1. What does a Chemical Hygiene Officer do in simple terms? As CHO, I’m the main expert for campus chemical safety. I inspect labs to ensure hazardous materials are stored and handled correctly, maintain safety programs, and assist during emergencies or chemical spills.

2. What drew you to chemical safety as a career? I started in organic and medicinal chemistry, loving the puzzle-solving nature of the science. Applying for a safety position at Notre Dame post-graduation opened up a whole new path. I love helping researchers work more safely, and when high-hazard emergencies happen, I enjoy stepping in to solve complex, real-world problems.

3. What’s your favorite campus spot to recharge? The Grotto is my go-to for quiet reflection. I also love getting lost in the Hesburgh Library stacks, especially browsing the chemistry collection down in the basement.

4. How does EHS keep campus safe behind the scenes? When safety works, it looks like normal, uninterrupted routine. Beyond 24/7 on-call coverage, we use tools like our Good Catch/Near Miss reporting system and lab inspections to find and fix risks before they cause incidents.

5. How do you handle "peroxide-forming chemicals" (PFCs)? PFCs are common solvents that form shock-sensitive, explosive peroxides as they age—often inside bottle threads where cap rotation could trigger a detonation. Through our internal PFC Neutralization Program:

• We inspect containers without touching them; if any crystals exist, we call specialized contractors.

• Less hazardous bottles are handled by trained EHS staff and soaked in water for 24 hours to dissolve crystals hidden in the cap.

• Working behind a blast shield with Kevlar and fire-resistant gear, we open, test, and chemically neutralize the peroxides.

• The Impact: Contractors cost $3,000–$8,000 per bottle. We neutralized 367 out of 371 expired bottles internally over two years, saving hundreds of thousands of dollars.

6. What is one essential tip for lab teams? Never organize chemicals alphabetically without first separating them by hazard! That often places reactive chemicals together. Always segregate storage by hazard class, for instance, nitric acid and acetic acid can react to form explosive gases if stored side-by-side.

7. What is the core message of your upcoming ACS conference presentation? I expected to see a fairly strong positive correlation between increased peroxide concentrations and increased bottle age, but I found that other factors were more influential than age alone. Analyzing 367 neutralized containers unexpectedly revealed that 2-propanol (isopropanol) stored in translucent plastic jugs was a major culprit for high peroxide levels. Some plastics let in light and air, driving peroxides far past our safe 50 ppm limit, sometimes over 1,000 ppm.

8. Why is tracking bottle age and condition so vital? Tracking bottle lifespans helps us tell labs which chemicals remain stable longer in different storage conditions and which form hazards faster than expected so we can dispose of them before they become explosive.

9. How will your research help labs globally? We are submitting our findings to the ACS Journal of Chemical Health and Safety. By pairing inventory data with testing metrics, we’re proving that accurate inventory tracking directly prevents high-hazard buildups, while documenting specific conditions that speed up peroxide formation.

10. What’s your next big goal? I’m working toward becoming a Certified Chemical Hygiene Officer and deepening our partnership with South Bend HazMat. Ultimately, I want to establish Notre Dame as a national leader in chemical safety research.

Designed as an immersive alternate to standard online safety modules, the two-day event offered faculty, staff, and graduate students a practical, real-world approach to laboratory protocol. Over 90 minutes, attendees rotated through interactive stations designed to bridge the gap between learning on the screen and everyday benchwork.

Participants engaged directly with hands-on scenarios, including:

• Emergency Preparedness: Physically operating safety showers, eyewash stations, and live fire extinguishers under the guidance of the Notre Dame Fire Department.

• Hazard Management: Cleaning up a simulated spill, mastering compressed gas cylinder safety with Airgas experts, and identifying improper hazardous waste labeling.

• Risk Prevention: Participated in "Chemical Compatibility Speed Dating" and spotting hidden workspace violations.

Beyond acquiring critical safety skills, attendees connected with vendors, gathered valuable lab samples, entered swag raffles, and enjoyed free ice cream.

By transforming mandatory safety trainings into a collaborative, hands-on experience, EH&S ensures that Notre Dame researchers are not only prepared for emergencies, but empowered to conduct their cutting-edge work safely and effectively.

Whether you’re a graduate student, researcher, or lab staff member, this event satisfies all minimum required lab safety trainings in a single, interactive session.

Event Details

• Dates & Times:

  • Monday, August 17: 1:00 PM – 5:00 PM (Last entry at 4:00 PM)

  • Tuesday, August 18: 9:00 AM – 1:00 PM (Last entry at 12:00 PM)

• Location: Jordan Hall of Science (Reading Room & Lab Classrooms)

• Time Commitment: ~1 hour to complete all stations

• Who Should Attend: All lab personnel—graduate students, lab managers, research staff, and PIs.

