Ready for a professional development experience that breaks the mold? The Laboratory Safety Gurus, Dan Scungio and Sean Kaufman, are launching something unprecedented in the laboratory safety world – a Leadership Institute for Laboratory Safety Management aboard a Caribbean cruise ship.

From the cold of winter to the warmth of tropical waters, this seven-day journey (January 31-February 7, 2025) combines rigorous professional education with genuine refreshment. For those serving on the frontlines of laboratory safety – whether in healthcare, clinical, research, diagnostic, or public health settings – this represents a rare opportunity to step away, recharge, and return with enhanced leadership capabilities. The comprehensive program delivers 24 hours of specialized training focused on leadership skills, culture development, onboarding/offboarding processes, and risk management strategies specific to laboratory environments.

What makes this offering truly remarkable is its value proposition. For $2,500 (with early bird pricing at $2,250), participants receive tuition, accommodations, and meals – a package that would typically cost well over this amount for a comparable land-based program. The cruise departs from Tampa and visits spectacular destinations including Puerto Costa Maya (Mexico), Roatan (Honduras), Belize City, and Cozumel (Mexico). The schedule thoughtfully balances educational sessions with port exploration time, ensuring participants benefit from both professional growth and personal refreshment. Participants may even bring a guest for a reasonable additional fee, making this a potential working vacation.

Laboratory safety professionals often face resistance, frustration, and burnout in their critical roles. This innovative Institute provides not just knowledge and skills but also validation, community, and renewal – essential elements for sustained excellence in laboratory safety leadership. Space will be limited to create an intimate learning environment, so watch for registration details coming soon and secure your spot for this unique professional development opportunity that nurtures both your career and your wellbeing. Don't miss the chance to be part of this bucket-list event – follow Dan and Sean on LinkedIn for registration information!

Safety reporting in laboratories isn't just about checking boxes—it's about creating fundamental change that protects everyone. In this candid conversation, Dan Scungio and Sean Kaufman tackle the uncomfortable reality that many lab professionals face: reporting systems exist, but fear of punishment keeps critical safety information hidden.

What happens when a laboratory culture punishes those who speak up about safety concerns? The consequences extend far beyond incident rates. As Dan shares from his experiences as a safety officer, environments where staff fear retribution for reporting incidents create dangerous ripple effects that impact quality assurance and patient care. The hosts explore how power dynamics, from pathologists who ignore safety protocols to managers who punish those who report problems, create barriers to transparent safety cultures.

The critical difference between effective and ineffective reporting systems lies not in collecting data, but in what happens afterward. Sean and Dan discuss practical frameworks for closing the feedback loop, including the "stop, start, keep" model that empowers laboratory staff to identify and implement meaningful changes. True laboratory safety requires moving beyond assigning blame to sharing safety stories openly, ensuring that lessons learned become permanent improvements rather than lessons ignored. By fostering environments where reporting leads to action rather than punishment, laboratories can transform their safety culture from one of fear to one of collective responsibility and continuous improvement.

Have you experienced barriers to reporting safety concerns in your laboratory? Share your experiences and join the conversation about creating psychologically safe reporting environments.

What can spiritual practices teach us about laboratory safety? In this thought-provoking discussion, Dan Scungio and Sean Kaufman draw unexpected parallels between religious observances like Lent and Ramadan and the discipline required for maintaining a safe laboratory environment.

We explore the challenging journey of behavioral change in laboratory settings, questioning how long it truly takes to transform safety habits and create lasting cultural shifts. Sean offers a powerful reframing: rather than focusing solely on habit formation timelines, we should identify what distracts us from safety consciousness and replace those distractions with safer alternatives.

Cell phones emerge as a primary laboratory safety concern, but we dig deeper into the myriad distractions affecting laboratory professionals: personal stressors, workplace pressures, interpersonal conflicts, and psychological safety concerns. Each of these can compromise our commitment to safety protocols and put ourselves and others at risk. The most compelling moment comes when we articulate the three fundamental promises laboratory professionals make daily: to return home safely to loved ones, to ensure colleagues can do the same, and to protect the wider community from laboratory hazards.

The conversation concludes with practical wisdom through the STAR methodology (Stop, Think, Act, Review) and a challenge to listeners: take time during this reflective season to identify what distracts you from laboratory safety and consciously replace those distractions with safer behaviors. Your commitment to mindful safety practices doesn't just protect you—it honors the promises you've made to your loved ones, colleagues, and community. What safety distraction will you eliminate today?