SciShield FAQs

Do I have to use SciShield?

You will need to set up your lab profile in SciShield, and you will need to use SciShield to view and respond to EH&S assessments (i.e., inspections) for your labs and take required EH&S provided training.  Your lab profile should minimally consist of the current members in your lab, assigning those lab members job activities to trigger required trainings, and verifying your lab spaces.  Keeping your members up to date in SciShield will ensure they receive direct communication from EH&S on important lab and safety information, thus reducing the burden on the PI of having to forward this information, and also that they are being reminded to complete required training.

Do I have to set up my lab profile in SciShield?

The lab profile does need to be completed for each PI.  This should minimally consist of your current lab members, assigning job activities to lab members to trigger training requirements, and verification of the lab spaces in use by your group.  PIs can delegate the responsibility of setting up the lab profile to a group member by designating the group member as compliance liaison.  Please follow the instructions in the PI guide to lab setup.  If you are having difficulties setting up the lab profile or with designating a compliance liaison, please contact EH&S at askehs@umass.edu

How long will it take to complete the lab profile wizard in SciShield?

We estimate that it will take approximately 20-30 minutes to complete all portions of the lab profile wizard.

How are trainings in SciShield handled?

The training module in SciShield is controlled at a lab level.  Lab members are assigned training requirements based off of job activities.  To learn more about trainings and how to designate them to lab members, please refer to our guide for setting up training requirements in SciShield.

I can't log in to SciShield.  What should I do?

You must have a UMass Net ID or NENS account to log in to SciShield.  If you do not have one, please contact your PI.

When I log in to SciShield, I can't see any trainings.  How do I complete trainings?

If you are a member of a lab group, contact your PI to be added to the lab profile and have job activities assigned to you that will trigger training requirements.  Even if you are not added to a lab and assigned trainings, you can still complete any training that is offered in SciShield by selected the training tab on the left hand side of the screen, followed by course directory.  You can also visit our training page which links directly to each training in SciShield.

I graduated, and left the lab, but I keep getting notifications that I have to complete trainings.  How do I make that stop?

Please contact your PI and ask them to remove you from the lab profile in SciShield.

When I try to book time on an instrument through CORUM, it's telling me that my trainings are out of date even though they are current.  What can I do about this?

SciShield takes user information from SPIRE, so your primary email address listed in SPIRE must be your UMass email to ensure that information is synced properly between platforms.  Please check SPIRE to ensure this is correct.

Do I have to upload SOPs or other documents to SciShield?

No.  If your lab already has a mechanism to share these documents that works for you, you do not need to use SciShield for this purpose.  If however you are looking for a means to store and share these documents (or others) in your group, SciShield has this capability.  By storing these documents in SciShield, you are also providing EH&S access for review and comment should you wish for us to provide that service.

Do I have to use the equipment module or provide an equipment list?

No, unless you have lasers.  This is a feature of SciShield that may be useful to many labs to keep track of equipment and service records for these items, however, you are not required to use SciShield for this purpose.  EH&S will be using the equipment module to keep records for safety related lab equipment (i.e., biosafety cabinets, autoclaves, drench showers, eye washes, etc.) and also lasers. If you have lasers, please keep the list updated.  EH&S uses this information to provide updates to regulatory agencies that require us to report this information to them.

What benefit is SciShield to me?

Many institutions have turned to SciShield to streamline compliance activities and support their safety culture.  SciShield will:

  • Provide for direct, targeted, and prompt communication between EH&S and all members of the research community (not just PIs).
  • Streamline and simplify the response to lab assessments reducing the time required of PIs and research staff.
  • Enable PIs to designate group members who can perform compliance responsibilities, such as sharing information with EH&S or responding to lab assessments.
  • Supply a platform to store important documents and equipment records that facilitates sharing with lab personnel and EH&S.
  • Impart a means of reporting, anonymously if desired, safety concerns to EH&S for follow up.
  • Provide and designate required EH&S provided trainings

I don't see the answer to my question here.  Who should I ask?

Please send any questions or feedback about SciShield to askehs@umass.edu.  We are always happy to help support your research and teaching endeavors, so let us know what you need!