Report on College of Engineering Safety

Culture Survey

Amy Haberman, Director of Laboratory Safety

August 22, 2014

Executive Summary

Survey Objectives
Participants were asked to complete an online survey of questions to determine the attitudes,
perceptions and behaviors as they relate to safety within the College of Engineering. The intent
of this survey is to establish a baseline moving forward, as well as identify weak areas to target
change initiatives. This study was conducted under the approval of IRB 2, protocol #2014-U-
173.
The survey went live on 21st April 2014 and was closed on 30th June 2014 and was sent to all
faculty, staff, graduate students and undergraduates conducting research. Overall 826 of 3096
completed responses were submitted which accounts to 26% of the total sample.
The survey was administered to the following departments:

 Agricultural and Biomedical Engineering

 Chemical Engineering
 Computer and Information Systems Engineering
 Electrical and Computer Engineering
 Biomedical Engineering
 Materials Science Engineering
 Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering
 Civil and Coastal Engineering
 Environmental Engineering Sciences
 Industrial Systems Engineering
 Administration

All questions were voluntary. From April 21 – June 10th respondents could only move forward
through the survey, but could not move back. From June 10th – June 30th we enabled the back
button, this was in response to a complaint and many surveys started but not submitted.
All responses were anonymous.
Respondent groups:

 Junior respondents: undergraduate students, graduate students, post doc, research

scientist, administrative support
 Senior respondents: lecturer, director/manager, technician/engineer, professor
Summary of Findings
 Graduate Students (54%) and professors (19%) are the largest populations working with
hazardous materials (defined as: special research materials (biologicals, radiological, or
other), research chemicals, or industrial/mechanical or electrical equipment)
 45% graduate students are spending 5 or fewer hours working with hazardous
materials.
 40% stated they are spending more than 5 and less than 20 hours per week.
 35% of graduate students stated they are working with these hazardous materials when
no one else is present in their work area, and
 23% state they are doing their work outside of normal business working hours (8 a.m. –
5 p.m.)
 90% of respondents said that PPE is required for their job
 Only 65% stated they always wear the required PPE
 Only 25% of respondents stated they do a documented hazard assessment before
conducting an experiment
 85% know how to ensure research and safety equipment is in proper working order
 82% know how to report an issue if they find research or safety equipment if an issue is
found
 84% believe that members of their work unit have received sufficient safety training in
order to do their job in a safe manner
 91% of senior faculty/staff said they have trained their staff to the specific agents or
hazards they work with
 80% of junior staff/researchers state they received training to the specific agents or
hazards they work with
 87% are comfortable speaking to EHS about safety concerns
 91% of senior respondents (faculty and supervising staff) said they regularly check on
their staff to ensure they are performing their job in a safe manner
 74% of the junior respondents agreed that their supervisor regularly checks on them
 20 junior and 19 senior staff said their work units experienced an incident (they could
have been reporting the same incident)
 15 of these incidents resulted in a change in procedure to prevent it from happening
again
 11 of the 20 were reported to the department chair and EHS
 In 17 of the 20 incidents unsafe actions were attributed to the root cause
 88% of junior respondents said they feel comfortable speaking to their peers about
safety concerns
  88% of junior respondents said they feel comfortable speaking to their supervisor about
safety concerns
 The largest responding group- 34% did not know who manages day-to-day safety
matters for their work unit
 22% (largest group) of respondents said the members of their work unit perform routine
safety checks a few times a semester
 18% said that they do not conduct routine safety checks at all
 96% of all respondents said they personally feel that safety in the workplace is very
important
 86% of juniors said their PI or supervisor sets a good example for safety
 27% was the value of agreement assigned to the statement “safety procedures currently
required for my work are too stringent” (0% strongly disagree, 50% is neutral, 100%
would be strongly agree)
 73% of respondents strongly agree that their peers demonstrate safety is very
important during their work

Conclusions
The COE Safety Steering committee met to discuss the results on 8/20/14. We concluded that
the results were as expected, as gauging from our personal opinions and perceptions of safety
culture in the college.
We agreed we’d begin by targeting the easy tasks that have a low commitment in time and
money investment.

 Improve knowledge of who is in charge of day-to-day safety matters for work units
 Improve upon incident reporting rate
 Increase PPE compliance rate
 Increase number of documented pre-experiment hazard assessments
 Decrease amount of lone working
 Decrease amount of working outside normal working hours

Recommendations
Our COE Safety Steering Committee will work together to identify specific actions
to take to improve upon these areas in the next month.
Q3. For what department do you primarily work or receive funding?

160 142
140 129
120 99
95
Responses

100
74 74
80 64
53
60 44
40 23 29
20
0

Department

Department Participation percentage

College of Engineering Administration 45.39
Engineering School of Sustainable Infrastructure & 29.7
Environment (Civil or Coastal Eng. & Environmental
Eng. Sciences)
Biomedical Engineering 29.44
Material Science and Engineering 27.81
Chemical Engineering 27.21
Electrical & Computer Engineering 25.77
Mechanical & Aerospace Engineering 24.39
Computer & Information Science Engineering 21.20
Industrial & Systems Engineering 11.6
Q4. Which job title below best describes your current title/role?

500
455
450
400
350
300
Responses

250
200
Junior Staff
150 111 116
100 Senior Staff

24 25 27 37
50 12 19
0

Even in the Laboratory Safety culture survey-2012, majority of the respondents were Graduate students
(about 24%).
Source: University of California Center for Laboratory Safety, BioRAFT and Nature Publishing Group (September
2012). Laboratory Safety Culture Survey

Title Survey Count

contribution
percentage

Graduate Student 55.11 455

Professor 14.00 116

Administrative Support 13.44 111

Undergraduate Student 4.48 37

Post-Doc 3.27 27

Director/Manager 3.02 25

Technician/Engineer 2.92 24

Research Scientist 2.31 19

Lecturer 1.45 12

Total 100 826

Q5. Have you worked with special research materials, research chemicals or
industrial, mechanical, and/or electrical equipment while in your current role
within your work unit?

