Emergencies
In an emergency, students will look to instructors for instructions and guidance; whether it be to “Duck, Cover and Hold On!” during an earthquake, evacuate the building because of a fire alarm, or shelter-in-place because of a nearby active threat. For this reason, it is important for instructors to be familiar with emergency protocols related to their classroom or laboratory.
Instructors can review scenario-specific response protocols in the Stanford Emergency Response Guidelines.
All instructors should inform their students of:
- Nearest exits from the instructional area.
- Location of the nearest stairwell for evacuation.
- Location of the designated Emergency Assembly Point (EAP) for the building.
- Process for checking in at the EAP after evacuation.
Laboratory Safety
In the laboratory, PI’s are the single most important factor in determining the attitude of their laboratory staff toward safety and preparedness issues. A recent study of Stanford Laboratory Safety Culture concluded that,
“ Faculty-principal Investigators (PIs) set the tone for safety for the laboratory group; bench researchers look to and take their lead from PIs regarding prioritization for safety within the laboratory.”
PI’s can have a significant impact on the level of preparedness of their laboratory by:
- Making safety and preparedness a priority in laboratory discussion.
- Ensuring lab members feel comfortable raising safety and preparedness issues.
- Being responsive to safety and preparedness concerns.
- Having a contingency plan for protecting valuable research materials, samples and equipment.
Stanford Community Health Alerts
Go to Stanford Health Alerts for important updates about infectious diseases, travel warnings and other public health issues.
