Lab Safety

A person works with three chemical flasks containing transparent clear liquid

Before entering any of our Department’s Laboratories, and taking advantage of the unique facilities available at the University of Michigan, you need to be properly trained and comply with all safety requirements.

If you purchase a chemical, remember to document it in your lab’s chemical inventory and/or EHS’s online safety portal. Refer to your supervising faculty with any questions.

Safety training is required for anyone working in research laboratories or conducting work that leads to potential contact with hazardous materials. No work can be conducted until proof is supplied to the supervisor of the laboratory that the requisite safety training has been completed.

Specialized training may also be required to operate certain equipment and devices, so always check with the laboratory supervisor about the safety requirements and training associated with any equipment usage.

For Occupational Injury, Illness or Incidents, look at this page for reference. The flow chart will guide you through the steps. Incident and Near Miss reporting is required. (EHS Reporting Incidents).

Lab Safety Basics

No laboratory work can be conducted until proof is supplied to the supervisor of the laboratory that the requisite safety training has been completed.

Access training modules

Close-up of a researcher inserting a syringe into a vial — Lauren Stadler, Environmental Engineering PhD Student, measures ammonia concentration levels in water samples in the Environmental and Water Resources Engineering Building on February 5, 2014

Lissa MacVean, CEE Lecturer, teaches a class outside of the EWRE Building on North Campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, MI on September 1, 2020. Photo: Joseph Xu/Michigan Engineering, Communications & Marketing

CEE Lab Safety

If you have encountered an issue where you need to fill out a EHS Safety and Near Miss Incident Report, please do so using the button below.

Access EHS Reporting Incidents

A student handles water samples while wearing safetly goggles and rubber gloves — Nathaniel Sculley, CEE Graduate Student, stores testing water samples from an industrial waste site inside the Cooley Building on North Campus in Ann Arbor, MI on February 6, 2020 CEE is working with John Foster, Professor of Nuclear Engineering and Radiological Sciences, to test the efficiency of plasma radiation for the destruction of PFAS Low temperature plasma efficiently uses energetic electrons to drive a reactive mix of hydroxyl radical, ozone, UV as well as ultrasound shockwaves dosing the water in a reactive species that shatters the PFAS molecules Foster’s set up with plasma exposes the contaminated water to high temperatures upward to several thousands of degrees from repetitive bursts of plasma over a short period of time completely disassociating any trace of PFAS in the water sample Photo by Robert Coelius/University of Michigan Engineering, Communications and Marketing

U-M Environmental Health and Safety

The EHS department promotes health, safety and environmental compliance within the U-M campus community.

Learn more

For general questions about the GGB Laboratories contact Jan Pantolin

For general questions about the EWRE Laboratories contact Tom Yavaraski