The Laboratory Safety Institute is a nonprofit dedicated to empowering people to practice safer science worldwide.
No lesson is so important & no task is so urgent that we cannot take the time to Teach, Learn, and Practice Science Safely. The Laboratory Safety Institute is an international nonprofit education organization for laboratory safety. LSI provides the highest quality laboratory safety training, audits, inspections and consultation services throughout the world.
04/03/2026
Ready to go beyond just having a plan and start building a truly safe lab and workplace environment?
Our flagship CHO course is built for Chemical Hygiene Officers (and those with CHO responsibilities) who want to confidently apply the OSHA Lab Standard, elevate their lab safety programs, and be a leader.
Join us for our next live, virtual CHO course on April 30th!
REMINDER! ๐จ Donโt miss out on the strategies you need for high-stakes science.
Great science demands more than just brilliant ideas, it demands leadership. Whether you are working with emerging psychedelics, biologics, or advanced materials, safety is the foundation of your success.
Join LSI's Elizabeth Braun, Ph.D., on April 8th for this dynamic short course.
Whatโs on the agenda?
๐น Auditing safety programs
๐น Sustainability & Green Chemistry
๐น Waste management & Radiation safety
๐น Building the "Three Cs" of safety culture
Is your safety program running on autopilot? Or are you just holding your breath?
Managing a lab is a heavy lift. Between shifting regulations, new staff, and complex hazards, the mental load of "getting it right" is exhausting.
As we head into the second quarter of the year, itโs the perfect time to audit your protocols and refresh your teamโs commitment to a culture of safety. Move from reactive troubleshooting to proactive mastery with LSIโs expert-led sessions coming up this April:
๐ก๏ธ April 13 | Biosafety in the Laboratory:
Master the specialized containment and practices required to manage biological risks safely and effectively.
๐ก๏ธ April 22โ23 | Two-Day Lab Safety Short Course
Our flagship intensive. Gain the total confidence needed to run any instructional or research lab at the highest safety level.
๐ก๏ธ April 24 | Leadership in Safety
An exclusive deep-dive into creating a top-down safety culture that lasts. (Free webinar for LSI Members).
๐ก๏ธ April 29โ30 | OSHA 10-Hour General Industry (Lab Focus)
The foundational safety training you need, specifically tailored for the unique challenges of the laboratory environment.
๐ก๏ธ April 30 | How to Be a More Effective CHO
The Chemical Hygiene Officer role is evolving. Learn how to transition from a "rule enforcer" to a strategic safety partner.
When was the last time you took a 'small' safety shortcut and assumed it was fine because nothing happened?
We often call it "being efficient" or "just this once," but psychologists call it the ๐ก๐ผ๐ฟ๐บ๐ฎ๐น๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ผ๐ณ ๐๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฐ๐ฒ. Itโs the psychological trap where we become so accustomed to dangerous shortcuts that they stop looking like risks and they start sounding like " it's just the way we do things."
As a leader in safety, the standard you walk past is the standard you (and others) accept. If leaders donโt actively interrupt these cognitive biases, the biases will eventually lead to a disaster.
How Leaders Interrupt the "New Normal":
- ๐๐๐น๐๐ถ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฒ ๐๐ผ๐ป๐๐๐ฟ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐ง๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Comfort is not the goalโawareness is. Use drill cards and realistic scenarios to keep teams alert, not anxious.
- ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ฒ-๐๐ป๐ฐ๐ถ๐ฑ๐ฒ๐ป๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ป๐ถ๐ป๐ด: Donโt wait for a failure to ask the hard questions: "If this failed tomorrow, where would it start?"
- ๐๐๐ฑ๐ถ๐ ๐๐ต๐ฒ "๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ณ๐": Don't just hunt for violations; look for where the process has "drifted" into shortcuts.
Stop relying on luck. Start building a resilient safety culture.
Join us for our upcoming courses to sharpen your leadership and technical safety skills:
๐ April 13: Biosafety in the Lab
๐ April 22-23: Two-Day Lab Safety Course
๐ April 29-30: OSHA 10-Hour General Industry (Lab Safety Focus)
LSI's specialized OSHA 10-Hour General Industry Course focuses on promoting safety health and understanding compliance with select OSHA standards, but with special emphasis on laboratory environments. It emphasizes the identification, evaluation, and control of hazards and risks that occur in academic, biotech, life sciences, R&D, analytical, pharmaceutical, and similar laboratory environments.
๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐ฝ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ป๐ฐ๐น๐๐ฑ๐ฒ:
- ๐๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ผ๐ฑ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐๐ผ ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐: Workersโ rights, employer obligations, and the OSHA inspection process.
