The University of New Mexico (UNM) is taking proactive steps to ensure the safety of everyone on its campus, including students, faculty, staff, and visitors. In a bid to assess and improve the culture of safety, the Environmental Health and Safety department has conducted an audit of occupational safety culture with the assistance of Propulo Consulting.
The audit was initiated in October 2023 with a digital survey targeting units with the highest occupational risk such as research labs and facilities groups. The process included focus groups, leadership interviews, work practice observations, and documentation reviews. The results indicated a positive baseline that can be leveraged to build a stronger culture of safety across UNM.
The majority of respondents agreed that UNM is capable of making positive changes to the safety culture and expressed willingness to contribute to such efforts. They also acknowledged the need for improvements in UNM’s safety culture. Respondents identified supervisors, lab managers, and peers as prioritizing safety in their work.
However, despite these positive aspects providing a strong starting point, there are areas that require attention. Many respondents felt that senior leadership and principal investigators could engage more substantively with safety issues. Regular discussions about safety and involvement in improvement projects were seen as lacking among respondents. According to the Safe Research/Production model, UNM's current safety culture rating is "Disengaged," indicating a need for improvement in leadership ownership and internalizing safety as a core value.
Casey Hall, director of Environmental Health and Safety said: “We view these findings not as failures but as opportunities for meaningful progress. In the coming months, the steering committee will collaborate closely with university leadership and external consultants to develop a comprehensive strategy to cultivate a more robust culture of safety across campus.” Key initiatives will include establishing a governance forum, implementing a university-wide EHS management system, and incorporating safety education into academic curricula.
Hall emphasized that the success of these efforts depends on collective commitment. He invited students, faculty, and staff to actively participate in improving the culture of safety through open dialogue, feedback, and a shared sense of responsibility. Participation can be done through departmental safety committees and reporting hazards, accidents, or near-misses through the EHS website.
While the audit provides an important baseline, enhancing UNM’s safety culture is an ongoing journey. UNM remains dedicated to continuously evaluating and refining its approach to ensure it upholds the highest standards of safety for all who step onto UNM’s campus.
