EH&S conducts routine Lab Safety Reviews of all institutional research, academic, and diagnostic labs. These reviews aim to assess facility design, communicate critical safety guidance, and help ensure compliance with pertinent regulatory standards.
Grading Matrix
It is important to note that EH&S Lab Safety Reviews are graded. In order to provide an objective score, safety considerations are ranked via a risk assessment matrix that evaluates the likelihood of adverse outcomes versus the severity/impact of an event.
- Severity/impact determinations are multifaceted, and key considerations include:
- Direct risk to the health and wellbeing of laboratory workers.
- Indirect risk to the local community, including public safety and environmental health.
- Risk of regulatory noncompliance that potentially disrupts standard operations, imparts fines, or promotes a negative public perception of the University.
- Based upon the risk assessment, safety considerations are graded in accordance with the following criteria*:
- Major Risk Considerations: Worth 3 points. Deficiencies have a high likelihood of adverse outcomes and have been determined to impart a high severity/impact.
- Moderate Risk Considerations: Worth 2 points. These considerations encompass a wide breadth of risk. Depending upon the specific nature of the issue, which may be further confounded by circumstantial considerations, the likelihood or severity affiliated with moderate risk deficiencies may vary.
- Minor Risk Considerations: Worth 1 point. Deficiencies are associated with relatively minor severity/impact.
* To help foster a robust culture of safety, EH&S strives to reduce year-after-year repeat issues. As such, points are doubled for any repeated deficiencies.
Review Checklist
The comprehensive Lab Safety Review Checklist is intended to communicate key considerations that are evaluated during routine reviews. Depending upon the specific lab classification, pertinent considerations will vary.
For assistance with identifying your particular lab classification, please review the MSU Lab Classifications Guide.
Our Procedures
- EH&S Specialists will request booking of a Lab Safety Review appointment with the responsible Principal Investigator, Laboratory Director, or responsible designee. Please see the 2025 Lab Safety Review Schedule which outlines the anticipated review timetable.
- Prior to the appointment, it is imperative for Principal Investigators or appointed responsible designees to submit a current Lab Personnel Roster to disclose all individuals who work in a lab under their supervision. This roster must indicate all personnel who work in the lab including full-time staff (such as research scientists, postdoctoral associates, graduate students, etc.) as well as intermittent workers (such as undergraduate students).
- Based upon the hazards present in the laboratory space, appropriate EH&S subject matter experts will complete the scheduled Lab Safety Review.
- Upon completion of the review, reports will be issued detailing the findings, resolution guidance, and the Lab Safety Score.
- Investigators or responsible designees will need to submit documentation indicating how the noted issues have been addressed within 45 calendar days of the review. If issues are not resolved within this timeframe, safety concerns may be escalated in accordance with OP 03.06, Workplace Safety. For additional guidance regarding the issue resolution procedures, please refer to the linked Corrective Action Workflow reference guide.
- EH&S may coordinate secondary reviews of labs that do not achieve acclaimed lab safety ratings as detailed below.
- In order to potentially increase safety ratings, labs may request an additional EH&S Lab Safety Review 3 months after the initial review. In order to request an additional Lab Safety Survey, please fill out the service request form linked below:
Recognition/Rewards
Labs that earn stellar EH&S Laboratory Safety Review scores will be recognized on their EH&S lab door signage. Rating schemes are as follows:
MAROON: Awarded to labs that achieve ≥95% safety scores.
SILVER: Awarded to labs that achieve 90%-94.9% safety scores.
BRONZE: Awarded to labs that achieve 85%-89.9% safety scores.
All labs that earn a Maroon rating, will also be issued an EH&S Excellence in Safety Challenge Coin to commemorate their stellar achievement.