EHS Events and Outreach

Environmental Health and Safety's mission is to enhance the safety of our community through education and service. EHS staff participate in many events throughout the year to meet and engage with other members of the UMB community. For more information on events where you can meet and learn more about EHS, please see the information below. 

Remember, you don't have to wait for an event to talk to us. If you need a consultation, have a question, or just want to learn more, give us a call at (410) 706-7055.

Biosafety and Biosecurity Month

Each October, the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) joins institutions worldwide in celebrating Biosafety & Biosecurity Month, an initiative led by ABSA International. This annual observance promotes awareness of safe laboratory practices and highlights the vital role biosafety and biosecurity play in protecting people, research, and the environment.

• Biosafety is the application of knowledge, techniques, and equipment to reduce or prevent personal, laboratory, and environmental exposure to biological hazards.
• In the United States, biosecurity is a term most frequently used to describe efforts used to safeguard biological materials (or associated intellectual property) from unauthorized possession, loss, theft, misuse, diversion, and/or intentional release.
  • Did you know? In many other countries, the term biosecurity is used to describe efforts to restrict or prevent the introduction and/or spread of potentially harmful biological agents into an ecosystem. Both definitions are important components of Biological Risk Management.

This October, join EHS in Celebrating Biosafety & Biosecurity Month — with the FBI!

Oct 15th at 12pm Click here to register.

We’re excited to host Dr. Susan Cropp, PhD, from the Weapons of Mass Destruction Section / Counterterrorism Division, for a compelling webinar on Biosecurity from a Law Enforcement Perspective.

Biological threats are real—and protecting against them requires strong collaboration between science and security. Dr. Cropp will explore how law enforcement and research institutions can work together to safeguard public health, discussing roles, responsibilities, and strategies to build trust and improve communication across sectors.

Don’t miss this unique opportunity to hear directly from the FBI on how we can strengthen biosecurity through partnership and preparedness.

EHS will also be visiting research buildings with treats and trivia. See below for a schedule of 2025 Biosafety & Biosecurity Month activities:

Additional Events Throughout the Year

Lab Safety Awareness Week

Lab Safety Awareness Week is an event sponsored by CSHEMA each year in February that recognizes the successes of laboratory health and safety programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep our community safe.

Safe + Sound Week

OSHA Safe + Sound Week is a nationwide event held each August that recognizes the successes of workplace safety and health programs and offers information and ideas on how to keep America’s workers safe.