History of the SEAS/EPS/Physics Safety Committee

The SEAS/EPS/Physics Safety Committee has a membership of close to eighty people. This format reflects the philosophy that to provide an effective safety program, one must work from the ground up. The conducting of research in a safe manner begins at the bench. As such, the Committee is broadly based by design and has representation from all of our research and teaching facilities. This structure has been used since the Committee was formed in 1983.

From the beginning it was felt that the Committee should police itself; inspect its own laboratories and provide its own training. One of the first initiatives was the writing of a Division-wide safety manual. This document discusses the broad spectrum of safety issues that one faces in a research environment. The mid-1980’s saw the birth of the Safety Seminar Series. This series of training seminars is now offered each year.

The Safety Committee continues to explore new ways that it can be effective and have a positive influence on the teaching and research experiences of all those it serves.