Los Alamos National Laboratory reported a 21% decrease in total recordable injury and illness cases in 2025, reflecting sustained progress in strengthening its safety culture. Building on this momentum, the Laboratory is increasing its focus on employee empowerment and addressing root causes of recurring injuries.
“Safety lapses have the potential to slow down or even shut down operations at key facilities,” said Mark Davis, deputy Laboratory director for Operations. “Therefore, not only do we want to operate safely to protect our workers, but also because our success depends on it.”
Despite the Lab’s high-risk operations, recent data show many injuries on-site stem from more routine hazards, with 27% of recordable cases attributed to slips, trips and falls over the past year. Addressing these trends requires a stronger focus on a safety mindset — how employees perceive, act on and value safety in the workplace.
As part of this effort, Los Alamos recently partnered with DuPont Sustainable Solutions to conduct the 2026 DuPont Safety Culture Survey, with 86% of Lab staff participating. Data from this biannual survey help assess safety perceptions and inform improvements to work practices, procedures and workplace conditions.
“The Lab is committed to listening to employees to discover their concerns, and to making continuous improvements based on that information,” said Sarah Morris-Benavides, a Laboratory occupational safety and health manager. “The safety culture surveys we conduct every two years are a great way for us to gauge how safe our workforce feels, and we use that feedback to make positive changes in policies, procedures, activities, conversations and practices. We are proud of the decline in recordable injuries and illnesses over the past year, and we will continue to empower our employees as we focus on our important nuclear security missions.”
The Lab’s goal is to continue building a more positive and productive workplace as it executes its national security mission.
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