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 on laboratories, shops and studios 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 the Department of Environment, Health & Safety (EHS). The RASC reviews policies and procedures for laboratory 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 laboratories 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 initiative is designed to support U-M researchers by reducing burden while also increasing adherence to research safety requirements, based on feedback from laboratory directors, unit safety committees and others.

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

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.

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 Research and Academic Safety Committee (RASC).