Lab Surveys and Technical Consultations

Laboratory safety surveys are performed routinely by Risk Management and Safety (RMS) to assess and improve safety at Auburn University research and teaching labs. The main objectives for our lab safety survey program are:

• Provide guidance on general lab safety, management of hazardous chemicals, biosafety, hazard assessment and communication, safety equipment testing etc.
• Communicate observed safety deficiencies with lab personnel, supervisors or Principal Investigators (PIs)
• Collaborate with lab personnel to correct observed safety deficiencies, this reduces risk of injury and exposure to hazardous materials.

PIs are notified in advance of surveys and RMS intends on performing safety surveys for all labs. Self-audits can be done by lab personnel throughout the year using the BioRAFT self-inspection module for your individual space. RMS personnel will provide suggestions to correct observed deficiencies during surveys or schedule follow-up consultations based on findings.  

RMS Lab Safety can be contacted at any time to provide technical consultations on risk assessment or job hazard analysis in addition to scheduled safety surveys. 

We encourage laboratory personnel to utilize the ObservNow feature of BioRAFT to notify us of any mishaps or unplanned events that occur in labs. Near-miss reporting will be used as an educational resource to communicate lessons learned with researchers and as a basis for continuous safety system improvement.