Committees

Laboratory Safety Committee

The University is committed to maintaining a safe and healthy environment for its students, faculty, staff, and visitors. Cultivating a culture of safety is a shared responsibility that requires all individuals working in laboratories to be appropriately trained and to comply with University policies and procedures. The Laboratory Safety Committee (LSC) promotes safe working and learning conditions in all research and teaching laboratories on campus with respect to general laboratory safety and chemical hygiene. The LSC serves as a forum where members of the campus community can collaboratively discuss laboratory safety issues, challenges, and initiatives. In recognition of the specialized oversight provided by the Institutional Biosafety Committee and the Radiation Safety Committee, the LSC focuses on laboratory hazards not specifically addressed by those committees. In cases where jurisdictions overlap, the more stringent requirement applies.

Moreover, the University recognizes its obligation to exercise a duty of care in maintaining laboratory environments that are reasonably safe and free from foreseeable harm. This includes implementing policies, procedures, and training programs designed to identify, evaluate, and mitigate risks associated with research laboratory activities, particularly for students engaged in instructional settings. While expectations for independent judgement may differ among undergraduate students, graduate students, faculty, and staff, the University shall maintain consistent standards of safety training, hazard communication, and risk management to reduce the likelihood of injury, illness, or loss of life to demonstrate compliance with applicable legal and regulatory obligations.