September Safety Series: Lab-Acquired Infections

Biosafety Officer Karen Byers led a practical discussion on preventing laboratory-acquired infections, focusing on real incidents and lessons learned from the field. She skipped the textbook approach and instead shared what actually works – including steps her team takes to catch potential exposures before they happen. The session tackled tough questions about personal protective equipment compliance and what to do when standard protocols aren’t enough. Lab managers got straight answers about handling common safety challenges, from training new staff to responding to exposures. Byers drew from her extensive experience to point out often-missed risk factors and shared effective solutions that have worked in busy lab settings. The candid discussion of recent incidents gave everyone practical takeaways to strengthen their safety programs.