Interactive Online Lab Safety Tour

This interactive virtual laboratory tour was designed as an onboarding-style safety orientation for onboarding and entering a research environment through the Foundations of Research program with the goal of familiarizing new researchers with critical safety infrastructure before conducting experimental work.

Learners explore essential laboratory safety stations including personal protective equipment (PPE), emergency eyewash and safety shower systems, fire extinguishers, chemical fume hoods, glass disposal procedures and emergency gas and electrical shut-off controls through an interactive environment with embedded explanations and scenario-based prompts. Each stop highlights both the purpose of the equipment and the decision-making required to respond to common laboratory hazards. The pictures included are from the actual lab this was created for.

The experience was intentionally designed using Universal Design for Learning (UDL) principles to support multiple ways of engaging with the material, including visual exploration, concise reference explanations and quick decision checks that reinforce safety reasoning. Early familiarity with laboratory infrastructure is essential for safe and responsible experimental work.