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In science, some risks are worth the rewards — like the risk of trying a bold, new approach to a problem. These risks can lead to great discoveries and improve the lives of those around us.

Other risks are not worth taking — like the risk of neglecting safety and, specifically, the risk of neglecting proper priorities, practices, and training.

Ignoring these basic principles can have serious consequences for your researchers and your organization as a whole. But fixing them is no simple task.

Lab safety incidents are a frequent occurrence

Every year, hundreds of researchers are injured in laboratories.

What’s worse is that for every high-profile incident, scores of others get relatively little airtime (and those are only the ones that are reported). It's hard to know exactly how often incidents like these occur, since no one agency or association systematically tracks safety incidents and near-misses at academic labs. It's part of the chaos that is unavoidably inherent in research environments.

What we do know: In a lone report from back in 2011 following an explosion at Texas Tech, the US Chemical Safety Board cited “preliminary information” on 120 different university laboratory incidents over the previous decade.

In other words, at least one significant incident occurred in an academic laboratory every month. And that’s just an extremely conservative estimate from the limited data available. It’s hard not to imagine that the true number of laboratory safety incidents every year could total well into the hundreds.

Prioritizing scientific freedom over safe science can have serious consequences

It’s generally agreed that there's a discrepancy in safety between academic and industrial labs, although again, solid data is scarce. In a recent article examining the difference, Science magazine recently interviewed lab safety experts, including SciShield CEO Nathan Watson. The verdict? It all comes down to coordination between priorities, practices, and training. Industry is often able to assemble these three facets in concert, while academic labs usually attempt to or are restricted to implementing them piecemeal.

Faced with pressure to publish papers and compete for limited funding, researchers in academic labs may be more likely to skip safety practices like donning protective gear or completing a risk assessment.

The consequences of laboratory incidents range from minor to life-altering injuries, to loss of property, litigation, reputation damage, and in the most serious cases, death.

Laboratory injuries will often have a dramatic impact on an organization’s bottom line. Statistics from the National Safety Council suggest that a single injury costs organizations on average $32,000. That figure doesn’t even take into account property damage costs, such as the time and expense to repair buildings and replace equipment.

Of course, protecting researchers and students from harm is not just good business practice — it’s also a moral imperative. Laboratory incidents have resulted in life-changing injuries and death, and that’s a cost organizations can’t afford to overlook. It's why they have EHS in the first place.

Most lab “accidents” are preventable

Traditionally, organizations have accepted injuries and “accidents” as an unavoidable reality. In part, this may be due to driving factors like budgeting processes that require the use of industry frequencies of incidents, making an injury baseline an accepted norm.

Yet decades of investigative reports show that most lab safety incidents are entirely foreseeable and preventable. Worse yet, they are usually not the fault of a single researcher but rather the result of a systemic failure to prioritize good safety practices and training.

Here’s why that’s significant: We’re facing a paradigm shift where it’s increasingly accepted that events in your labs, whether good or bad, are within your control.

As organizations stop classifying safety incidents as “accidents” (i.e. unexpected spontaneous events) and start viewing them as the avoidable result of poor practices or safety culture, they’re increasingly able to address the underlying issue before it causes an “accident”. And that means improved safety, fewer incidents, and greater accountability.

Watson told Science he sees organizations actively working to improve safety practices in their labs and safety culture across their campuses. It’s no small task.

This new paradigm revolves around three elements that have to be mindfully implemented in concert. It’s not enough to have 2/3, or to have all 3 but have them be disconnected or independent from one another.

Priorities: Establish shared responsibility for safety at all organizational levels.
Practices: Apply priorities to develop new expectations and safety standards in all labs.
Training: Reinforces safe practices as a normal and integral part of the research workflow.

With all three of these mutually reinforcing activities performing together, you may just start to see a resilient safety culture begin to develop, and, more importantly, stick around.

Of course, change is not without its challenges. One roadblock, says Watson, is the fear that improving safety will raise costs, increase administrative burdens, or both. While it may be true that improved safety programs could require a higher budget (which, if we’re being honest, they’ve needed and deserved for years), it is critical to look at the hidden and actual costs of a safety incident when calculating risk.

