Personal Safety and Accident Prevention

Everyone working in a laboratory is responsible for completing appropriate training and can help create a culture of safety by using:

• Proper attire (PDF) 
• Selecting and using appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE)
• Engineering/Administrative controls for preventing work-related accidents (PDF) in the Stanford University Chemical Hygiene Plan
• Report needlesticks and other lab accidents to your supervisor and complete an Accident, Incident or Exposure Report (SU-17)
• Laboratory Ergonomic Tips and Information
• Medical Surveillance

• Biosafety Cabinets
• Autoclave (Eng / Sp)
• Centrifuge
• Fumehood
• Gel Electrophoresis
• FACS
• General Use SOP

Identifying Hazards in the Lab

Stanford takes a multifaceted approach to identifying hazards.  Hazardous materials are inventoried using the ChemTracker system, the radiological materials procurement process, and biohazardous materials through the Institutional Biosafety Committee registration process. Equipment or processes with special hazards are identified through building program processes to assure that proper facilities are provided, and most important, each of us as employees and members of the Stanford community are encouraged and expected to report safety concerns either through our departmental organizations or to the University’s Environmental Health and Safety or the School’s Health and Safety Programs office.

Compliance and Inspections

Additionally, various compliance and safety inspections and reviews occur regularly throughout the School and campus.

• The Safety and Compliance Assistance Program (SCA)
• City and County agency inspections
• Campus Fire Marshal inspections
• Quarterly lab self-inspections
• Environmental Rounds
• Internal Audits
• Accident and Incident Reports