Setting the Bar: Safety Education at Princeton

UniversityRobin M. Izzo

Associate Director, EHSPrinceton University

Princeton Profile• 13 Science and Engineering Departments in 17 lab

buildings… and growing• Population

– 4600 undergraduates– 2000 graduate students– 1100 faculty– 11,500 staff (5500 FTE)

• ~150 Principal Investigators• ~600 Laboratories• 13.45 FTE EH&S

Policy on Lab Safety Training

All individuals working in Princeton University laboratories, paid or unpaid, including faculty, staff, students and visitors, must attend Laboratory Safety Training provided by Environmental Health and Safety. Attendance at similar laboratory safety training provided by other institutions does not satisfy this requirement.

Undergraduates

• Undergraduate course labs– EHS reviews all lab manuals– T.A.s receive Train the Trainer

• Lab Safety• Managing risk-accepting students• Escalation process

– Hazards and precautions writteninto procedures

Science Majors

• Declare major junior year• Junior core labs

– Chemistry– Molecular Biology– Physics– Chemical & Biological Engineering– Electrical Engineering– Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering

Core Lab Training

• All undergrads receive same level of training as graduate students, faculty and staff

• Conducted as a lab class or mandatory evening meetings

• Purpose– Undergraduate majors will work

independently• Junior Project, Senior Thesis• Work study

Others

• Any student working or studying in a research laboratory MUST attend full Lab Safety Training– Often unsupervised– Change from teaching lab to research lab

• No TA feeding safety information• Hazards not always spelled out• Learn to conduct a hazard assessment and

determine appropriate safety requirements

Princeton Lab Safety Training

• At least 3-hour classroom training• Lecture, case studies and test

Princeton Lab Safety Training

• Safety Culture at Princeton University• Raising Safety Concerns• Risk Assessment, Risk Acceptance• Emergency Procedures• References and Resources; how to use

them• Risk Assessment• Health Hazards

Princeton Lab Safety Training

• Particularly hazardous substances• Nanomaterials• Controlling vapors• Flammable materials• Corrosives• Compressed gases• Cryogenics

Princeton Lab Safety Training

• Electrical Safety• Pressure vessels• Ergonomics• Engineering controls and PPE• Shipping chemicals and samples• Hazardous waste minimization• Hazardous waste management

Princeton Lab Safety Training

• Case studies– Split into groups– Conduct hazard assessment– Discuss how to proceed safely– Talk about process when things

go wrong– Discuss why people choose not to work safely

• Test– EHS test or test as part of course

In-Lab Training• PI or Lab Manager conducts additional

training– General issues recommended by EHS– Other issues specified by the lab– Specific equipment– SOPs for unusually hazardous materials– For equipment and SOPs

• Document instruction• Document proficiency demonstrated• Specify requirements for prior approval, supervision,

working alone

Graduate Students

• All receive Lab Safety Training• School of Engineering and Applied

Sciences– 6 week non-credit course– Mandatory for all students except strict theory

students (who will not be allowed in labs)– General lab safety plus

• Fire extinguisher training• Physical hazards• Laser safety

Art Students

• Specialized safety training• Chemical safety• Media-specific issues• Environmental impact• Mandatory for all visual arts majors

Reinforcing Training

• Lab Safety Advisories– Single page with photos– Single idea– Intended for posting– Bar codes to point to additional information

• Lab visits• Recurrent training

In a Nutshell

• Undergraduate science majors should have same base of information as graduate students and staff

• FUTURE: Web modules and short videos to complement classroom training

Questions?