Safety and Ancillary Committees

RUSH University is committed to supporting a safe environment for all members of our academic community. Our research administration provides the knowledge and resources to ensure that research at RUSH advances scientific knowledge in a safe and responsible manner.

Hazardous Material Disposal

Regulated Medical Waste (RMW) Pick-Up	(312) 942-7233 (2-SAFE) Online RMW Service Request (RUSH login required)
Sharps Container Replacement Mon - Fri, business hours (7:00am - 3:00pm)	(312) 942-7233 (2-SAFE)
Sharps Container Replacement Weekends, holidays, after hours (3:00 pm - 7:00 am)	(312) 942-6000 pager #3503
Chemical Waste	(312) 942-7233 (2-SAFE)
Radioactive Waste	(312) 947-0047 (312) 942-6000 pager #7750
Pharmaceuticals, Chemotherapy & Narcotics	(312) 942-7233 (2-SAFE)

Occupational Safety Department (OSD)

Visit OSD on InsideRUSH (RUSH login required)

OSD Main	(312) 942-7233 (2-SAFE) occsafety@rush.edu
Eric Sondergaard Laboratory Safety Officer	(312) 942-3898 eric_w_sondergaard@rush.edu
OSD Emergency On-Call Pager	(312) 942-6000 pager #3503

Biological Safety

Learn more about biological safety

Ed Blazek, PhD Biological Safety Officer	(312) 942-5222 ed_r_blazek@rush.edu
Christine VanTubbergen, MPH Program Manager	(312) 947-5065 christine_m_vantubbergen@rush.edu

Radiation Safety/Laser Safety

Visit Radiation Safety on InsideRUSH (RUSH login required)

Radiation Safety/Laser Safety Main	(312) 947-0047 radiation_safety@rush.edu
Corey Ginetz, MS Radiation Safety Officer (interim)	(312) 947-0310 corey_ginetz@rush.edu
Heather Merchantz Assistant Radiation Safety Officer	(312) 947-0047 heather_merchantz@rush.edu
Christina Sammet, PhD Laser Safety Officer (interim)	(312) 563-1288 christina_l_sammet@rush.edu
Radiation Safety Emergency On-Call Pager	(312) 942-6000 pager #7750 or #7583
Radioactive Material Spill	(312) 942-6000 pager #7750 or #7583

Chemical Safety

Learn more about chemical safety

Eric Sondergaard Chemical Hygiene	(312) 942-3898 eric_w_sondergaard@rush.edu
Large Chemical Spill	(312) 942-7233 (2-SAFE) (312) 942-6000 pager #3503

Laboratory Facilities, Space & Equipment

Learn more about facilities, space and equipment

Parisa Mascorro Laboratory Services Manager	(312) 563-0377 parisa_mascorro@rush.edu
Aleksandra Danilovic Laboratory Services Coordinator	(312) 947-2813 aleksandra_danilovic@rush.edu

Employee Health

Employee Health and Corporate Services Main

(312) 942-5878

In the event of employee injury/illness:

Notify your supervisor
Report to Employee Health (475 Atrium Building, Mon - Fri, 7:30 am - 5:00 pm) or the Emergency Department (weekends/holidays, 5:00 pm - 7:30 am)
Complete an Online Employee Injury Report Form (RUSH login required)

Security

Learn more about safety and security at RUSH

RUMC Security	(312) 942-5678 security_administrationgroup@rush.edu
RUMC Security (Emergency)	(312) 942-5111

Medical Center Engineering (MCE)

MCE Main	(312) 942-3499 (2-FIXX) Submit an online service request (Rush login required)
Emergency & Urgent Work Orders	(312) 942-3499 (2-FIXX)

Environmental Services (EVS)

EVS Main

(312) 942-2532 (2-CLEAn)
Follow up on service requests with
isaac_m_king@rush.edu or marvis_brown@rush.edu

Information Services (IS)

IS Main	(312) 942-4357 (2-HELP) help@rush.edu Submit an online help ticket (Rush login required)
RUMC Security (Emergency)	(312) 942-5111

Other Contacts

Facilities Issues	(312) 942-3499 (2-FIXX)
Medical Equipment Issues	(312) 942-6451
Interpreter Services Interpre Talk	(312) 563-2987 (312) 563-7555

Emergency

RUMC Security	(312) 942-5111
Fire Emergency (CODE RED)	(312) 942-5111 and/or fire alarm pull station
Poison Control Center	(800) 222-1222
Emergency Page Operator	(312) 942-5111
Confidential Compliance Reporting	(877) 787-4009
Crisis Counseling	(312) 926-8100
RUMC Hospital Operations Administrator (HOA)	(312) 942-6000 pager #7123

Ancillary Committees

Learn about the ancillary committees below, or for additional information visit the RUSH Research Portal (RUSH login and training required)

Safety Policies

Visit PolicyTech (Rush login required) to view policies relevant to research safety:

Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Hazard Communication
Chemical Waste Management
Hazardous Materials Spills
Biohazard Material Spills
Hazardous Drugs; Handling Disposal and Spill Control Procedures
Employee Injury Illness Prevention and Reporting
Hazardous Material, Dangerous Goods Shipment
Mandatory Training
Regulated Medical Waste (RMW)
Bloodborne Pathogen Exposure Control Plan
Emergency Eyewash and Shower Station Policy
Compressed Gas Cylinder

Safety Resources

Visit the InsideRush Laboratory Safety website (Rush login required) to view:

Laboratory Safety Manual (updated 2020)
Laboratory Safety Self Inspection Checklist (2021)
3E Online Chemical Inventory Safety Data Sheet (SDS) Library
- All Rush users can view the SDS library. Contact OSD at occsafety@rush.edu to obtain 3E Online editing privileges. SDSs can also be obtained from 3E by phone at (800) 451-8346.
Chemical Hygiene Plan (updated 2020)
Chemical Waste Management Manual (updated 2017)
Formaldehyde Safety Program