Percent breakdown of working with Hazard

60 Materials
54

50

40

30
19
20
Junior
10 7
3 3 3 4 4 Senior
2
0

Title Count

Graduate Student 250

Professor 89

Undergraduate Student 32

Technician/Engineer 20

Post-Doc 18

Administrative Support 16

Research Scientist 13

Director/Manager 13

Lecturer 11

Total 462
Q6. How many years of experience do you have working with Special research
materials (Biological materials, radioactive materials, etc..)

Experience working with Special Research Materials

35
31
29
30
No.of respondents

25

20
15
15 13 13
9
10
5 6
3 4
5 2 2 1 2 2 2 2 2
1 1 1 1 1
0
Less than 1 year 1 to 3 years 4 to 6 years 7 to 10 years More than 10 years
Duration

Undergraduate Graduate Post-Doc

Administrative Support Research Scientist Lecturer
Professor Director/Manager Technician/Engineer

Q7. How many years of experience do you have working with Chemical
(including chemical storage and manipulations or reactions, including gases,
acids, bases, solvents, etc…)

Experience working with Research Chemicals

70 65
60 61
60
50
No. of respondents

40
30
20 20
20
6 7 6 6 8
10 2 1 1 4 3 2 3 3 2 3
1 1 1 1 1 1
0
Less than 1 year 1 to 3 years 4 to 6 years 7 to 10 years More than 10 years
Duration

Undergraduate Graduate Post-Doc

Administrative Staff Research Scientist Lecturer
Professor Director/Manager Technician/Engineer
Q8. How many years of experience do you have working with Industrial,
mechanical, electrical equipment?

Experience working with Industrial, Mechanical, and/or

Electrical equipments
100 91
90
80 73
69
No.of respondents

70
60
48
50
40
30
17 16 16
20 10 11 9
7 5 3 5 2 5 4 4 5 7 6
10 1 1 1 2 3 1 1 1 1 1 3 1 1
0
Less than 1 year 1 to 3 years 4 to 6 years 7 to 10 years More than 10 years
Duration

Undergraduate Graduate Post-Doc

Administrative Support Research Scientist Lecturer
Professor Director/Manager Technician/Engineer

Q9. What are the average hours PER WEEK spent working with Hazard
materials or equipment?

Average hours per week working with hazard

materials

87
5 or fewer
144

30
More than 5 up to 20
141

16
More than 20 up to 40
51

6
More than 40
14

0 20 40 60 80 100 120 140 160

Senior Junior
Q10. What percentage of your time spent working with Hazard materials or
equipment is working ALONE, without anyone else present in your work area?

Research Scientists have the highest amount of time working alone with hazard materials or equipment.
The following graph gives the percentage of time each class spends in working alone with hazard
materials-

Average Percentage of time working alone with

Hazard Materials
50
43.71
45
38.21
40 35.46 36.3
35
27.54 28.61 29.11
30
25
20 18.17
15.95
15 Junior
10 Senior
5
0
Q11. What percentage of your time spent working with Hazard materials or
equipment is OUTSIDE of the standard work day (on weekends, late at night)?

The following graph shows the average percentage of time spent by every class working with the hazard
materials outside normal working hours-

Average Percent of time working outside normal

hours
30
24 24.45
25
19
20 16.82 17.83
13.54 14.15
15

10 8.5
6 Junior
5 Senior

0
Q12. Is Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) required for your job?

318 respondents mentioned that they require Personal Protective equipment (PPE) for their job, but
only 206 which accounts to 65% of them use it all the time

Is PPE required for your job?

250
224

200

150

90 94
100

50 39
31
7
0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

Yes No Not sure

Q13. How often do you use the required personal protective equipment (PPE)?

How often do you use PPE?

160
139
140

120

100

80 72
67
60

40
22
20

0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

All the time Often

Q14. Before I conduct my experiment-

Before experiment is conducted

160 152

140
120
100
77
80
57 54 54
60
37 37
40
20 10
0
Junior Staff (High Risk) Senior Staff (High Risk)

Hazards or risks are assessed informally (Not documented)

I do not perform research in the lab
Hazard or risk assessment is conducted and documented
There is no hazard or risk assessment conducted

Responses Junior Senior

Hazard or risks are assessed informally (Not documented) 45% 39%

I do not perform research in the lab 17% 27%

Hazard or risk assessment is conducted and documented 23% 27%

There is no hazard or risk assessment conducted 16% 7%

Q15. /Q31. Who performs Hazard or risk assessment for your experiments?

Who performs hazard or risk assessment?

120 110

100

80

60 55 53

40
40
21
20

0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

I do Other lab staff Principal Investigator

Q17. How often is safety discussed at faculty meetings?

Majority of the faculty says that safety is discussed at faculty meetings sometimes or often. The
following table gives the distribution of their responses

How often is safety discussed at faculty meetings?

25
21
20

15
11
10
10 8
6
5 5
5 4
3
1
0
Senior Staff (Low risk) Senior Staff (High risk)

Never Rarely Sometimes Often All the time

Q18. /Q32. Agree or disagree - "I know how to ensure that research and safety
equipment (including personal protective equipment) is in proper working
order”
Junior and Senior staff strongly agree with it-

87 86.59

86

85
Average Value

84

82.89
83

82

81
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement
Q19. /Q33. Agree or disagree- "I know how to report an issue with research or
safety equipment if one is found."

