The University of Michigan is committed to providing safe working and learning conditions for all employees, students, and campus visitors. A campus-wide understanding of the need for safety is a critical foundation for this culture. The University has a multi-pronged approach for supporting and enhancing this culture. It includes faculty-led oversight of laboratory safety, education and training for all laboratory personnel, and campus-wide registry of laboratories, chemicals, and equipment.

Safety, in all academic and research endeavors throughout campus, is a core institutional value at the University of Michigan. Exceptional research means safe research and all campus community members working to ensure that safety is prioritized in U-M research environments every day. The dedication of U-M’s research community is essential to keeping research safe and for elevating the university’s reputation as a global leader in research and scholarship. Thanks to the efforts of researchers and administrators, the university has made tremendous strides toward improving research safety since the launch of the safety initiative.

• The Research and Academic Safety Committee (RASC), provides oversight of research and academic areas across the Ann Arbor campus.  It is a faculty-led committee that includes representatives from the schools, colleges, research centers, and institutes as well as representatives from the University of Michigan Office of Research (OVPR) and Environment, Health & Safety (EHS). The RASC reviews policies and procedures for research and creative space safety and makes regular reports, including recommendations for improvements, to the executive officers. In addition, the RASC works with EHS to implement enforceable corrective actions for research and creative spaces with serious or chronic safety issues.
• The Research Safety First Initiative launched in 2022 as a new phase in the partnership between the University of Michigan, Environment, Health and Safety and the U-M Research and Academic Safety Committee.

The University requires safety training for faculty, students, staff, and visitors who use campus laboratories. Information about required training is available on the Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) website: ehs.umich.edu

The University maintains a campus-wide inventory of laboratories, chemicals, and select equipment that contributes to effective oversight of lab safety through Michigan Research Cores.

• MI Safety Portal is a data management system that is used to support U-M’s EHS compliance. This comprehensive system allows users to easily and efficiently manage their EHS compliance by accessing applicable training, inspection, inventory and other records and reports. This system also provides a centralized view of compliance and safety metrics. 
• See the Research and Academic Safety Policy

Urgent concerns about laboratory safety should be reported to Environment, Health and Safety (EHS), 734-647-1143 . Office hours are 7:00am – 4:00pm.
After hours emergency contact is through the  Division of Public Safety and Security (DPSS) at 734-763-1131 or from a campus phone 911.

The U-M Compliance Hotline may also be used to report concerns: compliance.umich.edu/report-a-concern/

Concerns can also be reported to safety coordinators, unit safety committees, or the Research and Academic Safety Committee (RASC).