Lisa Benford, Biological & Chemical Safety Manager
Lisa
Benford is the Biological and
Chemical Safety Manager for the
University of Houston, an important
role which lends itself to a lot of
responsibilities on campus.
Lisa has worked for the
Environmental Health and Risk
Management (EHRM) Department for
nearly five years, and one of her
primary duties is to interact with
faculty, staff and students
regarding biological and chemical
safety. She said that this is one of
the most rewarding aspects of her
job. �Since I strive to customize my
training to diverse audiences, all
interactions are equally rewarding,�
she said.
Lisa is also the Biological Safety
Officer for the University, which
involves registering UH�s
Institutional Biosafety Committee
with the National Institute of
Health, and ensuring that any
experiments with biological hazards
are reviewed by the Committee. She
also reviews and approves any
purchases or transfers of
biohazardous materials when the
vendor requests EHRM approval.
Additional responsibilities include
facilitating laboratory safety
audits, , and supporting Animal Care
Operations and the Institutional
Animal Care and Use Committee
regarding animal-related safety
concerns.
In addition to these roles, Lisa�s
job involves regular safety training
to the University community as a
whole, and she has developed
web-based training to support these
efforts. All of her activities
support the University�s Tier-One
initiative, as she partners with
researchers to make their
laboratories safe.
When asked to list one of the most
challenging aspects of her position,
Lisa explained, �It�s sometimes
difficult to consider safety as an
integral part of the laboratory
experience when there has not been
any reported laboratory accidents. I
endeavor to focus on laboratory
accident prevention through training
and consultations. The goal is that
EHRM is seen as a �facilitator� and
not a �regulator�.�
As far as safety concerns of which
students should be aware, Lisa said,
�Promoting the health and safety of
the students is our number one
priority! We understand that it is
easy to become comfortable and
complacent in the laboratory. We
want them to �think safety�. We also
believe in the old adage- An ounce
of prevention is worth a pound of
cure.�
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