Your takeaway

Priorities, practices, and training are powerful tools against laboratory safety risks. If your organization fails to follow these principles, it can have devastating or fatal consequences for researchers and reputation. And the time where you can claim it was just another “accident” is rapidly dwindling.

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Neglecting Lab Safety & Training: A Risk Not Worth Taking

Ever had a close call in one of your labs? With growing pressure to "publish or perish" safety is often overlooked which can spell disaster.

Matt Segal

Click here to set up your free gap analysis today.

A few months ago, we met with the EHS director at a research organization (let's call him Greg).

As we talked with Greg about how hard it was to keep up with the pace of research and how much time EHS staff and researchers were spending on administrative tasks, it became clear that his organization had outgrown its current software system.

Then Greg brought up a problem that almost all organizations experience, and one that's also easily solvable:

"We just don't have the funding we need for new software," he said. "How can we get senior management to give us more resources?"

Our advice: The resources are already there, you just need to know how to unlock them.

Why most people struggle to unlock software funding

Asking your boss for money for your software initiative can be intimidating. According to management researchers Kathleen Ryan and Daniel Oestreich, 70% of employees are afraid to speak up or suggest improvements to their company.

Even if they do get up the courage to approach senior management, most people aren't sure exactly what to say or how to say it (it's the same reason so many people never ask for a raise, either). Of course, there are real risks to having a small safety budget.

Or they convince themselves that new software is out of their reach because of their organization's size or budget. They tell themselves things like:

"They won't even give me enough staff. There's no way they'll give me money for software."

"I can't negotiate.

"I'll just keep using the system that I have. It works well enough."

And they settle for broken, outdated software that doesn't meet their needs. But here's the good news: You don't have to be a brilliant negotiator to get senior management to say "yes" to your request — and your organization doesn't have to be rolling in money.

So, what's the key to unlocking resources for your software initiative? How do you make your boss happy to hand over the cash?

It's a simple tool called a gap analysis.

Gap analysis = the key to unlocking resources

In short, a gap analysis measures the "gap" between where your organization is now and where it needs to be.

During a gap analysis, you'll evaluate your current systems to identify areas of success, highlight challenges that need attention, and suggest solutions to those challenges. We may even be able to help you secure the funding benefits of Loss Control Credits.

Instead of pushing or negotiating, you're helping your boss see your software initiative as a smart way to improve productivity, gain more time in your day, ensure compliance, and reduce risk.

Data-backed liabilities (and opportunities)

Today's laboratories and research facilities face more risks and need EHS software more than ever.

Just take a look at these statistics and you'll see what we mean:

46% of researchers have sustained at least one injury in the time they've been conducting research in a laboratory setting, despite reporting feeling relatively safe (UC Center for Laboratory Safety)
Time and hassle are the most significant barrier to improving lab safety (UC Center for Laboratory Safety)
Effective software has been proven to reduce the time researchers spend on their top 15 common safety tasks by an average of 60.5% (2018 SciShield Researcher Productivity Survey)
75% of organizations using EHS software were able to identify points of risk in their operations, versus 34% of organizations not using software (LNS Research)
Workers at technology laggards were 450% more likely to want to leave to go work elsewhere (Unisys)
40% of workers said they left a company because they lacked access to state-of-the-art digital tools, while 80% of workers said that use of the most up-to-date tools influenced them to join a company (Randstad)

SciShield can help with your gap analysis

It's clear that EHS software is both essential and unbeatable for reducing risks, improving lab safety, and even attracting and retaining talent. Unlocking resources to purchase EHS software hinges on leveraging your knowledge of your organization's risks and critical deficiencies, and identifying the right ways to save. Do that effectively, and you'll be in a much better position to get the software you need.

That's where we come in. Our team of researchers and EHS professionals (and expert negotiators) have years of experience solving critical challenges in laboratory risk management. We'll perform a free gap analysis to help you unlock resources for EHS software.

