“My Laboratory is Very Safe”: The Dangers of Myopic Looks at Laboratory Safety

In 45 years and hundreds of safety audits and inspections I have rarely had someone suggest to me that their laboratory is not safe. At worst, they may acknowledge a few specific concerns they would like me to look at (and hopefully say nothing is wrong and exit quickly). Yet in almost every audit I find many areas that should be addressed. Often, I find issues that are serious enough that I suggest they should be addressed immediately. Since I believe all laboratory personnel honestly do want to be safe and do want to avoid accidents why do I always find issues?