Environmental Health & Safety

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  • Important Fire Safety Information

    Dear Faculty and Staff, George Mason University strives to be a place where everyone can thrive, and that means being aware of how to make and keep our campus safe. We encourage you to become familiar with the university’s building evacuation procedures and fire safety resources.  The university is required to inform you of these…

  • Emergency Preparedness Training: Now Available Online

    Emergency Preparedness Training is designed to help you: develop an understanding of fundamental emergency management principles; introduce emergency planning and response resources provided by Mason; assess and plan for known threats and anticipate hazards that might occur in the future; and, review emergency response roles and responsibilities within the Mason Community. Employees can access training…

  • Mason Alert Text Message Registration

    Dear Patriots, In our continuous effort to improve communication of emergencies to the campus community, we will be transitioning to an “Opt Out” Mason Alert text message registration model from our current “Opt In” process. This will significantly increase the number of people who receive emergency notifications via text message, which is the quickest Mason…

  • Important Safety and Emergency Preparedness Information

    Dear Patriots, You have either heard of or experienced last month’s erroneous active threat announcement. Fortunately, this was not a real event, but instead an error caused by an external vendor which has been resolved.  For more information about this situation, please visit our advisories page.  Many members of our community reacted quickly using their training…

  • Campus Fire Safety Month

    September is Campus Fire Safety Month, and the Environmental Health & Safety Office (EHS) is pleased to use this opportunity to remind the Mason community of a few essential fire safety tips. In addition to the advice below, EHS encourages you to review the university’s Fire Safety Plan, which describes roles and responsibilities, policies, and procedures…

  • Active Threat Message Error

    Dear Mason Community, This morning, our community received an alert that there was a dangerous person on our campus. This was an error. The message was sent inadvertently by one of the university’s emergency notification system software vendors. It was not initiated by anyone on our campus. There was never a threat reported on the…

  • Heat Safety Tips and Resources

    If this page does not automatically redirect, please click here: https://www.weather.gov/safety/heat

  • University Landline 911 Calls to be Transferred to Local County Police Agencies

    This summer, 911 calls placed from university landline phones will start being transferred directly to local county police agencies. This modification will ensure uniformity in all Fire/EMS and Police 911 calls, as all cell/mobile 911 calls are currently answered by the local police agencies. Should you dial 911 from a university landline, the local police agency will transfer your…

  • Lightning Detection Alert System Testing at Noon on May 23, 2019

    A new lightning alert system has been installed on West Campus (Fairfax) to provide weather warnings to students, employees, and visitors who are outdoors on recreation fields, athletic fields, or attending outdoor sporting events. When lightning is detected within 10 miles of campus, a loud 15-second siren will sound. Thirty-minutes after the last lightning strike…

  • International Noise Awareness Day

    Excess noise can lead to hearing loss, but did you know that it can also result in other health issues?  Exposure to sounds louder than 85 decibels (dB) for extended periods of time can increase blood pressure, cause gastric problems, and lead to cardiovascular issues. While some noise (like campus construction) may be out of your control, you do have the power to manage other sources…