Junior and Senior staff strongly agree with it:

90
88.53
88

86

84
Average Value

82

80 78.87

78

76

74
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement

Q20. /Q37. Agree or Disagree- "I believe the members of my work unit have
received sufficient safety training in order to do their jobs in a safe manner."

84.1
84
84

83.9

83.8
Average Value

83.7

83.6 83.55

83.5

83.4

83.3
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement
Q21. Agree or disagree- "My staff receives training on the specific agents or
hazards that they work with in the lab."

Q38. Agree or Disagree- "I received safety training on the specific agents or
hazards I work with."

93% of the PI’s strongly say that their staff receives training of specific agents or hazards that they work
with on their job. As most of them agree, only 36 out of 254 i.e. 14% of the juniors responded that they
have not and/or feel they have not received sufficient safety training-

92 91.04

90

88

86
Average Value

84

82
79.99
80

78

76

74
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement

Source: University of California Center for Laboratory Safety, BioRAFT and Nature Publishing Group (September
2012). Laboratory Safety Culture Survey

Do scientists feel effectively equipped with the knowledge and tools required to enable be safe in
their laboratories?

 80% and more said they have received sufficient training in order to be both compliant with the
rules and regulations related to their lab duties and minimize the risk of injuries
 Majority agreed that their labs always have sufficient supplies of PPE, and the equipment is
certified and in good working condition

According to our survey, majority of the people responded that they have received safety training on the
specific agents or hazards they work with. Also, they use PPE if required for their job and ensuring it is in
a proper working condition.
Q22. /Q36. Agree or Disagree- "If needed, I would feel comfortable speaking to
UF Environmental Health & Safety about safety concerns."

92
90.96

90

88
Average Value

86

84
82.48
82

80

78
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement
Q23. Agree or disagree- "As the work unit supervisor or PI, I regularly check
on my staff to ensure they are performing their work duties in a safe manner."

Q39. Agree or disagree- "My supervisor/lab manager/PI regularly checks

ensure I am performing my work duties in a safe manner."
From 115 responses, 108 i.e. 90.51% of the PI’s say that they regularly check their staff to ensure they
are performing their duties in a safe manner. From 263 responses of the staff, 183 i.e. 73.76% strongly
agree with it.

100
90.51
90

80 73.76
70

60
Average Value

50

40

30

20

10

0
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement
Q26. /Q40. In the last year, has your work unit experienced an incident
(injury, spill, and near-miss) while under your supervision/ while working in
your current role at UF?

Occurance of Incidents
350
310
300

250

200

150
110
100

50
20 19
4
0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

Yes No Unsure

Q27. In the last year, has an incident in your work unit resulted in changing a
procedure to prevent it from happening again?

Changes in procedure due to Incidents

16 15

14

12
Responses

10

6
4
4

0
Yes No
Q28. Did you report the incident(s) to your department chair?

Incidents reported to department chair

12
11

10
Responses

4
4

0
Yes No

Q29. Did you report the incident(s) to UF Environmental Health & Safety?

Incidents reported to UF Environmental Health & Safety

12
11

10
Responses

4
4

0
Yes No
Q34. Agree or disagree- "I feel comfortable speaking to my peers about safety
concerns." (Undergraduate student, Graduate student, Post-doc, Administrative support,
Research Scientist)

Mean Mean Respondents

Agreement 87.58 590

+

Q35. Agree or Disagree- "I feel comfortable speaking to my supervisor about

safety concerns."

Mean Mean Respondents

Agreement 88.15 594

+
Q42. Root cause of injuries/incidents

Root cause of injuries/incidents

14
12
12
Responses

10 9
Unsafe actions
8
Unsafe equipment
6 5 Unsafe work environment
Unsure root cause of incident
4 3 3
2 2 2
2

0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

According to our survey, most of the respondents believe that incidents/injuries took place because of
the unsafe actions of the person working.
Source: University of California Center for Laboratory Safety, BioRAFT and Nature Publishing Group (September
2012). Laboratory Safety Culture Survey.

Is compliance with safety procedures perceived to be directly correlated with the severity and
frequency of injuries/incidents in the laboratory?

 51% of the respondent those who were aware of at least one major injury agreed that the
number of injuries could have been reduced if lab safety procedures were followed
 37% disagreed upon minor injuries could have been reduced and 26% disagreed upon reduction
of major injuries if lab procedures were followed
Q44. Who manages day-to-day safety matters for your work unit?

300
271 I do not know

250 Lab manger or senior

technician
lab member
200
Responses

Principal investigator
150 134
Department safety officer
106
100
College safety officer
56
47 42
50 38 41 Lab safety staff from UF
20 24 Environment & Safety
17 13 18
5 3 0 No one has been assigned
0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

Responses Junior Senior Total

Count Count

I do not know 271 20 291

Lab manager or senior technician 134 56 190

Lab member 106 24 130

Principal Investigator 38 42 80

Department safety officer 41 13 54

College safety officer 17 3 20

Lab safety staff from UF 5 0 5

Environment & Safety

No one has been assigned 47 18 65

Q46. How often are routine safety checks or inspections performed by
members of your work unit?

160

140 136
Weekly
118 115
120
Monthly
99
100
Responses

A few times every semester

80 71
64 Once a semester
60
40 40 Some, but less than once a
40 semester
30
21 23 Not at all
18
20

0
Junior Staff Senior Staff

Q47. Agree or disagree- "I personally feel that safety in the workplace is very
important."
97.5
97.08
97

96.5

96
Average Value

95.5

95
94.72

94.5

94

93.5
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement
Q48. Agree or disagree- "My supervisor or PI sets a good example for safety."

85% of the respondents strongly agree that their supervisor or PI sets a good example for safety-

Mean Mean Respondents

Agreement + 86.31 501

Q49. Agree or disagree- "The safety procedures currently required for my

work unit are too stringent."

