Recommendations: Institution-Wide Dynamics and Resources

Recommendation 6. The campus lead, leadership team, and faculty, embed safety communication in laboratories, classes, departments and throughout the wider campus.

The University of Minnesota safety video winner for 2015
Available from the University of Minnesota.
A humorous video that highlights some common laboratory mistakes.
A Day in the Lab
Available from University of California San Diego.
Highlights some common laboratory mistakes.
Lab Techniques & Safety: Crash Course Chemistry #21
Available at Crash Course.
An accessible video on some important points for lab safety.
Experimenting with Danger
Available at the Chemical Safety Board.
Provides hazards associated with conducting research at chemical laboratories in academic institutions.

WolfAlert Emergency Communication Campaign
Available from North Carolina State University
North Carolina State University won CSHEMA’s institutional marketing campaign Award of Excellence.
Focus on Safety
Available at the University of Nevada Reno.
University of Nevada Reno’s campaign earned the ‘Marketing Campaign Award of Distinction’ at the CSHEMA national conference.

The Chemical & Engineering News (C&EN) Safety Zone blog “covers chemical safety issues in academic and industrial research labs, as well as in chemical manufacturing”.
BioRaft Research Safety Blog – regularly updated blog on safety news.
Safety Library
Available at WCF.
WCF has a large library of helpful safety resources, including safety posters, safety meeting resources, checklists, videos, and more.
Safety and Health Topics
Available at the United States Department of Labor.
Regularly provides information on safety and health hazards that can be shared with the campus community
Workplace Safety & Health Topics
Available at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
Provides information that can be shared with the campus community.
Fast Facts
Available at University of California, Riverside.
Brief, one-page summaries of various safety topics that can be used for reference or training.

From Safe Science: Promoting a Culture of Safety in Academic Chemical Research (NRC, 2014):
- Conclusion 4: There are several key attributes related to research group dynamics that contribute to the advancement of the laboratory safety culture. A strong, positive safety culture includes regular safety communication, for example, “safety moments” in academic research events (e.g. seminars, group meeting, doctoral defenses, and teaching includes open communication about safety as a key element that is sought out, values, and acted upon.
From Cultures in Academic Institutions (ACS, 2012):
- Recommendation 16. Establish a system to promote safety in an institution or department that encompasses: electronic communications; printed materials;’ special seminars or events discussing or promoting safety; a recognition system for good safety performance; and a process to solicit, review, and act on suggestions for improving safety and identifying safety issues.