Lab Safety
Lab Safety
Summary
How to ensure safety and regulatory compliance before, during, and after lab-related work.
Who is this for?
Lab and research faculty, researchers, staff, and students, including Lab Safety Officers (LSO) and Principal Investigators (PI).
Lab safety at Harvard
Help keep Harvard academic and research labs safe by:
- Managing biological, chemical, physical, and radiological hazards.
- Following safety policies and guidelines for lab equipment, materials, and activities.
Review the Harvard Lab Safety Policy to learn about general safety principles, roles, and responsibilities for all lab work at Harvard.
Labs work with EHS to prevent incidents and safely manage lab activities, equipment, and spaces.
Lab Safety Officers
LSOs are part of each lab's safety team. They prevent incidents and improve the lab safety culture through education, training, and support.
New LSOs must complete LSO orientation.
EHS Lab Safety Advisors
EHS Lab Safety Advisors (LSA) advise LSOs, facilitate safety committee meetings with LSOs, and help manage lab safety-related issues.
Lab materials
Lab activities, equipment, and spaces
EHS support
Contact lab_safety@harvard.edu or your LSA for additional lab safety support, including:
- Lab building system design, operation, and maintenance:
- Emergency equipment and fire separations, detection, and alarms.
- Fume hoods and ventilation, including fume hood certifications and work practices.
- General and local exhaust ventilation systems.
- Lab design review risk assessments.
- Reviews of equipment supplied as part of lab infrastructure.
- Snorkel exhaust arms.
- Toxic gas delivery and monitoring systems.
- Lab equipment and spaces:
- Bunsen burners and hot plates.
- Cold and warm rooms.
- Conservation labs and makerspaces.
- Filming and photography in labs.
- Lab storage, containment, and monitoring.
- Plants in labs.
- Lab safety training.