Majority of the respondents disagree that their safety procedures required for their work are too
stringent.

40 37.38

35

30

25
Average Value

20
16.65
15

10

0
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement
Q50. Agree or disagree- "My peers demonstrate that safety is very important."

425 of 579 i.e. 73% of respondents strongly agree that their peers demonstrates safety is very important
during work.

80 79.58

79

78
Average Value

77
76.23
76

75

74
Junior Staff Senior Staff
Agreement

Source: University of California Center for Laboratory Safety, BioRAFT and Nature Publishing Group (September
2012). Laboratory Safety Culture Survey.

Do researchers perceive a significant gap between their own and their superiors’ view on lab safety?

 95% said that they themselves considered safety very important

 81% said safety is considered important or very important to their superiors

Our survey shows similar results, most of the respondents strongly agree that they personally feel
safety as very important, their peers demonstrate safety as very important and their superiors or PI
sets a good example for importance of safety.
Q45. Comments about managing day-today safety matters.

Comments-

 If we have any safety issues i report it to my colleague or my supervisor. The request is always
taken into consideration.
 Everyone in the lab should be informed of general safety and those who need special training
should be given the same.
 Our office manager follows up on this and makes sure the right personnel get the information
needed.
 People tend to disregard my comments if I say anything about safety or hazardous waste. It's
frustrating to not have any recourse if someone continually ignores warnings. My advisor will
step in and threaten to revoke access if it gets really bad, but I wish I could motivate people to
follow protocols.
 I feel quite comfortable working in my office environment and have no additional comments to
make.

 I answered the question about do you use mechanical, industrial, or electrical equipment on a
daily basis as "yes" and I should have said "no" because of the nature of my job. I answered yes
because I do work with electrical equipment daily (computer, printer, Xerox, etc.).
 In general I've found that many universities wide safety procedures don't really ensure a more
save work environment, but rather just ensure that those in charge of safety are free of liability
and insurers are happy. I've found that some of these practices are very time consuming,
without much of a payoff in actual lab safety. This makes me somewhat hesitant to approach
EH&S in some cases.
 all Staff Engineers take on this responsibility
 My day-to-day work is an office environment. I infrequently have provided temporary assistance
in a lab environment, after a discussion of risks and safety.
 The Reactor Manager (i.e. lab manager) is responsible for day-to-day operation of the UFTR.
 Safety issues influencing office administrative staff would more likely be related to first aid
and/or basic emergency response.
 I believe a multilayered approach is essential. First, the individual working in the lab has a
responsibility for their own safety. Second, the PI is responsible for making sure that there is a
culture of safety in the group and that students/postdocs have appropriate training. Third,
administration has to set a culture of safety in the department and be proactive in developing
safer activities and holding faculty responsible for the safety culture in their groups. Finally, the
college has responsibility for developing infrastructure for a healthy safety culture and for
keeping it on the front burner for all individuals.
 Lab Inspectors fail when it’s time to do follow ups. Also they are only concern with very few
things and overall do not understand the research that is taking place in the lab and can't
 evaluate the safety of each particular lab. I think inspectors should be familiar with equipment
safety as well as the conditions at each lab. It seems that they are completely oblivious to air
filtration, storage conditions ...

 Senior grad student handles logistics; reports to PI

 I think EH&S is dealt with well in the BME department, but I've just commenced working in the
PERC/PS&T dept. where things are markedly less well organized. I've found expired chemicals,
sharp waste on the bench and in a desk tidy with pens/pencils, silica powder in drawers (a
potential risk for silicosis), chemicals stored together with no logical separation (toxic vs. non-
toxic), biological waste that has not been disposed of in X months, etc... I realize this is a difficult
lab space to manage because it is a "core facility". I cannot comprehend how EH&S passed the
lab upon inspection last year - it looked like a bomb site, and the lab attached to it looks equally
dilapidated.
 It may not be practical to assign someone for this, but there should lab safety seminars and
mandatory workshops to prevent most possible incidents
 I have been a Co-PI on some laboratory projects and both myself and the PI were very
concerned about safe practices.
 Each Department should have someone in charge, no just depending on PIs to dump all the
work on Graduate Students to figure out what is safe/unsafe by college and EHS standards
 We perform thorough checks whenever we work. In general there are no hazards associated
with it.
 Refer to a previous comment.

 I am the lab safety manager of the lab I work in. We spend 15 minutes each group meeting
ensuring that all safety concerns are adequately addressed
 Actually, my professor assigns everyone in our group to response it and managing day by day, by
reporting in progress report for every week.
 I could use some more info on electrical safety
 The foreign graduate students are usually messy and disregard many safety precautions. They
tend to not wear proper PPE all the time and tend to not properly identify the hazards of some
materials thus putting all other members of the lab at risk of injury and long-term health effects.
I have learned to not trust any foreign students to follow appropriate safety protocols.
 The office staff should receive training about our responsibility if there is an accident in a lab.
 In our unit I am the major person responsible for safety procedures and the PPD person helps to
see that the facility is safe.
 We know there are safety matters that must be performed yet no one really takes them into
account. The majority of safety lessons are given to graduate students and lab personnel.
However, most of the people in the lab are students and student TA's who do not have this
 training. The Graduate personnel are not allowed to teach the labs therefore safety
performance has decreased tremendously from all my time here
 It would be nice to have an online yearly reminder for safety protocols. In addition to protocols
for chemicals and machinery, include reminders about handling troubled students and
emergencies.
 Dean removed our safety officer, despite the objections of our group, EHS, and several faculties.
We have been unable to find a qualified replacenmt. We had funds to continue to support our
prior safety manager.
 I believe we all know who is the go to person in charge of safety issues day to day, but I do not
believe that this person has been officially assigned that job or fits any of the descriptions given
on the previous page since we are an administrative unit. I am confident that person knows
what to do and/or who to contact should the need arise.
 I feel that administrative staff needs to be trained about how to react when an accident occurs.
 Most of my responses have been tailored to the chemical safety requirements, which I perform
primarily over at NRF, and is fairly well documented/regulated. However, in regards to electrical
hazards at my lab, there is much less oversight. Admittedly they are probably of less direct
danger, but very little instruction or training about safety with electrical systems has ever been
provided.
 I'm just a student, and I don't have experience concerning this matter.

