Sa[Fest]

Sa[Fest], produced by Princeton University Environmental Health and Safety, brings informative and entertaining research safety events right where you work and study! Through exhibits, giveaways and fun activities, Sa[Fest] provides tips and tools for making your research safe, sustainable and productive.

Biosafety Month 2024

October is International Biosafety Month, and EHS is celebrating with a return to the Icahn Atrium on Oct. 29 from 10-2.

Enjoy games and interactive exhibits, win prizes and snack on coffee and pastries all while learning how EHS supports efforts to maintain a safe laboratory environment for researchers in the life sciences.

Learn More

Trick or Treat With EHS

Oct. 29, 2024

EHS celebrated Biosafety Month with a fun Halloween-themed event in Icahn Laboratory. There were games, treats and giveaways, as well as a raffle prize for those who accepted a crossword puzzle challenge. Attendees tested their knowledge of laboratory hazards by guessing the biosafety level of various substances, tried their hand at a bean bag toss, and tested whether they can avoid contamination when removing gloves. EHS was joined by Export Controls from the Office of Research and Project Administration.

Previous Events

Spring Sa[Fest] - Celebrate Earth Month

The spring 2024 installment of Sa[Fest] took place April 17 in the atrium of Icahn Laboratory. The event highlighted sustainable practices in the lab and on campus.

John Pickering, behavioral scientist and Andlinger Center fellow, Bill Broadhurst of Campus Energy and Ted Borer of the Energy Plant gave a comprehensive presentation of the University's recent progress toward meeting its sustainability goals and the strategy going forward.

Attendees were invited to share ideas for sustainable practices on campus and learn about the Green Lab Recognition Program. Facilities and the Office of Sustainabilty were on hand to share information on campus initiatives.

2024 Spring Sa[Fest]

April 17, 2024

Activities at the spring 2024 Sa[Fest] Greening Up The Lab event included creating a takeaway air plant, sharing ideas for sustainability initiatives and enjoying an ice cream bar after the talk from our guest speakers.

Air Plant Table

Activities at Safest included creating a takeaway air plant with recycled lab glassware.
Air Plants

Spring Safest attendees show off their air plants.
More Air Plants

Air plants came in a variety of shapes and sizes.
Air Plant Makers

In addition to EHS's air plant giveaway, Sustainability offered water bottles, and those who went to the talk by our featured speakers took away a custom EHS-branded umbrella.
Making Air Plants

There was a variety of recycled laboratory glassware available for making keepsake air plants.
Raffle Table

A raffle was held for terrariums and a cutting from a begonia originally owned by Albert Einstein.
Green Labs Initiative

Attendees shared sustainability ideas on a white board.
Sustainability Table

The Office of Sustainability was on had to share information.
Safest 2024 Speakers

Speakers at the Sa[Fest] Greening Up the Lab event were, from left: Bill Broadhurst, Director, Campus Energy; John Pickering, Co-Founder, Evidn and Fellow, Andlinger Center for Energy and the Environment; Ted Borer, Director, Energy Plant.
Safest Presentation

The featured speakers gave a comprehensive overview of the University's sustainability strategy. For more details, see the article on the main EHS website.
Ice Cream Bar

Enjoying ice cream at Sa[Fest] after the presentations on sustainability strategy.

Sa[Fest] in the Wild

The Sa[Fest] festival of safety comes to the atrium in Guyot Hall (near the dinosaur) on Nov. 28, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., with a focus on field research. Presentations will cover travel, shipping, supplies, field safety, security and other best practices.

Enter to win one of our cool raffle prizes: a high-tech headlamp from REI or wilderness first aid kit. Joining us will be University Health Services (UHS), Research Integrity and Assurance (RIA) and Global Safety and Security (GSS).

Our safety events have become well known for great activities and giveaways, as well as useful information to help you stay safe, whether on Princeton's campus or while conducting research around the world.

Safest in the wild graphic with tiger superimposed.

Going Wild For Field Safety

Nov. 28, 2023

Our Safest in the Wild showcase at Guyot Hall highlighted strategies for staying safe while doing field research: preventative health measures, proper equipment, getting proper permits and training. Raffle prizes included a first aid kit and headlamp.

Sa[Fest] at Frick Laboratory

Sa[Fest] makes a stop at the atrium of Frick Chemistry Laboratory on August 29 and 30, 2023 from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m.

There will be fun games, prizes and a raffle to win a free lunch for your lab. Dress a cutout of the Princeton Tiger with proper PPE!

Our lab safety event will highlight challenges and opportunities for students, researchers and faculty, featuring educational displays and giveaways on the themes of:

Waste management
PPE
Electrical and fire safety
Conservation and sustainability
WorkAlone - a safety feature in the TigerSafe app

Frick Laboratory Summer Safest

Sa[Fest] came to Frick in August, 2023 with displays featuring PPE, fire safety, the TigerSafe app and the debut of the dressable tiger mascot cut-out. Giveaways included custom tumblers and a free lunch for the lab of a raffle winner.