Your gap analysis report will:

Evaluate your current systems to identify areas of success
Highlight challenges that need attention
Use industry best practices to offer ways to reduce risk, drive productivity, and simplify reporting.

Over the last few months, our gap analysis reports have helped four different schools unlock 10X their original funding for software.

Have any other questions questions?

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An update

So what happened with our EHS manager, Greg? As soon we shared the findings of our gap analysis, it was easy to get senior management at his organization to say "yes" to new software.

Now, Greg starts his morning out by spending 15 minutes in SciShield reviewing activity that would have normally taken him 2 Advil and more than an hour to get through. He has time to focus on what's really important to him: supporting his EHS team on the problems they encounter instead of arguing with them about using the most recent version of a spreadsheet or email list.

The best part? Researchers' complaints about safety requirements have dropped to a near whisper. Greg told us he's even overheard a few people comment about how easily they were able to take care of an overdue training course on their own.

The resources for your EHS software purchase are out there, and unlocking them is easier than you think.

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How to Unlock Resources for Your EHS Software Purchase

Think you can't get the funding to purchase EHS software? Gap Analysis can prove the value of EHS software and unlock resources for your team.

It's a common scenario: a software project overruns the budget, drags on forever, or gets canceled before it ever gets completed.

Over half of major software projects fail to deliver on their promises, according to a report by the Standish Group.

In nearly every case, the reasons for failure are avoidable. How do we know? 98% of SciShield implementations are successful.

Below, we'll show you the main reasons EHS software implementations fail, and how to set yourself up for success:

Not using vendor suggested configurations

When implementing a new software, configuring the system around your existing processes seems like a smart way to go. The problem, as many organizations discover, is that automating a bad process simply delivers bad results faster.

Rather than shoehorn your current workflows into the system, be open to changing them. An experienced vendor who works in your industry day in and day out will know the best ways to get the job done, and their software will be designed around those practices. By using the vendor suggested configurations, you'll improve your processes and get the most out of the system.

Too many customizations

Unlike configuration, which involves changing parameters within the software, customization involves making changes to the software's underlying code. Heavy customization can lead to several problems during implementation, and is often a sign that your vendor is looking for quick fixes instead of long term solutions.

To understand why, imagine you're cooking a new dish. Stray too far from the original recipe, and you might have to throw the whole thing out and order pizza.

Similarly, if you customize a software too much, it's no longer the software you bought — and you won't get the results you heard about in testimonials, ratings, and reviews. Furthermore, every additional customization makes it harder for the vendor to maintain and troubleshoot your software, which can lead to higher costs for you.

Fortunately, EHS professionals and implementation partners agree that today's software systems can probably meet 80-85% of most companies' needs out of the box, according to NAEM.

No buy-in strategy

The NAEM EHS Software Buyer's Guide has shown that 71% of organizations expect the EHS function to take the lead in software selection and implementation. Other decision makers include executive management and IT

But in most research organizations, these decision makers aren't the only ones using the software. Getting buy-in from researchers and other employees involves more than just implementing the technology and telling everyone to "get on board". A successful buy-in strategy will have several key elements:

Commitment: If your team is divided, make sure everyone comes together and commits to the chosen solution prior to the start of implementation.
Clear success criteria: Define what's important for each role and user persona — not just for the leadership team.
Realistic expectations: Software offers many benefits, but it's not a magic bullet. Make sure your team is realistic about what software can and cannot do for your organization.
Role-oriented user testing: After configuration, user testing for all roles and personas provides an opportunity to bring forward any issues before you launch.
Early adopters: Look for an early adopter user base to roll out the product so you can adjust decisions on a smaller scale.

Poor data integrity

Ever heard the saying "garbage in, garbage out"? It’s not just a myth – a research summary published by the University of Hawai'i found that 88% of spreadsheets contain errors. If you simply import this bad data into EHS software, you'll get bad insights — which can lead to bad decisions.

To avoid this, it's important to make sure the data going into your new system is clean and accurate. While your software vendor can help, ultimately you know your data best and must take charge of your data quality.

