Report a Safety Concern

Incident • Close Call/Near Miss • Hazard • Question • Suggestion

Everyone plays an important role in maintaining a safe teaching and research environment. Reporting incidents, near misses, unsafe conditions, and safety concerns helps us identify hazards, improve procedures, and prevent future injuries.

Our goal is to learn—not assign blame. Reports are reviewed by the Department Safety Coordinator and, when appropriate, in collaboration with supervisors, Environmental Health & Safety (EHS), and other campus resources to identify practical solutions and improve safety throughout the department.

What Should I Report?

Please report any event or condition that could affect the safety of our department, including:

  • Injuries or work-related illnesses
  • Chemical spills or releases
  • Chemical exposures
  • Near misses
  • Unsafe conditions or hazards
  • Damaged safety equipment
  • Equipment failures
  • Fires or fire-related incidents
  • Blocked exits or emergency equipment
  • Questions about safe work practices
  • Suggestions for improving safety

When in doubt, report it.

Report an Incident or Close Call

Use this form to report accidents, injuries, chemical spills, close calls, unsafe conditions, or other safety-related events.

Reports are sent directly to the Safety Coordinator, who will follow up as needed to understand what happened, coordinate resources, and help identify ways to prevent similar incidents in the future.

There is no retribution for reporting an injury, incident, or close call. Reporting is encouraged because it helps improve the safety of everyone in our department.

Incident and Close Call Reporting Form

Anonymous Safety Questions and Suggestions

Have a safety question, concern, or idea, but prefer to remain anonymous?

Use the anonymous reporting form to:

  • Ask questions about laboratory procedures
  • Report unsafe practices or conditions
  • Suggest improvements to our safety program
  • Share ideas that could improve communication or laboratory safety

Anonymous submissions are sent directly to the Safety Coordinator.

Anonymous Safety Concern Form

What Happens After I Submit a Report?

Every report is reviewed to determine what actions may be needed. Depending on the situation, this may include:

  • Following up with the reporting individual
  • Correcting unsafe conditions
  • Coordinating with supervisors or Environmental Health & Safety (EHS)
  • Updating laboratory procedures or Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs)
  • Improving training or communication
  • Sharing lessons learned with the department when appropriate

Our goal is continuous improvement—not blame.

Why Reporting Matters

Many improvements in our department begin with someone speaking up.

Reporting incidents, close calls, and hazards helps us:

  • Identify trends before injuries occur
  • Improve laboratory procedures
  • Strengthen training programs
  • Replace or repair unsafe equipment
  • Build a stronger culture of safety

Thank you for helping create a safe, healthy, and collaborative research environment.

Related Safety Resources

Every report matters.

Many of the improvements made in our department have started with someone asking a question, reporting a close call, or identifying a hazard. Thank you for helping us build a safer research environment.