Lab Door Signs

MSU requires lab spaces to display door signs to:

• Prevent unintended entry into hazardous spaces.
• Provide essential contact information for emergencies occurring outside regular hours (e.g., utility failures, fires).
• Alert entrants to potential risks, especially those unfamiliar with the laboratory.
• Ensure compliance with health and safety standards.

Door signs can be ordered through EHS. Update your door sign when contacts change or hazards present in lab change.

Requesting a Door Sign

Review selection criteria for hazards prior to creating your request.

• 1. Create new request in EHS Safety Portal

  Log in to EHS Safety Portal, then select the Lab Door Sign Request.

  Complete required information about the requester and the lab.

• 2. Provide lab contact information

  Include names and office locations of two contacts: the PI and another knowledgeable person (e.g., lab manager, technician).

  Provide ten-digit phone numbers. Adding both office and home/mobile numbers is advisable.

  Use the Comments section for additional contacts or updates.

• 3. Identify lab safety hazards

  Select the lab's safety hazards, using the criteria provided. EHS will review these hazards and may request further information.

• 4. Electronic or printed sign

  By default, EHS will provide a printable PDF of your sign. While color prints are preferred, grayscale is acceptable.

  If your lab does not have printer access, request a printed copy of the sign by checking the “send printed copy” box on the request form.

• 5. Receive, print, and post sign

  EHS will send a printable PDF of your sign to the provided email address, usually within 5 business days. 

  EHS will send printed signs within 15 days.

Plastic sleeves to hold door signs: If your lab does not have a plastic adhesive sleeve to hold the door sign, one can be requested from EHS. Submit a request in the Lab Label Request on the EHS Safety Portal.

Frequently-Asked Questions

• When do we need to update our door signs?
  Whenever hazard and contact information change.
• Do we need a new sign every year before our inspection?
  No, only if there are changes in hazards or contacts.
• Can I update my sign by writing over the existing contacts or graphics?
  Order a new sign. This ensures legibility and allows EHS to review updated hazards.
• Is a sign required if my lab has no hazards?
  Yes, to restrict entry and provide emergency contact information.
• I only have a few milliliters of ethanol or HCl in my lab. Do I have to put it on the door sign?
  No, Flammable Solvent and Corrosive Material graphics are required when 10 or more gallons are in the lab.
• My lab has side rooms. Do I put the side rooms’ hazards on the main room’s door sign?
  Yes, the sign should reflect all hazards that may be encountered by entry into the space.
• What if I can't find a second contact for the sign?
  Use your contact information for both entries and explain in the Comments section. We'll find a solution based on your particular circumstances.
• If multiple PIs share a lab, do we need separate signs?
  No, one sign for all lab hazards and contacts is sufficient. Optional labels inside can differentiate work areas, equipment, chemicals, etc.
• What if the hazard graphic I need isn't on the request form?
  Note this in the Comments section. Graphics not listed are typically only needed for unique circumstances.