Potential Science Questions

Division Directors

Describe your expectations for safety, how you communicate these expectations to your organization, and how you know the expectations are understood and owned by staff.
Tell me who is responsible for the safety of experimental or maintenance activities.
Describe how your organization identifies and analyzes hazards for its work and determines appropriate controls.
Tell me about the role of the line managers, workers, Safety Coordinator, the Safety Liaison, and the Work Lead/PI/Group Leader in this process.
Describe for me how work is authorized, and who authorizes the work.
Describe how it is assured that the staff understand the hazards and use the prescribed controls.
Tell me how frequently you are in the work area, and how/if you observe staff performing their experimental work.
Describe what you expect the Work Lead/PI/Group Leader to do in assuring safety of experimental activities.
Tell me how any changes in the scope of or hazards associated with the work are identified and examined to determine if changes in controls are needed.
Describe how you evaluate the overall safety performance of your organization.

Work Lead/PI/Group Leaders

Describe the role of a Work Lead/PI/Group Leader.
Tell me about the experiment(s)/activities being conducted in this laboratory.
Describe the hazards associated with each experiment/activity, the hazards analysis that you conducted, and who else was involved in the hazards analysis (e.g., Experimenters, Subject Matter Experts/Safety Liaisons).
Tell me about the hazards controls that are in place, and how the controls mitigate or eliminate each of the hazards.
Describe what training has been provided to the Experimental staff for any of the controls.
Describe how you satisfy yourself that the Experimental staff understand the hazards and use the prescribed controls.
Tell me what you do to authorize the start of an experiment.
Tell me how frequently you are in the laboratory area, and how/if you observe staff performing their experimental work.
Tell me how you assure that any changes in the scope of or hazards associated with the experiments are identified and examined to determine if changes in controls are needed.
Tell me who is responsible for the safety of these experiments.
Describe how you assure that all the personnel or groups working on the experiments in this laboratory are aware of adjacent hazards and controls.

Personnel Working in Laboratories

Tell me about the nature of your work and the hazards that exist.
Describe the hazards analysis that you conducted and who else was involved in the hazards analysis (e.g., Subject Matter Experts/Safety Liaisons).
Tell me about the hazard controls that are in place, and how the controls mitigate or eliminate each of the hazards.
Tell me what sort of training or qualification might be needed for any of the controls.
Tell me about any procedures you use to conduct your experimental activity.
Tell me how long you have been performing this activity, and describe any recent changes in the experiment you are conducting.
Describe how you (and the Subject Matter Experts/Safety Liaisons) have checked or updated the hazard analysis to be sure it still covers all hazards in light of these changes.
Tell me who is in charge of this research activity and of the safety of it; how many other personnel or groups are involved.
What should you do when you identify a change in the scope of your activities or an additional hazard is identified?
Describe how you are sure that all the personnel or groups are aware of the hazards, understand the controls, and perform their work safely.