Understanding previous incidents, close calls, or potential shortcomings is crucial to not only establishing, but maintaining a safe lab environment. The U.S. Department of Energy’s (DOE) OPEXShare Lessons Learned database is a fantastic resource to find the most up-to-date news regarding safety errors and investigations from labs across the country. 

To access the database, first go to opexshare.doe.gov. Here you will not only find the Lessons Learned database, but also a collection of recent news stories and other content regarding lab safety. Once on the homepage, click the “Lessons Learned” banner which will redirect you to the database. From here, you can sort through lessons with categories such as type, topic, and site/group.  

Some of the more than 2800 lessons in the database include pressure vessel failure events and improper labeling. There is likely to be a situation or topic relevant to your lab.