Training
The Office of Institutional Risk & Safety Programs (OIRSP) provides training on many topics to the University of Texas at Dallas (UT Dallas) community. Safety training is designed to address potential hazards that employees and students are likely to encounter when performing their duties or in academic settings, as well as describe applicable rules and procedures. The effectiveness of an employee safety training program is measured by safe and competent job performance and compliance with applicable regulations.
Employee training is available in several formats, including formal classroom training, online training, and on-the-job training provided by supervisors.
Applicable Training Determination
It is the responsibility of employee supervisors to analyze each position description in their area of responsibility and identify applicable training requirements. The analysis should consider all of the potential hazards of the job and which training may be applicable as a result. Please contact OHsafety@utdallas.edu for assistance in determining what training is required for each position and/or task within your area of responsibility.
Classroom Training
Classroom training sessions are generally presented by OIRSP staff and may include videos, presentations, and hands-on exercises. Classroom training may also be presented by supervisors in departmental meetings to meet safety training requirements. To request training from an OIRSP staff member, please email OHsafety@utdallas.edu.
Online Training
Many training courses are available in a computer-based format. Most of these courses involve viewing training material, such as slides or videos, followed by the completion of a quiz.
Employees (Including Student Employees)
Online training courses for employees may be found in the UT Dallas employee learning management system, SafetySkills [requires NetID]. Staff supervisors can view employee completion, assign training, create reports, and track analytics for their teams. For more information, please contact OHSafety@utdallas.edu.
Laboratory & Research Safety
For many of the research spaces on UT Dallas’s campus, badge access will not be granted until required safety training is completed in BioRAFT [requires NetID]. A similar learning management system has been set up for volunteers and students who are not employees, but who may need to complete online training courses (for example, a student who volunteers in a chemistry lab, but who is not employed as a student assistant). Access to BioRAFT occurs when you are onboarded as a member of a research or teaching laboratory. Contact your laboratory safety specialist or safety@utdallas.edu for more information.
CPR/AED/Stop the Bleed/First Aid Training
In the United States, sudden cardiac arrest claims more than 350,000 lives each year. As a leading cause of death, cardiac arrest is frequently caused by ventricular fibrillation, an abnormal, chaotic heart rhythm that prevents the heart from pumping blood. The most effective treatment for ventricular fibrillation is delivering an electrical shock to the heart with a machine called a defibrillator. Recent advances in defibrillator design now make it possible for rescuers with limited training to provide defibrillation earlier following sudden cardiac arrest using an Automated External Defibrillator (AED).
CPR/AED training teaches lay rescuers how to recognize and treat life-threatening emergencies, including cardiac arrest and choking for adult, child, and infant victims; and use of an AED for adult cardiac arrest victims. Students also learn to recognize the warning signs of heart attack and stroke in adults and breathing difficulties in children.
University Emergency Medical Response (UEMR) strives to create a safer environment for the UT Dallas community by providing faster and more direct emergency medical care for everyone on campus. For more information or to schedule training, please contact the University Emergency Medical Response (UEMR) team.
Training Acknowledgement Forms
Supervisors who conduct training need to create proper documentation. To properly document such department-provided training sessions, record training attendance using sign-in sheets or similar acknowledgment forms. Please forward the completed forms or sign-in sheets to OHSafety@utdallas.edu for inclusion in SafetySkills.