edlbd by MALCOLM M. RENFREW University of Idaho Idaho 83843
MOSCOW,
Developing an OSHA Acceptable Academic Chemistry Department Paul J. Taylor1 Wright State University, Dayton. Ohio 45435 I t is fairly well accepted that academic chemistry departments, as far as safety is concerned, are significantly inferior to their industrial counterparts. This is due to, among other reasons, (a) lack of incentive, (b) ignorance of the hazards, (c) historical perspective ("as a graduate student I did researchunder such conditions, or worse, and didn't get hurt, sn I expect the same from my students" is a common sentiment) and (d) lack of funds to make needed corrections. A recent editorial in the JOURNAL O F CHEMICAL EDUCATION was well stated (I). "The entire matter of academic laboratory health and safety goes much deeper than simply cleaning up the laboratory and complying with government regulations. Involved are serioufi problems of faculty attitudes, o need to includesafet y and health considerations or on important part of the duea at ion of students in science, and recognition of serious inadequacies and questions of prudence and judgment in the law and regulations." [Italics mine] There will always be those professors who need to be "forced" into complying with the rules or regulations, but the majority of them will willingly abide by the regulations, provided, (a) they know what changes in their labs are needed to comply, (b) they have the funds to do so, and (c) they have developed a safety awareness or safety consciousness. This paper will discusssteps taken a t Wright State University to accomplish these three objectives. Three levels of Safety Committees at Wright State University have been developed. Each academic department a t Wright State University has its own Departmental Safety Cmnmittee composed of two or three
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Presented, in part, a t the American Chemical Society meeting, March 13, 1918, Anaheim, CA. Current address: Chemistry Department, University of Wisconsin-LaCmsse, WI 54601.
of its faculty; the Dean and Steering Committee of the College of Science and Engineering annually organize a college level safety committee composed of one member from each department; and, the University has a Council of Safety Officers which consists of the Chairman of the College of Science and Engineering Safety Committee, the Director of Security and Parking Services, the University Radiation Safety Officer, the Director for Support Services of the Physical Plant, a representative from the Biological Science Department, and the Executive Director, Campus Planning and Operations. T h e latter acts as its chairman. One of our first objectives was to develop a Safety Inspectinn Program. The Safety and Fire Protection Group from the Mound Facility of the Monsanto Research Corp. in nearby Miamisburg. Ohio, was consulted, and they volunteered to lend their time and ex~ e r t i s ebv insoectine several of our laboratnries, pointingout hazardous situations and helping our awn safety committees develop (Continued on paEe A440)
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P a u l J. Taylor received his BS from Northern Illinois University in 1964. After teaching high school chemistry for two years he returned tc, Northern Illinois to earn his PhD in analytical chemistry in 1970. For the next two years he was a post doctoral fellow a t Purdue University working with Professor L. B. Rogers. In 1972 he joined the faculty o f t h e Chemistry Department a t Wright State University as an assistant Prufessor and became Associate Prnfessor
applications, computers and their applications t o chemistry, liquid crystals, druganalysis,and laboratory safety. Volume 55, Number 12, December 1978 I A439
Safety
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a safety program. Some of the main things they looked for, were: improper use of high pressure gas cylinders, excessive amounts of flammable solvents, inadequate fire extinguishers, electrical hazards, adequate and functioning safety showers or eye washes and facilities for d i s ~ a s a lof waste flammable
mable s a ~ v i n b i nthe laboratory. Purchasing enough commercially made solvent storage cahinets tomeet standards would have taken a large and unavailable sum of money. Inexpensive wood solvent storage cabinets that meet OSHA standards were designed and constructed by our physical plant personnel (2).These were designed to fit in the cabinet space located below our hoods. In consultation with the local city fire inspector and representatives from the above company we established our own safety inspection procedures. A safety inspection form was developed and four employees in our physical plant were trained to conduct inspections of all of our teaching and research laboratories as well as any other locations that could present hazardous situations. These inspections are done twice a year and are unannounced. While inspecting each academic department the inspectors are accompanied by the chairman of that department. The chairman's responsibility is to identify hazards that are unique to his area. For example, the chairman of the Biology
A440 I Journal of Chemical Education
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