- ๐ช๐ฎ๐น๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด & ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐ธ๐ถ๐ป๐ด ๐ฆ๐๐ฟ๐ณ๐ฎ๐ฐ๐ฒ๐ + ๐๐ฎ๐น๐น ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป: Focus on slip, trip, and fall prevention around lab equipment.
- ๐๐ ๐ถ๐ ๐ฅ๐ผ๐๐๐ฒ๐ & ๐๐บ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ด๐ฒ๐ป๐ฐ๐ ๐๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐: Detailed overview of lab-specific emergency exits and evacuation routes.
- ๐๐น๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐ฆ๐ฎ๐ณ๐ฒ๐๐: Steps to prevent electrical fires and electric shock hazards in a lab.
- ๐ฃ๐ฒ๐ฟ๐๐ผ๐ป๐ฎ๐น ๐ฃ๐ฟ๐ผ๐๐ฒ๐ฐ๐๐ถ๐๐ฒ ๐๐พ๐๐ถ๐ฝ๐บ๐ฒ๐ป๐ (๐ฃ๐ฃ๐): Lab-specific PPE, including gloves, goggles, face shields, and lab coats.
- ๐๐ฎ๐๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ ๐๐ผ๐บ๐บ๐๐ป๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐๐ถ๐ผ๐ป (๐๐ฎ๐๐๐ผ๐บ): Training on how to read and interpret Safety Data Sheets (SDS) and GHS.
๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐-๐๐ฒ๐ป๐๐ฟ๐ถ๐ฐ ๐๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐น๐ถ๐ด๐ต๐๐:
- ๐ข๐ฆ๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ๐ผ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐๐ผ๐ฟ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐ฎ๐ป๐ฑ๐ฎ๐ฟ๐ฑ & ๐๐ต๐ฒ๐บ๐ถ๐ฐ๐ฎ๐น ๐๐๐ด๐ถ๐ฒ๐ป๐ฒ ๐ฃ๐น๐ฎ๐ป๐: Best practices for managing chemical hazards.
- "๐ง๐ต๐ฒ ๐ช๐ผ๐ฟ๐๐" ๐๐ฎ๐ฏ ๐ฃ๐ถ๐ฐ๐๐๐ฟ๐ฒ ๐ง๐ผ๐๐ฟ: Visual tour of unsafe lab practices and common laboratory safety violations.
Whether you're in the classroom or a high-tech research facility, biosafety is your first line of defense against laboratory-acquired infections.
Join us on April 13 to master the reference tools and expert strategies to eliminate biological risks.
In this course you will:
โ Master BSL-1 & BSL-2 protocols (with a BSL-3 intro).
โ Receive expert guidance on decontamination, disinfection, and waste shipment.
โ Earn 0.7 CEUs and eligibility for ABIH CM points or Graduate Credits.
๐ฐ Save Together: Group discounts start for groups of 2 or more!
๐ LSI Members: Enjoy an automatic 15% discount on your registration.
๐ K-12 Teacher and Student Discount: designed to make world-class safety training accessible.
Understanding risk is one thing; overcoming it is another.
We often rely on our experience to keep us safe, but neuroscientists point to a phenomenon called ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ, the natural human tendency to believe we are uniquely "exempt" from accidents because of our skill.
The reality?
๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐ข๐ง ๐ญ๐ก๐ ๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐จ๐๐ฌ๐ง'๐ญ ๐ก๐๐ฏ๐ ๐๐ง ๐๐ ๐จ. While we pride ourselves on our expertise, individual skill is only one layer of protection. True safety happens when we stop relying on intuition and start building ๐ฌ๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐ก.
Our Two-Day Lab Safety Short Course is designed to help you bridge that gap. We move beyond "bland legalese" to give you a real-world framework for protecting your team and your lab.
Why Attend?
- Master the Fundamentals: 19 core topics covered in depth.
- Lead with Authority: Learn to communicate safety effectively.
- Verified Expertise: Walk away with 1.4 CEUs and a certificate.
- Real-World Impact: Apply tested strategies for a safer lab.
Upcoming 2026 Dates (Live via Zoom):
๐๏ธ March 19โ20
๐๏ธ April 22โ23
๐๏ธ May 12โ13
Discounts Available:
๐ฐ Groups, LSI Members, and K-12/College Teachers.
Canโt make these dates? We have more available on our website, or we can bring a private course directly to your organization.
03/10/2026
Why our brains "whisper" that weโre safe (even when we aren't).
As experienced lab professionals, we pride ourselves on our competence. But did you know our own biology can sometimes work against our safety?
Neuroscientist Tali Sharot identifies a phenomenon called ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ: our natural human tendency to overestimate the likelihood of positive outcomes while underestimating the risks.
