The University of Calgary’s approach to laboratory chemical management is gaining international attention following publication of a peer-reviewed case study in ACS Chemical Health and Safety, a journal of the American Chemical Society. The study, led by the university’s Environment, Health and Safety (EHS) team, highlights its focus on managing time-sensitive and high-risk chemical hazards in research environments.
The publication describes how a coordinated laboratory chemical management framework strengthened hazard identification, reporting culture, and incident preparedness across campus laboratories. For laboratory managers, the findings provide insight into how a structured chemical safety program can support regulatory compliance while improving operational resilience and lab safety leadership.
Laboratory chemical management strategies across research environments
According to the authors, the university’s laboratory chemical management program evolved through years of collaboration and practical experience responding to near-miss incidents, specialized disposal events, and routine laboratory operations. The approach emphasizes integrating chemical safety practices into daily workflows rather than treating them solely as compliance requirements.
Key elements highlighted in the publication include cross-department coordination between EHS professionals and laboratory personnel, proactive hazard identification, and formal response protocols for both planned and unplanned chemical disposal situations. These strategies are intended to reduce risk while allowing research and teaching activities to proceed without disruption.
“This publication marks an exciting new chapter for us,” said Eoin O’Grady, PhD, associate director, laboratory safety, and university biosafety officer with EHS. “We’re sharing UCalgary’s approach so other post-secondary institutions can benefit, too, building safer, stronger research and teaching environments that support people and the work they care about.”
Managing time-sensitive hazards within a chemical safety program
Time-sensitive chemicals, including materials that degrade or become unstable over time, represent a significant risk in laboratories with diverse inventories and long project timelines. The case study describes how improved awareness and reporting processes enabled earlier identification of potentially hazardous materials, reducing risks during handling and removal.
The chemical safety program also emphasized collaboration between laboratory personnel and safety professionals during hazard assessments and disposal planning, particularly for chemicals requiring specialized response measures. Integrating these processes into laboratory chemical management workflows helped improve preparedness for both routine operations and unexpected events.
Lab safety leadership and organizational culture
The publication identifies organizational culture as a major factor influencing safety outcomes. A proactive, non-blaming approach encouraged personnel to report concerns and near misses, increasing engagement across departments and strengthening lab safety leadership.
“I have seen a clear cultural shift in our department driven by EHS’s proactive, collaborative, and non-blaming approach to chemical management,” said Belinda Heyne, PhD, head of the department of chemistry. “As awareness of time-sensitive chemical hazards has improved and reporting feels safe, engagement across research and teaching has grown, strengthening research excellence.”
Implications for laboratory managers
Although developed within an academic setting, the laboratory chemical management framework described in the case study has broader relevance for laboratories managing complex chemical inventories. Programs that combine technical controls with collaborative leadership and transparent communication may help organizations strengthen safety performance while maintaining productivity.
For laboratory managers, the findings highlight the importance of integrating chemical lifecycle oversight, incident preparedness, and reporting culture into routine operations. Strengthening a laboratory chemical management program may improve resilience, reduce risk exposure, and support long-term safety goals across research environments.
This article was created with the assistance of Generative AI and has undergone editorial review before publishing.