⚠️ Important Attire & Gear Requirement:

Because training takes place active lab spaces, you must wear lab-appropriate attire (long pants, closed-toe shoes) and bring your own safety glasses.

What to Expect

You’ll move through 9 rotating, hands-on stations led by facilitators who will walk you through real-world lab scenarios.

Topics covered include:

• Lab Safety Foundations & Chemical Hygiene

• Hazardous Waste Management

• Fire Extinguisher Handling & Fire Safety

• Incident Reporting & Access to Medical Records

• Sharps Safety & Spill Response

• PPE Selection & Proper Usage

Campus Partners & Vendor Expo

We’re bringing the experts and top suppliers right to you. Connect on-site with team members from the Notre Dame Fire Department (NDFD) and the Occupational Health & Wellness Center.

Plus, meet with vendor sponsors including Medline, Airgas, and VWR for live product demos, free samples, and updates on the latest lab tech.

Perks, Swag & Ice Cream 

We know your time is valuable, so we’re making it worth your while:

• Free Ice Cream for all participants after completing the stations.

• Raffle Entry to win custom ND Swag and essential lab supplies.

• Instant Compliance: Walk out with all required annual lab safety trainings officially fulfilled.

Questions?

Reach out to the Environmental Health & Safety team at riskman@nd.edu or call 574-631-5037. We’ll see you at Jordan Hall!

A safe campus relies on strong community roots. This exercise was a massive collaborative effort involving 60 participants from both the University and our surrounding areas:

• Campus Response: NDPD, NDFD, and EHS personnel managed the simulated scene on the ground.

• City Response: South Bend Fire and South Bend Hazmat teams deployed alongside our campus crews.

• Medical Response: Four local hospitals coordinated directly with responders to practice emergency medical triage and communication both on campus and at the hospitals including Beacon South Bend, Beacon Granger, Beacon Elkhart, St. Joseph Regional Medical Center. Dr. Steven Joyce, Memorial Hospital South Bend EMS Medical Director also participated.

"When our campus teams train seamlessly alongside South Bend's elite responders and Beacon and St. Joseph Med Center's medical personnel, we build the muscle memory required to keep our community safe," said Keri Kei Shibata, associate vice president for Campus Safety and Chief of Police.

From deploying advanced drone technology for aerial oversight to testing live patient decontamination corridors, every element of the drill was executed with precision.

The Notre Dame teams dedicate significant time and resources to these joint exercises so that if a crisis ever occurs, the transition from campus response to regional support is instantaneous.

While the teams hope to never need these specific protocols, the exercise proves that our campus and local area partners stand ready to protect the Notre Dame family at a moment's notice.

Originally published by Molly Di Carlo at police.nd.edu on July 14, 2026.

Questions? Contact Risk Management & Safety: 574.631.5037 | riskman@nd.edu

Strategies for Workplace Wellness

• Build a Culture of Support: Small acts of kindness and active listening reduce collective stress. Look out for coworkers who seem overwhelmed.

• Recognize Burnout: Monitor for chronic fatigue or loss of motivation. Address these signals early by prioritizing rest or speaking with leadership.

• Manage Stress Proactively: Use mindfulness or deep breathing to help reset your nervous system and keep your head clear.

• Prioritize Rest & Recovery: Safety starts with adequate sleep and "unplugging" after hours to allow your body and mind to recharge.

• The 90-Minute Reset: Step away from your desk every 90–120 minutes. A five-minute walk or stretch restores focus and lowers stress levels.

• Movement as Medicine: Incorporate desk stretches or take the stairs to boost your mood and sharpen cognitive performance.

Questions? Contact Risk Management & Safety: 574.631.5037 | riskman@nd.edu

Key Road Safety Practices

• Respect Pedestrians: As the most vulnerable road users, pedestrians always get the right of way. Stay hyper-alert near residence halls and dining areas.

• Large Vehicle Awareness: Trucks and buses have large "No-Zones" (blind spots). If you can't see the driver’s mirrors, they can't see you.

• Yield to Emergency Vehicles: Pull over to the right and stop immediately when sirens or lights are present to allow responders clear passage.

• Share the Road: Give cyclists at least three feet of space when passing. Avoid honking at cyclists, as it can cause dangerous startle responses.

Questions? Contact Risk Management & Safety: 574.631.5037 | riskman@nd.edu

Building a Safer Community

• Shared Responsibility: Everyone can play a role. Make safety a regular part of meetings.

• Identify & Assess Hazards: Regularly evaluate your workspace with your team. Early recognition and speaking up prevent accidents before they happen.