 I'm a software engineer, but we do have floor-based "safety czars" that are supposed to help up
in an emergency.
 Safety in the offices is overlooked and neglected. Deliveries are allowed to be made in areas that
have no training on how to handle materials safely- that damaged box could contain relay
switches or it could contain chemicals. Deliveries are placed in areas that block entrances, exits
and access to high traffic areas Office people regularly stick their hands in plugged in electrical
equipment such as printer/copiers, report binders etc. We have just been so lucky.
 Who is our Safety Manager?
 In one lab I assisted with research at it was clear who would be doing the day to day and
everyone was kind in charge of making sure all safety procedures were followed. On the new lab
I am doing research safety is barely a concern beyond PPE. I do not know about hazardous
waste pickups or where the MSDS sheets are. I just don't want to answer questions biased
towards one lab or the other because one was very safe conscious within my department and
know that I do research outside everything seems so lax
 I am unsure regarding the specific safety matters involved that the survey is inquiring about, but
ISE does not operate any labs.
 The above statement should read "day-to-day" rather than "day-today". Safety is our focus. We
manage a safety grant from FDOT.
 I make sure my personnel know exactly what to do when working with hazardous
chemicals/equipment.

 Because of training, I feel we have a good knowledge of safety concerns and how to react if
needed.

 I think professors should have a way bigger role into making safety a priority. I've seen labs had
an accident and the PI didn't even come to the lab and check it out, or take measurements to
solve/prevent what was going on (including people in flip-flops, without safety glasses, non-
labeling chemicals, misusing gas tanks, etc.). Actually in one of the accidents I became aware in
another group, University wasn't informed of what happened. There is so much we as students
can do, when professors do not care about safety, because I can be doing things as safely as I
can, but if the person next to me is not, they are endangering me as well. We as students usually
don't have authority to ask for people to stop doing what they are doing unsafely.
 At our unit, we don't use chemicals, biochemical. We work with safety as it relates to roads and
pedestrians, so it's hard for me to respond adequately to this survey.
 In my lab, the biggest safety concern comes from cleanliness and organization, or rather a lack
thereof.
 I wear a dosimeter that is submitted regularly to EHS to make sure I am not exposed to high
radiation levels

 I would like to see extra effort in training department staff, faculty and Graduates on safety
procedures within the department.
 Most of the day-to-day safety matters are carried out by everyone in the group. We were all
taught to pay attention to safety and to constantly be aware of any safety concerns and to point
things out and follow through with the safety matters.
 Should be required as incoming student intake.

 Multiple people manage different aspects of the day to day matters, but you only let me check
one....
 We have maintenance staff and technicians right next to our lab to help. We also have a person
in the department assigned to making sure we are following safety guidelines. The members of
my lab encourage safe behavior too.
 It works fine. If there is something should be done, the lab manager would be notified and finish
it.
 Don’t think any one takes care of the day-today safety matters.

 We all get trained and share overall responsibility for lab safety. I am responsible ultimately but
since I am not in the lab every minute we work together. One Peterson is trained by EH&s and
then acts our manager. We discuss safety every day and begin each weekly meeting discussing
it.
 It should be introduced the specific reason why we need to do the way and what situation
 would cause
 it is important and necessary
 Keeping things clean is a pretty good indication that safety issues are being addressed
 In fact I have never encountered any accident since UF is really a safe place, I think
 I think students should be made more aware. By organizing drills and making as many students
possible participate in them
 Some of the foreign students do not properly or adequately use PPE
 With new students constantly entering and leaving our lab, it is difficult to track and train all
students.
 No real safety hazards exist in our lab the comprises computers only.
 I am having a hard time getting anyone to remove unlabeled/open samples from the lab. I have
made mention of it many times and nothing ever happens. The samples have been in a fridge
(generally unsealed) for over 5 years.
 Brought a PT lab manager on board 8 weeks ago. He will help us with student training and
supervision.
 Everyone should take this thing seriously.
 I think the department should strengthen the importance of day-to-day safety to new students
at the orientation on the first day, so that we all can understand the importance of safety in labs
 My supervisor and I both make sure our lab equipment is safe and student activities are
conducted safely. It is a priority.
 I am concerned about the air quality in the Reed Lab. We've had it tested, but to my knowledge,
we have not been made privy to the results. And the testing was done a year or two ago.
 We have SOPs (Standard Operating Procedures) for all processes conducted in the lab. These
SOPs include safety measures for all chemicals and equipment used, as wells as links to MSDS
for all chemicals in the lab
 We have had a couple of people from my work unit do departmental lab safety training and
meetings, but since I'm not around the lab equipment, I don't know how the trickle down is
working.
 Day to day matters are left to individual faculty, with little coordination.
Q51. Concerns regarding overall Safety in the College of Engineering

The comments majorly focused on two important points-

1. More safety training needed for PI’s, in-charges, students and providing more safety information
notices.
2. Proper maintenance of laboratories.
3. More attention needed over International students

Comments-

 If possible, it would be incredibly helpful to have a departmental lab safety manager - a

designated individual who is very knowledgeable about lab safety and protocols, as well as
responsible for ensuring that proper measures are being taken on a regular basis.
 Safety to me goes beyond the lab environment. For example, who is allowed afterhours access,
who is given keys. What if another employee makes your feel unsafe due to their behavior.
 The air quality around the lab areas it bad. The air ducts and other equipment should be
checked regularly.

