit the School upon request. Students should try and combine pickup requests with others, where possible.

Taxi

Pharmacy graduate students may employ a taxi service for travel to the main campus animal facility or for other research purposes where travel on public transit is prohibited. À¶Ý®ÊÓƵ Pharmacy covers the financial cost of the trip. Taxi services should be organized 24 hours in advance, whenever possible. 

To book a taxi, students should e-mail the receptionist, phrlobby@uwaterloo.ca and copy their supervisor with the following Taxi Service Request information:

  • Name
  • Supervisor
  • Date taxi needed
  • Pickup time
  • Drop-off location
  • Reason for request

Taxi service is available to students Sunday to Thursday from 9:00 p.m. to 5:00 a.m. from the School of Pharmacy to (or close to) your home ($20.00 worth).  This service is run by the Student Security Service out of UW Police Services and students fund this service through the Student Services Fee.  The service here at Pharmacy is intended to replicate the off-campus shuttle service available on main campus.  See the security personnel to book a taxi.    

Working Alone

It is never ideal to work alone, especially after hours.  However, sometimes it is unavoidable.  Refer to the Safety Office Working Alone Guideline for important procedures that you should know and follow if you must work alone.

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