The only thing that changed was the title. The job, the responsibilities, even the pay were exactly the same, but when the title was changed to director, the relationships, levels of trust, gossip and impediments to getting things done were all out of whack for a couple of months. This is a situation that takes more than simple explanations to fix.

No matter how prepared new researchers think they are for the hazards they’re going to encounter in the lab, it’s pretty likely they’re eventually going to have some type of mishap that reminds them that firsthand experience has no substitute.

This simple idea preceded by 15 years the requirements of the OSHA Lab Standard for “Standard Operating Procedures,” “Control Measures” and “Special Provisions for Working with Particularly Hazardous Substances.”

No matter how old or young workers may be, certain management principles are usually effective: make them accountable for their work, treat them with respect, and say thank you. These principles have value whether you work at a large corporation or in a small scientific lab.

We probably all have things that we say to ourselves when we are trying to push toward something new or different. Some of mine are: “Enough is enough,” “Wake up,” and “Aw, what the heck, do it anyhow.”

To appreciate the significance—or the ubiquity— of commercial tamper protection, one needn’t go any farther than the local grocery store. You, and many other consumers, probably wouldn't use a product with a broken seal. If grocery store patrons have a low tolerance for uncertainty, imagine the burden of proof facing scientific intellectual property owners in a court of law.

“Intellectual property has the shelf life of a banana,” commented Microsoft’s Bill Gates. So why should laboratory managers worry about keeping intellectual property confidential? Gates’ statement may be true for computers and information technology. However, in many other business areas, intellectual property can have a much longer shelf life and needs to remain confidential for many years.

One of the most common and important things we Safety Guys deal with is the start-up of new laboratories. As construction is completed, new research buildings open and the labs come online, issues inevitably arise.

Laboratory managers agree that getting scientists to wear personal protective equipment (PPE) in the laboratory is a daily struggle. After repeated violations for which the use of threats was ineffective, I decided a more creative approach was in order.

OSHA celebrated its 40th birthday this year. And to commemorate the milestone, Assistant Secretary of Labor Dr. David Michaels gave some excellent remarks at the Center for American Progress in April.