Strategy of the Joint Center for Energy Storage Research to influence laboratory safety among its funded researchers

In 2011, a team at Argonne National Laboratory (Argonne) was preparing a proposal for a Department of Energy (DOE)-funded project that called for the creation of an “Energy Innovation Hub.” The proposal team, well engrained in Argonne's and DOE's safety culture, was also aware of the high profile university laboratory accidents from 2009 and 2010 and many other high profile research laboratory safety incidents. They knew they wanted to influence safety by setting an expectation of safe science across the Hub they proposed. In 2012, the DOE awarded Argonne the contract to create the Hub, now known as the Joint Center for Energy Research (JCESR). JCESR promptly hired and appointed a Safety Lead charged with fulfilling JCESR's vision of influencing safety across their newly created Hub. This article discusses JCESR's implementation of a strategy to influence laboratory safety among its funded researchers.