New Approach for Teaching Laboratory Safety: Four-Year Text for

Undergraduate Chemistry

Robert H. Hill, Jr., Capt., U.S. Public Health Service (Retired), Atlanta, GA

David C. Finster, Professor, Wittenberg University,Springfield, OH

The Burning Sliver Graduate student doing

organic synthesis Drying solvent by

pressing Na through die to make wire

Cutting Na block, tiny sliver from cutting fell from knife

Landed on bare arm burning small cylindrical hole within seconds

Sodium metal [Wikipedia Jan 31, 2010]

Passion for Laboratory Safety Incidents

Fires, runaway reactions, explosions

Chemical exposures, burns, cuts Chemical spills

Experience The Great Teacher Tough way to learn safety

Better approach Learning how to be safe Taking steps to prevent incidents Preparing for emergencies

Kansas State U, 1899, Chemistry LabBurned down 1901

Chemical Enterprise Has Problem with Safety

Many chemists Inadequate knowledge of safety; poor safety

habits; negative/ambivalent attitude toward safety

Lack of safety education or learning/retention as a student?

Incidents with chemicals frequently happen as result of unrecognized or uncontrolled hazards Public weary of chemists, chemical

enterprise Don’t trust us when we say everything is

okay

Current Laboratory Safety in Undergraduate

Chemistry (?) General/organic chemistry

Safety rules, basic PPE, safety equipment, lab waste, specific hazards in some lab texts

Academic effort in laboratory safety education

Inadequate, neglected part of chemistry educational process

Not principle-based approach Non-continuous Does not build strong safety

culture

Need More Laboratory Safety Education

Yes, it’s a big problem! Safety professionals; industry

managers; students; some educators

Producing new chemists without safety skills; inadequate safety education; safety culture weak or missing

No, present practice okay! Many educators No room in curriculum; not a

priority; not my job; not interested; not really part of chemistry; inadequate information to teach

Current Resources for Laboratory Safety

Reference – very good; not textbooks

Prudent Practices (NRC, June 2010, NAP)

Handbook of Chemical Health and Safety (RJ Alaimo, Ed, 2001, Oxford)

Bretherick’s Handbook of Reactive Chemical Hazards, 7th Edition (PG Urben, Ed, 2007, Elsevier)

Short booklets – very good; more rule-based; not designed for long-term use.

Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories (ACS CCS, 2007, ACS)

Working Safely with Chemicals in the Laboratory (CE Gorman, Ed, 1997, Genium)

Incorporating Laboratory Safety in Chemistry

Curricula Laboratory safety – essential

& integral part of all chemistry

Curricula should reflect importance of laboratory and chemical safety

Resources for teaching laboratory safety inadequate

New approach to incorporate safety into chemistry curricula – a new teaching resource

Goal: Teaching Laboratory Safety in Undergraduate Chemistry

Chemists, lab workers need: Fundamental knowledge of safety Positive attitude, strong safety

ethic Strong safety culture

Learning fundamental knowledge of safety requires

Principle-based approach to teaching safety and related chemistry

Long-term reinforcement of safety Presentation in all lab courses and

sessions

Building A Strong Safety Culture

Continuous, long-term reinforcement of safety Builds safety knowledge and

safety culture Leadership dedicated to

safety Leads by example Teaches safety Practices safety Demands others follow

“Example is the not the main thing in influencing

others. It is the only thing.”

Albert Schweitzer

Incorporating Laboratory Safety in Chemistry

Curricula Textbook for undergraduates Covers fundamental laboratory

safety Provides principle-based approach Simple and easy to implement

Pre-lab assignments On-line quizzing

Appropriate for introductory, intermediate, and advanced/research chemistry students

Designed for Continuous Reinforcement of Safety

Pre-lab assignments: 70 sections in 8 chapters used over 4 years of study Not designed as single course Designed to build strong safety culture

Layered approach based on chemical knowledge of the audience Introductory (22 sections) Intermediate (19 sections) Advanced (39 sections)

Designed for Continuous Reinforcement of Safety

Some topics, subjects addressed 2-3 times at different levels, appropriate to the audience Corrosives:

5.1.1 Corrosive Hazards in Introductory Chemistry 5.2.1 Corrosives in Advanced Laboratories

Green Chemistry: 1.1.2 What is Green Chemistry 1.2.1 Green Chemistry in Organic Chemistry 1.3.4 Green Chemistry – The Big Picture

Designed for Principle-based Approach

Four Principles of Safety RAMP for safety

Recognize hazards Assess the risks of

hazards Minimize the risks of

hazards Prepare for emergencies

Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

Principles, Ethics, Practices 8 Sections in 1 Chapter

Recognizing Hazards 29 Sections in 3 Chapters

Assessing Risks of Hazards 6 Sections in 1 Chapter

Minimizing Risks of Hazards 21 Sections in 2 Chapters

Preparing for Emergencies 6 Sections in 1 Chapter

Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

All 70 Sections Preview, Quote,

Incident, Text, Questions

Well referenced – many website URLs

Many Sections Chemical

Connections, and/or Special Topics

Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

Sample Incident Sulfuric Acid Spill Four 2.5 L bottles of sulfuric acid

were being carried down the hall by students. As one student turned to the other, the bottles banged together and broke. Both students fell on the slippery acid, and another bottle broke. Another person came to help and also slipped and fell. All three suffered serious burns from the sulfuric acid and cuts from the broken glass. What lessons can be learned from this incident?

Students must think about lessons learned Why did this happen? How could it have been prevented?

Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

Chemical Connections - examples Why does adding a concentrated

strong acid to water cause a violent reaction?

Using bond energies to understand Heats of Reaction

Inhibiting peroxide formation Radioactive decay, A first-order

reaction Oxygen concentrations in a

laboratory with a spilled cryogen

Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

Special Topics – examples Chemical analysis of human

specimens Radon - A significant public health

concern Our understanding of a poison – A

little on the cloudy side A case study in risk management -

The tragedy at Bhopal, India Laser pointers

Designed for Easy Implementation

Pre-lab assignments 70 Sections

Selected for each lab session to reflect needed safety information

Available electronically – useful for Introductory students

Quizzes using on-line system

Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

New textbook on laboratory safety

Unique 4-year textbook for all students

New approach incorporates laboratory safety into curricula

Treats laboratory safety as a chemistry discipline

Provides easy way to teach laboratory safety to students, build safety skills in new chemists

Impact of Teaching Laboratory Safety

Teaches future chemists to operate on safety principles Continuous teaching builds

strong safety culture, safety ethic

Integrating safety into work prevents incidents, injuries

Learning safety saves scientists from injury or worse

Won’t know when this happens

Remember when scientists make great discoveries, it could be because we taught them safety