University Chemistry Labs Told to Improve Safety

After serious accidents, a U.S. National Research Council Report urges accountability all the way up to college presidents

Safety goggles in lab. Credit:AlbertHerring via Wikimedia Commons

Amajor new report on safety in academic chemical researchis calling on US universities to adopt a culture of safety actively supported at all levels, from university presidents and chancellors to student researchers.

The report, issued by the US National Research Council (NRC) in response torecent serious accidents in some university research laboratoriesindicates that previous approaches to reduce laboratory accidents, which usually involve introducing new regulations, have not been successful enough.

Beyond compliance While acknowledging that there is always room for better adherence to regulations, the authors say the goal of the new report is to move chemical research beyond simple compliance to the adoption of a culture of safety in academic laboratories that transcends inspections, standard operating procedures, and chemical safety plans. It goes on to say that a true safety culture represents a commitment to achieving safety even in the absence of specific rules or regulations.

The reports authors analyzed methodologies of safety culture from the industrial sector, including non-laboratory settings such as the airline industry, healthcare, and manufacturing. They list a total of nine recommendations, with the first aimed directly at the top: The president and other institutional leaders must actively demonstrate that safety is a core value of the institution and show an ongoing commitment to it.

The report names four other levels that need to be actively involved in fostering safety culture: vice presidents for research and deans of schools and colleges; principal investigators (PIs) and department chairs; environmental health and safety staff; and, of course, researchers working in the labs. It was released on 31 July and is already eliciting positive responses.

I found the NRC report to be impressive simultaneously inspiring and challenging, saysPatrick Dussault, professor and safety chair for the department of chemistry at the University of Nebraska. I suspect the report will form the basis for some very productive discussions within my department and institution.

A focus on academia Dussault says the reports tight focus on academic labs gives it a unique strength. The authors correctly recognize the many unique features of chemical research within an academic setting, he says. Those features can include a broad range of projects and therefore potential hazards, neophyte researchers, a high degree of investigator autonomy and less emphasis on hazards and safety compared to industrial or national labs.

I applaud all efforts to strengthen the safety culture in academic institutions, says Robert Hill, chair of the American Chemical Societys (ACS)Committee on Chemical Safety. He adds that the ACS also recognizes the need for institutions to foster a strong safety culture, which was the topic of areport the society published in 2012.

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University Chemistry Labs Told to Improve Safety