In the lab, this often manifests as a "๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐๐ฑ๐๐ฆ๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง." We know intellectually that chemicals are volatile, but our brains can quietly whisper: "Accidents happen to 'other' people, those who are poorly trained or rushing."
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐๐๐ฅ๐ข๐ญ๐ฒ ๐จ๐ ๐๐ฒ๐ฌ๐ญ๐๐ฆ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ:
Itโs not about anyone's "incompetence." An incident rarely happens because of one person. It happens when multiple systemic holes like equipment, protocol, and environment align at the exact same time.
No one is immune to the laws of chemistry; our individual skill is only one layer of protection. True safety depends on the entire system working together.
Letโs move beyond the ๐๐ฉ๐ญ๐ข๐ฆ๐ข๐ฌ๐ฆ ๐๐ข๐๐ฌ and strengthen systemic safety culture together.
Join us this month:
- March 13: Leadership in Safety Webinar
- March 17: Lab Waste Management Course
- March 19-20: Two-Day Lab Safety Course
- March 31: How to be a More Effective CHO (Chemical Hygiene Officer)
Whether you oversee a research enterprise, lead an academic division, or manage complex laboratory operations, safety does not live in the EHS office, ๐ข๐ญ ๐ฅ๐ข๐ฏ๐๐ฌ ๐ฐ๐ก๐๐ซ๐๐ฏ๐๐ซ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐ฌ ๐๐ซ๐ ๐ฆ๐๐๐.
In high-consequence environments, safety is not just a compliance checkbox; it is an ๐ข๐ง๐ฌ๐ญ๐ข๐ญ๐ฎ๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ฅ ๐ ๐ซ๐จ๐ฐ๐ญ๐ก ๐ฌ๐ญ๐ซ๐๐ญ๐๐ ๐ฒ. True leadership, whether formal or informal, is the foundation that protects your people, minimizes liability, and makes sustainable innovation possible.
We invite administrators, managers, and safety leaders to our upcoming ๐๐๐๐๐๐ซ๐ฌ๐ก๐ข๐ฉ ๐ข๐ง ๐๐๐๐๐ญ๐ฒ ๐๐๐๐ข๐ง๐๐ซ to explore the critical role leaders play in the development of effective, organization-wide safety programs:
โ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: Understand the six leadership principles that define safety success.
โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ฟ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: Align regulatory compliance with institutional risk management.
โ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐: Move beyond manuals to active, visible safety involvement.
Canโt make this date? Explore our upcoming scheduleโor better yet, contract ๐๐๐ to deliver a dedicated session built specifically for your teamโs unique needs.
03/04/2026
๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐, are you ready to lead the way in safer science?
We are thrilled to announce that the ๐๐๐๐๐ซ ๐๐๐ข๐๐ง๐๐ ๐๐ฎ๐ฆ๐ฆ๐ข๐ญ is coming to ๐๐ฅ๐๐ฏ๐๐ฅ๐๐ง๐ this August, and the best part? Registration is ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐!
This is four immersive days of high-impact, real-world learning specifically designed to bridge the gap between safety expectations and classroom reality. For administrators and classroom teachers alike, this summit serves as the ultimate roadmap to a stronger, more confident, and NGSS-aligned science program.
๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐๐?
โ ๐๐๐% ๐ ๐๐๐ professional development.
โ ๐๐๐๐๐-๐๐ workshops and real-space inspections.
โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ guidance to protect your students and your staff.
โ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ sessions built for school leaders and teachers.
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Contact The Practice
Send a message to The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI):
The Laboratory Safety Institute is a nonprofit educational institution providing safety courses and consulting for chemical laboratories worldwide.
We have taught courses to more than 100,000 people in 27 countries, spanning 130 different industries, including research, high-tech, government, medicine, and academia. Many of our students say they love our courses because they are engaging and make a wealth of information easy to absorb and retain. Virtually any lab, anywhere can benefit from our expert training, audits and inspections.
The Laboratory Safety Institute was founded by James Kaufman, Ph.D. in 1978. While driving home from work in 1973, he heard on the radio that there had been a serious explosion at nearby Worcester Polytechnic Institute. Kaufman had recently completed post-doctoral work at Worcester Polytechnic, and had earned his Ph.D. there a few years before. Upon hearing the news of the accident, he bypassed his house, driving straight to the Worcester lab instead.
"I got there two hours after the explosion," Kaufman remembers. "The light fixtures had been blown off the ceiling, the windows had been blown out of the room. A grad student I knew blew off portions of his hands, and he was lucky he wasn't killed."
This experience is part of what propelled him to found the Laboratory Safety Institute. Today, LSI has grown to become an international center for health, safety and the environment.
LSI is a registered 501(c)(3) corporation and a Massachusetts public charity.
