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.

1. The Laboratory and Research Safety Committee (LRSC), established in 2015, provides oversight on laboratory and research safety 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 (UMOR) and the Department of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS). The LRSC reviews policies and procedures for laboratory safety and makes regular reports, including recommendations for improvements, to the executive officers. In addition, the LRSC works with EHS to implement enforceable corrective actions for laboratories with serious or chronic safety issues.
2. Each school and college and all major research units are expected to have unit-level safety committees, unless they have been exempted by the LRSC. The unit-level committees monitor conditions, take corrective actions, and report concerns to the LRSC.
3. Additional information about safety oversight can be found on the UMOR and EHS websites: research.umich.edu/ethics-compliance/offices-and-committees-involved-in-research-policies/ and ehs.umich.edu/

The University requires safety training for faculty, students, staff, and visitors who use campus laboratories. Information about required training is available on the ESH website: ehs.umich.edu/education/what-training-do-i-need/

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

Urgent concerns about laboratory safety should be reported to EHS, 734-647-1143 . Office hours are 7:00am – 4:00pm.
After hours emergency contact is through the Department of Public Safety 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 Laboratory and Research Safety Committee (LRSC).