Required Safety and Non-Academic Training

As a graduate student completing a thesis-based degree in Chemistry, you take on some “student” roles (taking classes, performing research), and some “employee” roles (working in the lab, teaching assistantships). To maintain compliance with University, Provincial, and Federal policies and laws, you must complete the following training as you start (or as you acquire new duties).

The minimum required courses for all graduate students in Chemistry are:

  • WHMIS 2015 – asynchronous (complete anytime)
  • Occupational Health and Safety Orientation - asynchronous
  • Hazard Assessment Training - asynchronous
  • Incident Reporting and Investigation - asynchronous
  • Spill Response Training – asynchronous
  • Ergonomics (Office) Training – asynchronous
  • Workplace Violence Awareness Training - asynchronous
  • Fire Extinguisher Training - synchronous
  • Laboratory Safety Training – asynchronous – requires WHMIS 2015 as a prerequisite

You must enroll yourself in these courses – most can be completed before you arrive, or within the first week of term. To enroll, log on to EHS MyLearning and in the “Search for Learning” widget, search the titles listed. For the synchronous (classroom) courses, you may need to check in a few times: scheduled sessions are usually available for registration ~2 weeks before the course date. 

Depending on what your research in the lab involves, you may need to complete other training, such as:

  • First Aid (external or through UCalgary)
  • H2S Alive (external)
  • Biosafety (through MyLearning site)
  • Laser Safety (through MyLearning site)
  • Other courses, as recommended by your supervisor.

These courses may be offered through an external training agency or may be self-registered through the MyLearning site. Ask your supervisor how to register for additional training when needed.


Confirming your Training

You can confirm that you have completed the required courses by logging on to MyLearning and selecting “My Learning”. You may need to adjust the time window for displayed courses (try “All Learning”) to see courses completed more than 6 months ago. From here, you can also print a PDF Course Completion Certificate to add to your lab’s Safety Binder.