• The Power of Near-Misses: Treat "close calls" as free warnings. Reporting these hazards without fear of blame allows for corrective action before an injury occurs.

• Lead by Example: Your actions set the standard. Consistently following procedures and wearing PPE encourages others to mirror those safe choices.

• Continuous Improvement: Update safety protocols whenever equipment, staffing, or processes change to stay ahead of evolving risks.

• Open Communication: Foster an environment where concerns can be raised freely. Clear dialogue is the foundation of a forward-moving safety culture.

Questions? Contact Risk Management & Safety: 574.631.5037 | riskman@nd.edu

ASSP advocates for occupational safety and health (OSH) professionals to prevent workplace injuries, illnesses, and fatalities.

The SPY Award recognizes an occupational safety and health (OSH) professional who demonstrates outstanding industry achievement, advances the profession, and shows a strong, ongoing dedication to ASSP.

The Council of Operational Learning (COOL) develops university-wide training to ensure all employees share a common understanding of critical topics, including Active Violence response. In addition to the required courses, COOL creates leader resource tools available through the HR Self-Service Center. These resources are designed to help leaders engage their teams in follow-up discussions and apply key concepts within their own work environments.

During a recent staff meeting, Risk Management and Safety used these leader tools to review their emergency action plan. In the course of that discussion, a team member raised a question about a delayed door unlock in one campus building. In an emergency, even seconds matter.

Further review revealed the delay and associated alarm were remnants from an earlier building configuration and were no longer necessary. The department coordinated with NDPD to remove the delay, eliminating a potential barrier during an emergency response.

Without completing the mandatory training, and taking time to apply it through discussion,  this outdated feature may never have been questioned. Instead, training sparked curiosity, critical thinking, and a tangible safety improvement. Leaders across campus are encouraged to access the COOL resource tools in the HR Self-Service Center and take a few minutes to discuss how required training applies to their own spaces.

In observance of Risk Awareness Week, we’re spotlighting the critical work of the University’s Risk Management team, specifically within Lab Safety. Meet Amanda Snyder, the leader of the Laboratory Safety Program. Amanda ensures the safety of our research environment by overseeing everything from biosafety and complex infectious material shipping to the comprehensive safety training programs. Curious about what keeps our labs secure? Read on to hear how she tackles a typical—or not-so-typical—day on the job.

1. To someone who has no idea what you do, how would you describe your job in a single sentence? I lead the lab safety team which works with students, faculty, and staff to help ensure safety of those who work in and around the labs at Notre Dame.

2. Walk us through a typical day. What's the first thing you do when you get to work, and what are some of the key tasks you tackle throughout the day? I am typically checking emails and looking at my calendar before I leave the house in the morning. I try to touch base with all of the team members once I’m in the office. I’m not sure I have a typical day. I have days where I jump from discussing a Biological Safety Level 3 space, to a meeting at ND Propulsion and Power, to meeting with a lab regarding a chemical injury. I have other days where I spend the entire day discussing our animal program and completing inspections.

3. Can you share a story about a time when your proactive approach to risk management prevented a potentially dangerous situation from happening? I have worked with the departments and Facilities Design and Operations to ensure that labs are fully cleared out and hazards removed before renovation work begins. This helps to ensure that those personnel who may not be familiar with lab hazards are not exposed during renovation. It also helps to ensure that materials are disposed of appropriately.

4. The University has many different labs. What are some of the unique challenges you face when managing safety across such a diverse range of spaces? I think the most unique challenge is working to become knowledgeable in all areas of lab safety. Our labs have biologicals, chemicals, and a whole range of physical hazards associated with them. I know I was surprised by the number of different physical hazards our lab spaces have.

5. You're in charge of the Laboratory Safety Training program. What's the most important lesson you want to convey to researchers and students through this training? Know the hazards of the materials you plan to handle before the experiment. If you have questions or something doesn’t seem correct, ask.

6. What's one thing that would surprise people about the day-to-day challenges of your job? My guess would be the diversity of the day and the topics that get discussed each day. I never have a day where the whole day is focussed on one aspect of lab safety.

7. What does the term "fostering a culture of preparedness" mean to you in the context of a lab environment? That lab personnel have planned ahead, know what the worst thing that can happen is, have done what they can to prevent the scenario, but also have proper materials and/or knowledge to handle the worst case scenario if it arises.

8. What is the most rewarding part of your job? I love working with my team, watching them grow, and being a part of their growth. I know I’m biased but I have an amazing team. I also enjoy making connections with the departments and leaning into those within the departments that share a passion for safety.