 It's getting better but can still be appalling at times

 I have no concerns regarding safety.
 Stop worrying about safety, start worrying about cheating. Far more detrimental to the college
in the long term.
 Graduate students don't seem to be the issue with safety, it appears that undergrads with little
to know training or common sense are the people most likely to get hurt because they fail to
absorb training information and are too afraid to ask questions.
 Upon visiting the core labs in the PS&T Building, they are dirty, unorganized and I question the
safety of my health. Upon walking into room 104, there was an odor to the air that tingled my
nose and started to give me a headache.
 Not safety related, but health related - there are COE employees and students who smoke
outside of the doors at the rear entrance of Weil Hall. It annoys/concerns me to have to walk
through their smoke as I come and leave the building.
 I would suggest that there be more training for present and new professors regarding UF EH&S
safety and policies. They need to take more responsibility for their student’s safety training.
Simple things like NEVER wearing safety glasses inside labs are a big issue. PI's should also
review procedures (like preparing chemical hygiene plans) before allowing them to work with
hazardous materials.

 Because I don't work in a lab setting, my primary safety concerns are what to do in the event
that we have an active shooter situation or other threats to my colleagues and I. With my
office's close proximity to the stadium and the amount of foot traffic that comes through the
building on a regular basis(Weil Hall), I would like to have more information on what to do if we
 were to encounter situations like this.
 First aid kits and electronic defibrillators should be available in all buildings and clearly marked.
 Our unit provides constant ongoing safety assessment and supervision of users through a
system of process review, spot supervision and surveillance. Infractions of safety guidelines are
investigated and dealt with on the spot.
 Safety inspections need to be specific to the lab and particular research. There should be follow
ups for repeat offenders.
 The biohazard management system "up the hill" (i.e. not in BME) is a little disorganized and
could use some attention, especially if there is going to be bio anything in the new addition to
Nuclear.

 One size does not fit all. It is important to put emphasis on the activities involving the greatest
risk.
 My impression, from the BME and MSE departments is that it is well managed, but the PERC is
not so well maintained.
 I feel the college should provide more resources, both financial and personnel (to assist the
laboratory Director) to provide a safer environment and a better culture.
 The safety training we get is Hazardous waste management. There is no other required training
for general lab safety.
 As engineers, we are exposed to many materials, equipment, and work environments that are
dangerous and potentially life threatening, so having knowledgeable supervisors, PIs, and lab
managers is key to student safety. I have personally done a work activity or worked with some
equipment not knowing the danger until AFTER I was done and only realized the danger given
MY OWN hindsight.
 I don't have any concern in my lab; we have more than sufficient protective equipment (Glasses,
glove, first aid kit...) even if our hardware is not very dangerous. However, the linoleum floor
make the lab highly unsafe for the hardware, we have ESD EVERY TIME we touch something
without being grounded.
 I would suggest a maintenance unit at COE level, who provides PI's with monthly review on
safety of laboratory facilities concerned with externally-funded research grant projects.
 College personnel exceed, on occasion, the logical extent of request at the detriment of
research interests and cover their lack of knowledge and intrusiveness under the cover of
"concern for safety".

