Incorporating the New ACS Safety Guidelines Into the Undergraduate Program

239th ACS National Meeting & Exposition

March 22, 2010San Francisco, California

Samuella B. Sigmann, NRCC CHOAppalachian State UniversityBoone, North Carolina

What is needed?

•Support from the chairperson & administration

•Faculty & Staff dedicated to promoting safe practices

•Ability to enforce safety•Time and Materials to teach safety

Start With the BasicsTraditional Incorporation of Safety

Traditional Incorporation of Safety Into the Curriculum

•All incoming students view the ACS “Starting with Safety” video

•All students must pass the Safety Quiz and sign a Safety Agreement before working in the lab

•Each experiment details chemical hazards, proper PPE, waste disposal, etc.

Additionally,•TAs for the freshman labs must complete the online safety course and score >80 on the online exam

•Research students must▫Complete the online safety course▫Score 100 on the online exam▫Complete and sign a check sheet for

the lab

2008 CPT Guidelines & Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs

4.5 Chemical Safety Resources

•Adherence to federal and state regulations regarding hazardous waste management and laboratory safety including - ▫Development of a written chemical hygiene

plan ▫Maintenance of proper facilities and

personnel for chemical waste disposal▫Safety information and reference materials▫PPE readily available to all students and

faculty2008 CPT Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs

7.3 Laboratory Safety Skills

•Approved programs should promote a safety-conscious culture in which students understand the concepts of safe laboratory practices and how to apply them.

•A high degree of safety awareness should begin during the first laboratory course, and…

•…both classroom and laboratory discussions must stress safe practices.2008 CPT Guidelines and Evaluation Procedures for Bachelor’s Degree Programs

Safety Supplement to the Guidelines

Safety and Safety EducationSafety Supplement to the Guidelines

Safety and Safety Education – Culture

•Safety Awareness▫Development of a positive attitude▫Faculty that exemplify good safety practice

▫Active & visible safety programs ▫Student participation in safety committees

Safety and Safety Education – Topics

•Hazard Identification•Methods to Minimize or Reduce Risk

•Hazard & Risk Information

Safety and Safety Education

•Safety Procedures & Processes▫Training▫Chemical Hygiene Plan/Safety Rules▫Emergency reporting system▫Inspections▫Risk assessments for research projects

Designing a Safety CourseTopics that address the Guidelines & Emphasize the Safety Culture

While all laboratory courses teach safe chemical practices…

An undergraduate lecture based safety course can emphasize the development of “A Safety Culture”

Adding a Lecture Safety Course to the Curriculum will better

▫Prepare chemists for industry▫Prepare the next generation of academic research chemists

▫Teach information gathering skills▫Raise safety to an equal status in the curriculum with other areas of chemistry

Chemical SafetyA One Credit Hour Course

Course Topics •Safety Agencies

▫Historical Overview the Regulatory Agencies•A Culture of Safety

▫Risk Assessment▫Causation & Incident Reporting▫Safe Processes

•OSHA Regulations Governing Laboratories▫1910.1450 v. 1910.1200▫The Laboratory Standard 29 CFR 1900 1450

Course Topics, cont. •Chemical Hygiene & Emergency Response

Plans•Health and Hazards

▫Toxins▫Managing Chemicals Safely▫Safe Solvent Handling▫Labeling and Inventory Control

Course Topics, cont. •The Material Safety Data Sheet•Personal Protective Equipment

▫Respirators•Spills and Waste Management•Fume Hoods•Compressed Gases

Text and Readings• Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and

Disposal of Chemicals (The National Academies Press)

• Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, 7th Edition, Accident Prevention for College and University Students (Volume 1) & Faculty and Administrators (Volume 2), by the American Chemical Society's Committee on Chemical Safety

• The NIOSH Online Pocket Guide to Chemical Hazards

Particularly helpful sites for teaching•NOAA's site CAMEO Chemicals -

http://cameochemicals.noaa.gov/•NIH's ChemIDPlus Advanced -

http://chem.sis.nlm.nih.gov/chemidplus/•CSB's site -

http://www.chemsafety.gov/default.aspx

EvaluationOnline quizzes (Lab Standard & MSDSs)Create an MSDS2 or 3 ExamsStandardized ACS Final Exam

Activities

•Students are taken on an tour of our newly renovated stockroom

•Students are shown the temporary waste accumulation site

Future Improvements

•Course▫Mock lab inspections▫Design an online version of the course

•Department ▫Make the safety course required for our

majors▫Require research students to include a risk

assessment in their research proposal▫Occupational H & S concentration

Course Materials

•http://www.4shared.com/•Use email sigmannsb@appstate.edu and

“safe4u” as the password•Check links and regulations for your state