Lessons Learned from Implementation of a Web-Based Environmental Health and Safety Management Database in an Academic Medical Center

摘要

An environmental health and safety programfor an academic medical center involves managing complexand diverse safety issues. The ability to ensure that requiredactivities are performed and documented as well as readyaccess to environmental health and safety data to internalstakeholders are a few of the benefits that implementing acentralized environmental health and safety database canprovide. The Environmental Health & Safety Department atthe University of Texas Medical Branch is organized intooperational groups based upon specialty (biological safety,radiation safety, occupational safety, fire safety, and environmentalprotection management). Historically, the organizationhas followed a decentralized approach to data management,with each specialty keeping data in their own format and inaccessible to employees in other specialties. Beginning in2014, the department began the implementation of a unified environmental health and safety database. This database allows fora standardized approach to data management and helps ensure that safety-related information such as chemical inventories,radiological equipment, and laboratory inspection data is available to all staff in the department. This case study provides anoverview of key considerations and lessons learned for organizations considering implementing such a system.