All University of Michigan faculty, staff, other employees, and students working in laboratories or conducting research, regardless of location are responsible for the safety of themselves as well as those working around them. You must:
- Adhere to the highest standards for the safe operation of facilities and the protection of our environment, our employees, students, and visitors, and the people of the communities in which we work by following rules and precautions regarding working alone, lab work environment, time at work, and use of personal protective equipment (PPE).
- Continuously improve your safety practices.
- Receive and understand safety training appropriate to your level of activity in the laboratory, including the EHS Laboratory Safety Training Course and any additional training programs identified and provided by EHS, UMOR, or Unit for Laboratory Animal Medicine (ULAM) specific to actions being performed or materials being handled.
- Report issues or raise questions to your supervisor, professor, EHS, or the UM Division of Public Safety & Security (DPSS) so that action can be taken to prevent or correct safety concerns. Anonymous reporting may be made through the University Compliance Hotline at 1-866-990-0111; however, local reporting is encouraged so matters can be resolved more quickly.
- Take responsibility for personal safety as well as the safety of others in the work area by notifying everyone in the immediate vicinity of hazardous situations or operations, and following all alarms, warnings, and direction from emergency management staff.
EHS provides guidance, training, and oversight for anyone managing a laboratory and/or using one or more of the following hazards as part of their research protocol:
- Hazardous chemical, biological, or radiological substances and materials, or operations
- Animals
- Autonomous Vehicles
- Lasers
- Field Research
- Scientific diving
EHS staff also provide radiation safety services and oversight for UHMS clinicians.