 There is very little oversight by the college regarding safety. Eh&s seems to be the best place to
get safety information, however their main concern is about chemical disposal. I would like to
have more involvement with safety by the college. A place with centralized access to safety
warming signs, procedures, etc.
 My PI has required compliance with all safety requirements and attention to PPE for all
pertinent experiments. I believe that the office of EH&S asks good questions when they inspect,
 and all lab members are now more aware of safety in their experiments (in the last 3 years or
so).
 I do not feel that the regulations for lab safety are currently either too stringent or too lax. I do
feel that the rules are frequently not enforced in a pragmatic manner. In my opinion, when
safety concerns are made an issue it is frequently dealt with using ineffective means that pacify
management. A program such as a “safety month” or additional paperwork is fair examples of
implemented solutions. These fixes make those responsible for handling safety feel better about
addressing safety concerns, but in my opinion do not often have any meaningful impact. I would
hope that in the future an emphasis on safety can yield sensible solutions to real concerns,
without the gimmicks and stale Band-Aids that serve to give people the appearance of caring
about lab safety.
 Safety seems to be less of a concern to international students whether it is because of a
language or cultural difference. They have more of a cavalier attitude about it and is difficult to
make them understand the need for safety.
 I think the ventilation system for hoods in NEB should be fixing or can handle for Acid fumes or
gases.
 I don't feel unsafe, but if there were a website showing the specific hazards and safety
procedures of the labs around me I would feel better
 Proper training is lacking. We take EH&S training but this is nowhere close to covering all the
proper chemical handling procedures. All students should be required to take basic chemical
handling classes before stepping foot inside a lab here. There should be specific training for the
chemicals the students should be working with. The foreign students especially need this
training requirement. I FEEL UNSAFE IN A LAB WITH NEW FOREIGN STUDENTS. First off, a lot of
them speak terrible English so I'm sure they don't even understand what the warning labels on
chemicals are saying. I constantly have to waste my time keeping an eye on all foreign students
in my lab to make sure they are not releasing chemicals into the lab space that could kill me. The
foreign students try to hide their mistakes with chemicals and are putting others at risk by not
reporting accidents. They are afraid of repercussions from the PI and maybe even the
department or college if they report accidents. Lazy and stupid people are putting my safety at
risk, and I'm not satisfied with the safety protocols that are currently in place at UF. I have
worked at a national lab and they are top notch in terms of safety. This university is at the
bottom end of that spectrum. Safety training and safety awareness sucks here. Money needs to
be spent to increase safety training and safety awareness programs in order to reach the same
level as national labs. However, I do not have faith in the current upper level administrators at
this university to make any progress on this issue. The administrators are lazy and don't get
anything done. So I'm just hurrying to graduate so I can get out of this unsafe working
environment so I can avoid the accidents that are bound to occur.
 Outside building doors that are not locked or that can be entered easily. Outside building
lighting at night is not well luminated in all areas around exit doors and beyond.
 Lack of safety awareness is prominently notices in college of engineering. Students should be
 made aware about safety precautions.
 It's not necessarily that safety isn't important to all who are concerned but that the ones
responsible for safety are not given the respect of their superiors to comply with safety
procedures. From the Management side of thing I believe It boils down to time and money. If it
takes too much time overlook it. If it cost too much money we'll wait until we absolutely have to
have it. In my opinion it's too late by then.
 many students disregard even the most basic of safety guild lines - I see them every day in the
hall way with gloves on both hands, or, when in other labs, looking and the vast quantity of
unlabeled chemicals and samples. Basic chemical hygiene is very lacking gin this department.
 Some professors emphasize safety; others assume students can determine what is safe.
 Since I do not work in a lab I can't comment on lab safety, but I do not see very much being done
to protect administrative staff from work related injuries. For example sitting for 8 hours a day is
unhealthy, but desks & monitors are not available which would make any amount of standing
practical. Cleanliness of common spaces and restrooms is tolerable, but far from exceptional
and lax standards here lead to illness, dust allergies, and various maladies. Occasionally foliage is
substantially overgrown into walkways. It seems that where safety threats are imminent the
college is very careful, but where threats are long term and less likely a liability the college is less
concerned. All in all I would give us a C.
 I am not familiar with safety standards in labs, or what routines are used to inspect labs. I work
in the financial area of MSE. However, I feel safe in the building and I have never personally
been affected by a hazardous situation.
 The elevator inside the CISE (Computer Science Engineering) building is very scary. It has unusual
or unsteady movement every now and then.
 Safety should be orchestrated among students, faculty, safety persons, physical plant
department, and administrators, otherwise, it won't work.
 I am not concerned for my safety. I am missing some things I do not know, like how many times
there are safety checks, I guessed a few times a semester, because I honestly I am not there
enough to know when they are done or if they are done, the answer might have been never. I
still feel that my research space is very safe by whatever means it is accomplished and that
safety training is required of everyone. There should be some computer tests and lectures
everyone completes, there are some very good ones from the FIU department of biomedical
engineering I know of that are extensive and through. The material even covers EPA regulations
and it is very interactive. I wish we had that to complement the safety training we receive in the
labs which are too specific to each lab as if there were not others right next to them or as if we
did not need to enter other labs regularly.
 I would need to know what is meant by "safety concerns"; however, I do not feel in any way
threatened regarding safety concerns.
 I’d like to be more informed and/or aware of safety regulations and be more involved in training
to increase my overall knowledge of safety in the workplace. Thanks
 As a suggestion, outside of the laboratory, an additional survey could be generated to assess
COE faculty and staff concepts of safety in the office place, and potential hazards in dealing with
disgruntled students (and sometimes parents) during advising, general information meetings,
etc., who under various pressures and conditions could become just as explosive as many of the
chemicals found within a lab. While this may not be a pressing issue of concern currently, it is
most certainly a topic that should be added to our safety within the workplace discussion.
 Too many units with diaposing requirements inspect our labs. There is no reason to have to
have a chemical spill kit AND a bio hazardous waste spill kit or 4 different safety inspections.
Amalgamate - Amy is working on this and it's important.
 Maintain building upkeep on a regular basis. The attitude of "no budget" should not guide
building upkeep and safety issues.
 I wrote in the previous space
 I feel that the over-arching safety organization for UF and the college of engineering is
worthless. I feel like the emphasis is more placed on paperwork rather than actually making
anything safe. True safety comes from a culture of safety within the lab, which I feel should be
encouraged. However, safety organizations outside of my lab are very busy with making sure
every piece of paper gets turned in, instead of fostering that culture of safety. I think lab
cleanliness goes a long way towards promoting safety.
 Extra concentration should be addressed to Graduates as they often disregard safety procedures
 My biggest concern happens to be when there is a transfer of labs to another owner. I have
noticed that many times there are left over chemicals that other professors leave behind for the
new professors and researchers to "inherit". This is an issue because many times we are
unaware of where these chemicals are stored and what chemicals they are or how to deal with
them. I feel they should be more responsible for emptying out the lab before moving out. Or
explicitly, leaving a notice of any leftover inventory, how much remains, how long it has been
there, and how to deal with it if necessary.
 The use of departmental equipment by untrained individuals!

 The civil engineering lab in weil hall, though I do not usually conduct research there, is almost
always vacant. The lab manager is impossible to find. Other lab personnel may or may not be
present on a given day, and do not know how to use all of the equipment in the lab. The lab is
nearly useless due to the age of the equipment and the lack of staff.
 Personally, I feel like our safety culture is pretty strong and is strongest when there is a healthy
exchange of ideas between the safety officers and the laboratory personnel. The bad situations
occur when the regulators are 'enforcers', which is very much my relationship with the UF
IACUC. There is no trust in the exchanges with IACUC, because the relationship is
confrontational at the start and there is not a space/environment where issues can be discussed
freely. I have had a great relationship with Dr. Cannon and I am more fearful that the safety
environment will become over-regulated, creating a culture where people are "incentivized" to
not openly participate. In other words, carrots are more effective than sticks when it comes to
 safety culture.