Dressing the Tiger at Sa[Fest]

Students dress a cut-out of the Princeton tiger mascot with proper PPE.
Protective Gloves Display

EHS Sr. Program Manager for Chemical Safety Stanley Howell educates students about the different types of gloves used in the laboratory.
Fire Safety Display at SaFest

Students learn about fire safety with, from left, Associate Fire Marshal Twylen Hicks and Fire Marshal Joe Novak at Frick Laboratory during SaFest.
Displays at Sa[Fest]

Sa[Fest] in the Frick Atrium included varieties of lab coats and fun giveaways.
EHS Talks Waste Containers

EHS Sr. Laboratory Safety Specialist Halina Staniszewska-Goraczniak talks with a student about lab waste containers.
Tiger Mascot at Sa[Fest]

The cutout of the Princeton tiger mascot looks over the proceedings at Frick Laboratory during Sa[Fest].

Spring Sa[Fest] May 2-3, 2023 at Icahn Atrium

Sa[Fest] comes to the Icahn Atrium with informative presentations about PPE, housekeeping (maintaining a cleaner, safer and more efficient lab space), equipment clearance (preparing equipment for surplusing) and biosafety principles and practices. Along with informative exhibits and vendors, there will be a variety of giveaways and raffle prizes, treats and refreshments throughout, and pizza on Tuesday evening (May 2).

May 2: Housekeeping and Rotor Inspections, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.
May 2: Biosafety and Housekeeping, 4 to 6 p.m.
May 3: General PPE, Biosafety and Rotor Inspections, 11 a.m. to 1 p.m.

In addition to on-hand safety experts from EHS, host vendors at the event will be Cintas, Thermo Fisher and Kimberly Clark.

The Icahn Laboratory houses the Lewis-Sigler Institute for Integrative Genomics and the light-filled atrium is worth a special trip in-and-of itself! Mark your calendar and come join Environmental Heath & Safety for this special spring celebration.

Spring Sa[Fest] at Icahn Laboratory

The spring Sa[Fest] brought games, giveaways and great information to the Icahn Atrium. A major theme of this installment was biosafety.

Spring Sa[Fest] Giveaways

Prizes and giveaways included a notebook, tote, custom tumblers, straw kit and stress ball.
Spring Sa[Fest] Tables

Tables at Sa[Fest] highlighted PPE, biosafety, conservation and surplusing lab equipment. Fisher Scientific, Cintas, and Thermo Fisher were on hand with advice and product displays, as was the Princeton Office of Sustainability.
Sa[Fest] Bean Bag Game

The bean bag toss was a popular attraction at Sa[Fest]. Players had to match the item (glass, gloves, etc.) with the proper means of disposal.
Raffle Sign-Up

A raffle offered a plush tiger and Yeti tumbler with a design custom created by EHS safety specialist Chelsea McDonnell.

Sa[Fest] Safety Awareness Week

EHS celebrates Lab Safety Awareness Week 2023 by bringing Sa[Fest] to the E-quad Cafe! Important safety information will be featured over three days, along with prizes and treats for attendees.

Feb. 15: PPE with Stanley Howell and Chelsea McDonnell
Feb. 16: Waste, Housekeeping with Meagan Fitzpatrick, Joan Hutzly and Halina Staniszewska
Feb. 17: Electrical Safety, Lithium-Ion Batteries with Chris Niles

Attend each day for unique promotions and giveaways. Events take place at the E-Quad Cafe, Engineering Quadrangle C, from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Princeton EHS is celebrating Lab Safety Awareness week in partnership with CSHEMA, the Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association.

Sa[Fest] — Lab Safety Awareness Week 2023

Sa[Fest] came to the E-Quad Cafe as part of Lab Safety Awareness Week. EHS staffers provided useful research safety information to a busy crowd of lunchtime visitors who were also eager to enjoy coffee and treats, collect some cool swag and enter a raffle. It was a great chance to meet and reconnect with friends in the research community while reinforcing some important safety principles.

A visitor to the SaFest table on day one talks to Chelsea and Stanley.
Julie Sefa from CBE shows off her custom Sa[Fest] tote bag.
Candy Hearts from the fair were a nice treat for the week of Valentine's Day.
Joan, Halina and Chris display some of the giveaway items on day two.

Sa[Fest] Keynote: Brad Snyder

On Oct. 12, 2022, Sa[Fest] kicked off with a keynote address from Brad Snyder, Paralympic swimmer, retired US Navy Explosive Ordinance Officer and Princeton PhD student. Snyder shared a powerful story of resilience and triumph after an IED explosion in Afghanistan left him fully blind.

The keynote was also part of the Symposium on Storytelling, an event hosted by CSHEMA and Princeton EHS Oct. 11-12 at Frist Campus Center.

Brad Snyder standing at the podium during his keynote address.