On a similar note: Accept that your data will never be perfect. Lab spaces change every day, so talk to your vendor about how best to work with the data you have today.

No vendor-side dedicated project management

Project management is the process of planning, monitoring, and delivering a project that meets specific goals — and it's essential to your software project's success.

For advanced implementations, your vendor should put you in touch with an implementation manager. This person will help outline your requirements, formulate an implementation plan, make sure your project stays on track, and keep the lines of communication open.

Lack of software-side support

When you think of software support, you might envision submitting a help desk ticket when you can't log in. However, good support involves more than troubleshooting.

Does the vendor have a customer support team available when questions arise? Do they have a posted turnaround time for issue resolution? Is their team proactive about reaching out to customers and making sure everything is going smoothly? And perhaps most importantly, do they make you feel comfortable reaching out for help?

No continuity of vendor support

Based on NAEM’s research, it’s not unusual to be back in the market for additional functionality or a replacement within five years of purchasing an EHS software training system.That's why it's so important to look for a vendor who's committed to your long-term success — not just getting the sale. The vendor's continuity strategy should involve ongoing meetings to ensure the original success criteria are being met, review any changes in your organization's needs or strategy, and make adjustments when needed.

Insufficient training

First: A thoughtfully designed system eliminates the need for extensive training and documentation. Look for software that provides a clean user interface and streamlined workflows so that researchers can get into the system, do what they need to do, and get back to their research in the shortest time possible.That said, no matter how user-friendly a system is, training is necessary to help your team feel confident performing tasks independently. Find a vendor who offers different levels of training for different users, such as quick start guides (like the ones that come with a new TV), job aides, and other hands-on training.

Long customer time-table

According to NAEM, the process of selecting and implementing a software system takes the average buyer about 18 months. Unfortunately, some teams have experienced implementations that drag on for years or are never completed. Other projects come up, life gets in the way, and your software implementation gets pushed to the bottom of the list.

That's why it's so critical that you and your vendor have a mutually agreed upon implementation timeline. This timeline should take into consideration factors like competing projects, staff availability, and PTO. Once you both sign off, everyone knows that you're driving toward that timeline.

Too much change, too fast

There are two approaches to software implementation: "big bang" or "rolling". A "big bang" implementation — the traditional approach — occurs all at once, which can cause a shock to the organization.

A rolling implementation, on the other hand, occurs one at a time. This method offers several advantages. As the name implies, a rolling implementation starts slowly and gathers momentum like a snowball rolling down a hill. The success of each implemented builds confidence and energizes the team, leading to higher adoption rates across the company. And instead of buying every out of the gate, a rolling implementation lets you dip your toe in and add on when you're ready.

About SciShield's implementation strategy

Our company was founded by researchers, for researchers. We pride ourselves on our product being easy to use, with thoughtfully designed workflows built around industry best practices. We're committed to helping you succeed through ongoing project management, support, and training. We're perpetually learning and improving, so that each implementation is better than the last.

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Why EHS Software Implementations Fail - How to Avoid It

Software implementations can scare a lot of people away from EHS software. Thankfully, many of these horror stories are avoidable or easily fixable.

Running a safe and efficient research program requires getting really good at how you use your resources and how you spend your time.

One of the best ways to do that, as many organizations, universities, and research institutes have found, is by using software to digitize and centralize their EHS data.

They're able to complete tasks faster, identify gaps in their safety programs, and enable researchers to focus on their research — because they have a single source of truth for their researchers and EHS management.

Not convinced yet? Let's look at 10 reasons to digitize and centralize your laboratory EHS data, according to industry research and our customers.

10 Reasons to Digitize & Centralize Laboratory EHS Data

1. Understand your risks

A survey of over 3,000 EHS managers by LNS Research found that 75% of organizations using EHS software were able to identify points of risk in their operations, versus 34% of organizations not using software. That's because, unlike paper records, software provides you with real-time risk data. You know the minute one of your researchers' training expires or when certain chemicals are added to your laboratories so you can respond appropriately.