 I know of no safety training or response protocol except for leaving the building during a fire drill
 I have had to inform people that putting food and drinks in the sample fridge is unwise. It is
extremely disappointing that my fellow students are not aware of the potential negative effects
of this behavior.
 I think the doors that swing into the main hallways are unsafe and at the very least there should
be a swing-mark painted on the floor outside these doors to warn people.
 Many new comers may wear sandals in the lab; this is not safe at all!
 EH&S are very good about clean up procedures and questions but in help with providing ways to
make certain scenarios more safe or what equipment could be used they are not as helpful.

 We maintain close ties with the operators of our equipment every week. We don't work with
dangerous equipment or materials, but take safety very seriously.
 As I mentioned in an earlier answer to a question, I am concerned about the air quality in the
Reed Lab. We had it tested a year or two ago, but as far as I know, we have not been made privy
to the results.
Responses of Junior & Senior Staff (Tabular form)-
Junior Senior
Staff Staff

Question Common Answer Common Answer No. of No. of

responses out responses out
of 646 of 177

What are the average  5 or fewer 5 or fewer 350 139

hours PER WEEK spent  5 to 20 hours
working with these
materials or equipment?

What percentage of your 34.72% 23.06% 300 78

time spent working with
these materials or
equipment is working
ALONE, without anyone
else present in your work
area?

What percentage of your 23.31% 12.27% 231 67

time spent working with
these materials or
equipment is OUTSIDE of
the standard 8-to-5 work
day (on weekends, late
at night)?

Is personal protective Yes, PPE is required Yes, PPE is required 345 140
equipment (PPE)
required for your job?

How often do you use All the time All the time 254 100
the required personal
protective equipment
(PPE)?

Before Experiments are Hazards or risks are  Hazards or risks 340 138
conducted- assessed informally are assessed
(not documented) informally (not
documented)
(39%)
 Hazard or risk
assessment is
conducted and
documented
 (27%)
 I do not perform
research in lab
(27%)

Who performs risk I do I do 225 89

assessments for your
experiments?

How often is safety N/A Sometimes N/A 174

discussed at faculty
meetings?

Agree or disagree - "I 82.86 ( Strongly 86.59 (Strongly 281 122

know how to ensure that Agree) Agree
research and safety
equipment (including
personal protective
equipment) is in proper
working order”

Agree or Disagree- "I 78.87 (Strongly 88.53 (Strongly 273 118

know how to report an Agree) Agree)
issue with research or
safety equipment if one
is found."

Agree or Disagree- "I 83.55 (Strongly 84 (Strongly Agree) 520 152

believe the members of Agree)
my work unit have
received sufficient safety
training in order to do
their jobs in a safe
manner."

Agree or Disagree- "My N/A 91.04 (Strongly N/A 116

staff receives training on Agree)
the specific agents or
hazards that they work
with in the lab."
Agree or Disagree- "I 79.99 (Strongly N/A 254 N/A
received safety training Agree)
on the specific agents or
hazards I work with."

Agree or Disagree- "If 82.41 (Strongly 90.96 (Strongly 556 159

needed, I would feel Agree) Agree)
comfortable speaking to
UF Environmental Health
& Safety about safety
concerns."

Agree or Disagree- "As N/A 90.51 (Strongly N/A 115

the work unit supervisor Agree)
or PI, I regularly check on
my staff to ensure they
are performing their
work duties in a safe
manner."

Agree or Disagree- "My 73.76 (Agree) N/A 261 N/A

supervisor/lab
manager/PI regularly
checks ensure I am
performing my work
duties in a safe manner."

In the last year, has your No No 328 133

work unit experienced an
incident (injury, spill, and
near-miss) while under
your supervision/ while
working in your current
role at UF?

In the last year, has an N/A Yes N/A 19

incident in your work
unit resulted in changing
a procedure to prevent it
from happening again?

Did you report the N/A Yes N/A 15

incident(s) to your
department chair?
Did you report the N/A Yes N/A 15
incident(s) to UF
Environmental Health &
Safety?

Agree or disagree - "I feel 87.58 (Strongly N/A 590 N/A

comfortable speaking to Agree)
my peers about safety
concerns."

Agree or Disagree- "I feel 88.15 (Strongly N/A 594 N/A

comfortable speaking to Agree)
my supervisor about
safety concerns."

Agree or Disagree- "I 68.69 (Agree) N/A 250 N/A

have enough information
to react appropriately if
another work unit in my
building has some kind of
incident or emergency."

Did you report the Yes N/A 25 N/A

incident(s) to your
supervisor?

Were any of the Unsafe actions Unsafe actions 14 16

incidents/injuries caused
by the following? Select
ALL that apply.

Who manages day-to- I do not know  Lab manager or 659 176

day safety matters for senior
your work unit? This technician/researc
might include tasks such her (56%)
as identifying and  Principal
tracking staff required investigator (42%)
training, giving a safety
orientation to new lab
members, doing monthly
waste audits, calling for
hazardous waste pick-
ups, etc.
How often are routine  A few times every  A few times every 603 172
safety checks or semester (23%) semester (23%)
inspections performed  Weekly (20%)  Weekly (23%)
by members of your  Not at all (19%)
work unit?  Monthly (16%)

Agree or Disagree- "I 94.72 (Strongly 97.08 (Strongly 591 172

personally feel that Agree) Agree)
safety in the workplace is
very important."

Agree or Disagree- "My 86.31 (Strongly N/A 501 N/A

supervisor or PI sets a Agree)
good example for
safety."

Agree or Disagree- "The 37.38 (Disagree) 16.65 (Disagree) 435 130

safety procedures
currently required for my
work unit are too
stringent."

Agree or Disagree- "My 79.58 (Strongly 76.23 (Strongly 451 124

peers demonstrate that Agree) Agree)
safety is very important."