Week One: Risk for Complacency

Week Two: Identify and Address Safety Hazards

Week Two: Spot The Hazard Activity

Week Three: Safely Sharing The Road

Week Four: Walking Is Working- Avoiding Slips, Trips and Falls

Mike is the Regional Development Program Director for the Northwest Region.

Congrats Mike!

Pictured are members of the Risk Management Leadership Team with winner.

Janine is an AVP UG Enrollment Advisor.

Congrats Janine!

Pictured are members of the Risk Management Leadership Team with winner.

After a thorough review of the relevant facts and careful deliberation, the working group made the recommendation that the operation, storage and charging of PEVs should no longer be allowed on campus, and Fr. Jenkins has accepted the recommendation.

Effective December 17, 2023, the operation, storage, and charging of Personal Electric Vehicles (PEVs) such as e-bicycles, e-scooters, e-skateboards, e-hoverboards, and go-karts, including the batteries for these vehicles, will no longer be allowed on the University’s main campus. More information regarding temporary storage accommodations can be found here.

Additional questions can be sent to e-scooter@nd.edu.

Originally published by NDWorks at ndworks.nd.edu on December 04, 2023.

That was the key message Patrick Nelson, a nationally recognized leadership and safety speaker and trainer, shared with hundreds of University employees Thursday, Nov. 9. During a presentation titled “Lessons from the Battlefield: Empowering Everyone to Take Safety Personally,” at Leighton Concert Hall inside DeBartolo Performing Arts Center, Nelson, a decorated former U.S. Army paratrooper, shared his very personal story of being a leader in safety. Unfortunately, Nelson’s story underscores the harsh realities of not speaking up when something is not quite right.

“On June 8, 2005, I was operating out of a small base near the Pakistani border. Now, this was the type of place that we were short on everything except the enemy. We faced regular indirect-fire attacks and participated in several large battles that saw between 50 to 100 enemy fighters each time. And on this particular morning, we’re going to resupply some ammunition to a Chinook helicopter. And as we were getting ready to pull away [in our vehicle], my soldier, Emmanuel Hernandez, hopped in the back. I noticed that he didn’t have his helmet on. And so, I literally opened my mouth to yell at him. But I realized I didn’t have mine on either. It’s obviously kind of hard for me to say something if I’m not doing the right thing,” Nelson shared.

As they approached the resupply mission, Nelson and his fellow soldiers were hit by enemy fire. Nelson was wounded, but made a full recovery. Tragically, Hernandez died following the attack, from shrapnel that hit him in the head during the explosion.

“He died because I wasn’t doing the right thing, because I didn’t have the courage to speak up and to say something. And of course there have been so many days since then where I’ve thought how simple it would’ve been if I would’ve just said, ‘Guys, wait, wait, wait. Come on, let’s go get our helmets,’” Nelson added.

Nelson served for almost seven years as a paratrooper in the 173rd Airborne Brigade, completing tours in Iraq and Afghanistan and earning both a Bronze Star Medal and a Purple Heart. After leaving the Army, he became the inaugural NFL-Pat Tillman Military Scholar and earned a master’s degree in sports management, eventually working in football operations for the Minnesota Vikings, his hometown team.

Now, he travels the world, engaging employees from small family-owned businesses to Fortune 500 companies in practical advice to improve safety and be leaders in safety in their areas. Nelson’s presentation was offered for faculty and staff by Notre Dame Risk Management and Safety as part of the Division of Campus Safety and University Operations. You can watch his full message here.

Originally published by Jenna Liberto, Director of Internal Communications at ndworks.nd.edu on December 04, 2023.

Scott the manager for User ED & Transition, IT Staregy, Planning & Architecture at OIT.

Congrats Scott!

New puzzle comes out the first Tuesday of every month!

Play today for a chance to win monthly prizes and to participate in the grand prize drawing at the end of the year.

Pictured are members of the Risk Management Leadership Team with winner.

Attendees were able to visit dozens of booths and tables for safety information, demonstrations and giveaways. Demonstrations included fire extinguisher use, AEDs, CPR, first aid basics and more.

Representatives from the following Notre Dame departments were on hand: police, including the K9 unit and drone operators; fire; the Office of Information Technologies (cybersecurity); Campus Dining; Notre Dame International (travel safety); Risk Management (lab safety); Sustainability; and more. Visit South Bend Mishawaka, St. Joseph County Emergency Management Agency, South Bend Police Department, American Red Cross and other community businesses and organizations also took part.

Attendees who filled their punch cards after visiting six or more booths were entered into a drawing to win prizes. Winners include:

Koby Keck

Payden Brown

Atefeh Ghafari

Sofia Fair

Caroline Lara

Ryan Mescher

Jen Guo

John Lillegard

Originally published by NDWorks at ndworks.nd.edu on October 09, 2023.