2. Create fast and accurate reports

When you have to go looking for information in multiple locations, reporting is time-consuming. Instead, a digital, centralized system puts all your laboratory EHS data at your fingertips. That means you can run up-to-date radiological inventories or inspection reports in minutes.

3. Respond to audits swiftly

What happens if an auditor requests information about training, lab hazards, equipment, or assets? If you don't have a centralized data system, a request like that can shut down your team for days. Worse, you may not be able to locate the information at all. With software, laboratory audits go smoothly because you're always prepared.

4. Find the information you need

How do you know which of your laboratories are working with particularly hazardous substances? Or if all your researchers have the appropriate training for the equipment they use? Using a centralized database lets you zoom in and find exactly what you need — without digging around or interrupting your researchers.

5. Ensure knowledge continuity

EHS departments lose around 20% of their employees every year. If you don't have a formal system in place for maintaining data, that means 20% of your organization's safety and compliance knowledge could simply walk out the door with them. With software, on the other hand, information that used to be stuck in people's heads now lives in a central database.

6. Protect your data

Not only are paper files easily misplaced, they can be destroyed by a fire or even a leaky pipe. Unfortunately, spreadsheets aren't much better: data can be accidentally deleted, saved over by a colleague, or lost if your computer crashes. Ultimately, your best option for protecting your data is a software system that provides nightly backups, disaster recovery, and can't be destroyed by a spilled cup of coffee.

7. Allocate your resources wisely

As you collect all your inspections, activities, and findings in a centralized database, you'll get a clear picture of trends and gaps in your safety and compliance programs. That way you can make sure you're prioritizing your personnel and funds where they'll make the biggest impact.

8. Communicate with your team

Instead of wading through email, good software lets researchers and EHS staff communicate right within the system. For example, you can send a targeted message to only individuals with animal contact. Or email specific lab groups to make sure your chemical safety communications reach the right people. Team members can reply within the system so everything is on record and in one place.

9. Save time

Researchers and EHS staff are spending too much time filling out forms, compiling reports, and chasing down items that are due. Software can automate many of these time consuming tasks, freeing everyone up to focus on what they do best. In fact, the 2018 Researcher Productivity Survey found that SciShield reduced the time researchers spent on their top 15 common safety tasks by 60.5%.

10. Reduce costs

All of the above benefits — increased productivity, reduced risk, better resource allocation — translate into significant cost savings. The American Society of Safety Engineers (ASSE) concluded that a direct, positive correlation exists between investment in EHS and its subsequent return on investment. Furthermore, OSHA found that organizations implementing effective safety and health programs generate a return of $4 to $6 for every $1 invested.

Your takeaway

Digitizing and centralizing your laboratory EHS data can help you run a safer, more efficient research program and deliver a proven ROI.

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10 Reasons to Digitize & Centralize Laboratory EHS Data

A safe and efficient research program requires using resources and time wisely. Digitizing and centralizing EHS data can help increase productivity.

eLabNext’s digital lab platform can now connect to Cellenics, a cloud-based analytics tool that can process, analyse, and visualise single-cell RNA-seq (scRNA-seq) data. With the Cellenics add-on, biologists can effortlessly generate publication-ready figures from count matrices in just a few days without writing a single line of code.

Uncovering heterogeneity with single-cell techniques

Increasingly, the heterogeneity in complex biological systems is being interrogated through single-cell sequencing technologies. This knowledge is advancing scientists’ understanding of basic biology, disease states, and the safety and efficacy of therapeutics. ScRNA-seq has been essential for powering these insights, enabling researchers to discover minor yet meaningful cell populations with robust biological impact. Single-cell methods further help comprehensively characterise cell and gene therapies that revolutionise the treatment of many diseases, including cancer.

Yet, processing, analysing, and visualising scRNA-seq data can be complicated, particularly for scientists who don’t have experience with coding or operating complex bioinformatics pipelines. This barrier limits the impact of single-cell techniques, making data analysis and visualisation inaccessible to many scientists in the life science industry.

