A robust safety culture doesn’t happen by accident; it requires deliberate action from every level of laboratory staff. Laboratory managers, safety representatives, and even directors, have a responsibility to maintain a safe environment for the staff. Plenty of advice exists to help improve lab safety culture, but simply knowing what to do isn’t enough. Safety audit results, key performance indicators, and injury and exposure rates can give leadership a glimpse of where the lab ranks regarding safety. However, improvements to the safety culture are not possible if they aren’t prioritized. Real progress comes when leaders step up to actively drive the changes needed to improve the safety culture.
Culture is contagious—Empower the right people to lead by example
Your laboratory’s greatest asset is its people. Aside from lab leaders, informal influencers can have a significant impact on your lab safety culture. A positive influencer can boost morale and get others onboard with safety. Their energy and safety-minded attitude can spread and feed into the culture. These individuals need encouragement and support from leadership, otherwise their positive energy may fizzle out. Acknowledging safe acts in the eyes of lab employees not only gives those positive influencers the recognition they deserve, but it can also motivate others to adopt those safe behaviors. Of course, not all influencers can be positive.
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There are those in the lab that drain the safety culture but require attention as well. When staff do not feel there are consequences for skirting around safety policies or procedures, there is no motivation or incentive to change the inappropriate behavior. Managers must enforce the rules and regulations to keep staff and visitors safe. However, accountability should not stop there. Managers should also be held accountable for letting unsafe acts go unnoticed. Something as simple as not enforcing the use of personal protective equipment could land the lab, hospital, or organization in hot water with regulatory agencies like the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA). For example, as part of OSHA’s Bloodborne Pathogen standard, employers not only have to ensure that PPE is available but actively enforce its use when deemed necessary (OSHA 1910.1030(d)(3)(i)). Upper management should take notice when labs fail to follow safety standards and encourage leaders to prioritize adherence to rules and regulations.
Use feedback tools to assess and improve safety culture
What you think you know about your lab’s safety culture might only be on the periphery of what’s really going on. Safety surveys, Gemba walks, and temperature checks are not to be overlooked. These tools are essential to understanding where your safety culture stands, where it needs to be, and how the lab needs to improve. One of the most impactful acts a manager or safety representative can do is show urgency when it comes to staff safety. Whether a staff member brings a new safety concern to the manager, or a safety issue is found during an audit, how the manager responds sends a message to the staff. Managers that respond swiftly to the problem show staff the safety of the laboratory environment and the well-being of the employees are important. Staff are more likely to bring up concerns knowing that they will be resolved in a reasonable amount of time. On the other hand, staff are less likely to report unsafe conditions if managers do not make it a priority to address their concerns. Failing to correct issues found during an audit not only makes the audit a waste of time, but it can quickly damage the safety culture and may give the employees the impression that leadership is not concerned with their safety. Once staff feel safety is not an integral element in their lab, employees may choose to disregard safety policies themselves or decide to leave the lab altogether.
Empower staff to speak up and share solutions
What is the best way to get staff to recognize hazards in the lab and to make the necessary changes to mitigate those risks? Managers who openly discuss these hazards and include staff in the discussion have the most success. It takes time and effort to improve a lacking safety culture, so you will have to come in on those off shifts, be present on weekends and holidays, and talk to each employee multiple times throughout this process.
Start by introducing discussions around safety during shift changes or huddles. If your labs run three shifts, try to be present at the third to first shift change, and at the first shift to second shift change. Within two five–10-minute meetings, you are able to meet with every employee working in a single day. Aside from discussion around lab operations, bring up any safety concerns. If the lab is experiencing an increase in injury and exposure rates, talk about the issues. Ask staff why they think there is an increase. Ask them how or why they think the incidents occurred and discuss how they could have been prevented. This not only gives you their perspective but shows that you value their input.
When it is time to discuss how to develop better safety in the lab, start by asking the staff what changes they feel are necessary to make improvements. With this approach, changes in the lab are not coming from the top down, but from within the lab itself. If an employee recently sustained exposure to the eyes because they dropped a sample and were not wearing eye protection, have the staff discuss openly the best way to prevent a splash to the eyes. That is more impactful than a manager telling staff that goggles must be worn in the lab. More staff involvement leads to better staff buy-in, which is crucial for culture change.
Safety culture is everyone’s responsibility
Laboratory staff do more than simply run tests and generate results. They control the dynamic of the environment, the atmosphere, and, yes, the safety culture. Just as the lab cannot function without great leadership, the culture and climate need attention, too. By prioritizing open communication, regular training, and continuous evaluation of safety practices, organizations can significantly reduce incidents and create a safer environment for both employees and patients. Safety isn’t a box to check—it’s a continuous journey that benefits every member of the laboratory community.
