PAWS Undergraduate Lab Safety Program
A comprehensive safety program requires training, constant vigilance, and incident reporting and documentation systems—all with an eye toward critical review and continuous improvement. The Prevent Accidents with Safety (PAWS) program provides a framework to develop the necessary safety culture within the student community.
The key to the PAWS program is that the students in the Unit Operations Laboratory bear the responsibility for personal health and safety and for the safety of those around them. Specific safety-related responsibilities are assigned to the students in addition to their course responsibilities. The student-owned portion of the PAWS program is built around a safety inspections/audit and a incident reporting and documentation system.
Reporting Process
Anyone that observes a safety risk or incident in the lab, or has suggestions to improve the lab, submit a PAWS Form.
- Observe the hazard.
- Take corrective action.
- Document the action by filling out a PAWS Incident Report Form.
- PAWS forms are communicated to the students via weekly annoucements and toolbox talk safety meetings before each shift.