Effortless exploration of scRNA-seq data

By partnering with Biomage, eLabNext has integrated the Cellenics tool as an add-on to its comprehensive, all-in-one digital lab platform, eLabJournal. Cellenics enables scRNA-seq data to be uploaded with the simple click of a button. Once uploaded, researchers can perform in-depth processing, quality control, and examination of their data, including differential expression, biomarker, and pathway analysis. Cellenics offers a user-friendly interface explicitly designed for biologists, with pre-loaded plots that make it easy to visualise results or export them for manuscript preparation.

Faster collaboration through integration

Integrating directly with eLabJournal, the Cellenics add-on makes it easy for research partners and collaborators to share raw scRNA-seq data, processed data, or data visualisations. eLabJournal helps improve laboratory efficiency and elevate research by providing an infrastructure for data management. In combination with Cellenics, eLabJournal makes analysis, management, visualisation, and sharing of scRNA-seq data less complicated and more straightforward.

About Biomage

Biomage hosts a community instance of Cellenics, an open-source, cloud-based analytics tool for single-cell RNA sequencing data developed at Harvard Medical School. The platform provides a fast and user-friendly interface that allows biologists without bioinformatics or coding expertise to analyse single-cell datasets. Cellenics is available to academic, biotechnology, and pharmaceutical partners for streamlined single-cell transcriptomics data processing, analysis, and visualization.

Learn more about Biomage and Cellenics at https://www.biomage.net/

Cellenics contacts

For information about Cellenics® open source project, contact Dr Jaclyn Mallard at Harvard
Medical School: jaclyn_mallard@hms.harvard.edu

For information about Cellenics® deployment, technical and user support, contact Biomage:
hello@biomage.net

News

Biomage’s Cellenics® add-on joins the eLabMarketplace to help researchers generate biological insights from single-cell RNA-seq datasets

‍Today, eLabNext, an Eppendorf Group Company offering a flexible Digital Lab Platform which combines the Laboratory Information Management System (LIMS) and Electronic Lab Notebook (ELN), announced that its platform can now integrate with LabTAG, a high-quality product line of sample identification products available through GA International. The partnership between GA International and eLabNext provides the scientific community with a complete sample management system, allowing researchers to accurately and safely identify and track samples, manage reagents and equipment, improve lab workflows, and future-proof lab operations by combining reliable labeling with efficient data management.

LabTAG labels are designed to remain adherent and legible even after long-term storage in liquid nitrogen, ensuring reliable sample identification and data integrity in biobanking and research applications. They are used throughout medical research and clinical laboratories, making them a natural fit with the eLabNext platform.

“We chose to partner with eLabNext because of their outstanding reputation in providing flexible and user-friendly LIMS solutions that cater to the diverse and ever-changing needs of modern laboratories,” said George Ambartsoumian, Founder and CEO of GA International. “Moreover, eLabNext’s LIMS and ELN software are fully compatible with various printers and identification solutions, including our vast catalog of products. Our collaboration with eLabNext enhances our ability to deliver comprehensive identification solutions that streamline lab operations and ensure accurate and efficient sample management.”

“LabTAG has a rich history in research labs, biobanks, and healthcare as a worldwide leader in cryogenic and chemical-resistant labels,” comments Zareh Zurabyan, Head of eLabNext, Americas. “Our platform's full compatibility with LabTAG products, various printers, and sample identification solutions creates an end-to-end laboratory sample management strategy.

‍

About GA International

GA International has over 25 years of experience as a leading manufacturer of specialty labels, supplying laboratory identification solutions to biomedical research labs, biobanks, hospitals, and other healthcare institutions. Since its inception, GA International has become a worldwide leader in cryogenic and chemical-resistant labels, with a strong dedication to R&D and customer service.

For more information about GA International, please visit www.ga-international.com/

Press contact:

Name: Ishan Wadi, Marketing Leader‍

Email: ishan.wadi@ga-international.com

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eLabNext Announces Integration with LabTAG and GA International for Comprehensive Sample Management and Identification