Safety Culture
Safety isn't a separate job. It's how good work gets done.
Share what safety really feels like — click here to take the two-minute survey
Anonymous, quick and open from the 14th of October closing on the 14th of November.
Message from Andrew Livingston, the Vice-President for Research and Innovation
A positive safety culture is about more than compliance with procedures. It is about how we work together, how we identify and learn from risks, and how confident we all feel to speak up, ask questions and support one another in maintaining safe research environments.
As both Vice-President for Research and Innovation and a research group leader, I recognise that every lab has opportunities to improve. My own research group has recently worked with the Health and Safety team following a laboratory audit, and the process highlighted practical improvements that have strengthened the way we manage safety. This experience reinforced that reviewing our practices openly and constructively benefits both our people and our research.
I encourage everyone working in our research labs to take a few minutes to complete this survey. Your views are important and will help shape the next stage of our lab safety culture improvement programme.
Thank you for your support and for your continued commitment to safe, high-quality research.
Why we're running this survey
This survey is our chance to hear about our laboratory safety culture from the people who know the work best. That's you. Listening to the people who do the work is how we get safe practical solutions that fit the way research is done.
Sector surveys of laboratory workers finds the same sort of patterns; 86% of researchers describe their lab as “safe”…yet 35% have been injured at work; 14% of incidents were never reported to a supervisor and 21% believed they had no safety duties or were unsure what their duties were.
(Sources: Kuzmina & Hoyle, Challenges for Health and Safety in Higher Education and Research Organisations, Royal Society of Chemistry, 2021 a survey of 427 mainly UK-based researchers.)
Although confidence is high, the gap between how safe labs feel and what actually happens in them is real. The number we can't see is the one that matters most: - how safe people genuinely feel, and whether they'll speak up. That's what this survey measures.
What we're asking you
Just five short statements about how safety really works in your area, each rated on a simple scale, with an optional comment box if you'd like to say more. The questions were chosen and road-tested by our Safety Coordinators (the people closest to the work) from a longer set, because they get to the heart of how safety culture feels in practice.
The survey is delivered through Microsoft Forms — the link is at the top and bottom of this page. There are no right or wrong answers. We want honesty, not reassurance.
Who should take part
Everyone connected to laboratory and technical work, including:
- Academic staff who supervise or manage laboratory-based research but don't work at the bench. Your answers matter as much as anyone's.
- Postdoctoral researchers and research fellows
- Postgraduate research students
- Technicians and technical services staff
- Teaching laboratory staff and demonstrators
If you work in, manage or support a lab — this survey is for you.
What happens with your answers
Baseline — this first run sets our benchmark for safety culture across the university
Map — results are analysed by area and theme to pinpoint where support is most needed
Act — tools, training and guidance are directed to where the data points
Repeat and report back — we'll re-run the survey each cycle, share the results with you, and track the trend openly to see whether the culture is moving in the right direction.
Your answers are anonymous
The Microsoft Form is set up so that no names, email addresses or sign-in details are recorded with your response. Results are analysed and reported by area and theme only, never by individual.
Where the number of responses from an area is small, results will be combined with a wider grouping so that no individual, research group or lab can be identified in any report.
Add your voice — help shape safer, better work
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take?
About two minutes. Five statements, one rating scale, and an optional comment box.
Is it anonymous?
Yes. The Microsoft Form records no names, email addresses or sign-in details with responses. Results are reported by area and theme only.
I supervise lab work but don't do bench work myself. Should I still respond?
Yes — please do. Supervisors shape how risks are discussed, your perspective is essential, whether or not you work at the bench.
Where did the questions come from?
They were selected by Safety Coordinators from a longer question set because they capture what safety culture feels like in practice. If something important is missing, use the comment box — it will help us improve future cycles.
I work across several labs or departments. Which do I answer for?
Answer for the area where you spend most of your time, and mention anything relevant elsewhere in the comment box.
What if I want to report a specific incident or hazard?
Please don’t wait for the survey. Report incidents, hazards or urgent concerns through Report Incident and speak to your Safety Coordinator so they can be acted on properly.
Will anything change?
That is the purpose. This first survey sets the baseline; the results will guide action, be reported back, and be tracked over future cycles so everyone can see how safety culture is improving.
Click here to take the two-minute survey