Safety and Health in Academic Laboratories
"Safety and Health in the Academic Laboratory" was the topic of the ACS Tenth Biennial Education Conference held in Chicago in October. A preliminary report of the conference appeared in the October 31 issue of Chemical and Engineering News. A formal report with recommendations directed a t various components of ACS, including the Board of Directors, is being prepared. A booklet on the subject "Health and Safety in the Laboratorv for Chemistrv Teachers in Secondarv Schools Through ~niversities"has been commissioned. ~ d ditional information from the conference will aooear in future issues of THIS JOURNAL, especially in "safety in the Chemical Laboratorv." Chemical health -and safety is a creditor whose bill is due-in full, but whose claims need to be analvzed for validitv and integrity. There never has been any doubt that thk chemical laboratory-and especially the academic chemical laboratory-has potential and inherent safety and health hazards in abundance. Nor is it any secret that the record of accidents in academic laboratorieseeems to helie what many industrialists view as incredibly sloppy safety and health standards and nractices. Now that the~societ~-hv , ,law enforced by regulatory agencies-has committed itself uneouivocallv "to assure safe and healthful workine"~~~ conditions for working men and women," and now that the toxic, carcinogenic and other health-impairing effects of many chemical substances have been demonstrated beyond reasonable doubt, there are both ethical and leeal mandates for uoerading.safetv and health practices in acaiemic laboratories.Such upgrading should not he difficult in principle. The chemical industry--despite what many consider a somewhat less-than-distinguished record in safeguarding public health and safety-has an excellent record and exemplary programs in laboratory health and safety. Obtaining information on how to upgrade this aspect of our laboratory operations will not be difficult; finding funds and time to make the necessary alterations will not be as easy. The Occupational Safety and Health Act (OSHA) and the regulations stemming from it speak to mechanical, electrical, fire and chemical hazards. The Toxic Substances Control Act (TOSCA) obviously is addressed to hazards associated with toxic chemicals. Although both the OSHA and TOSCA administrative agencies arestill developing regulations in certain areas-and chemists should not fail to make incisive and authoritative inouts where anorooriate-as manv" as 5.000 .. . ree. ulations or consensus standards have been promulgateod. Many of these regulations are directed at industrial employers, but many also apply to academic situations. Nearly all academic institutions are subject, either directly or indirectly, to OSHA and TOSCA regulations. If inspection shows that the regulations are not beina followed. the institution is subiect to-immediate penalty of $1,000 for each violation. OSHA publications are available from the ten regional OSHA offices. Of particular help to chemists are the publications and programs of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH). Each year NIOSH publishes its "Registry of Toxic Effects of Chemical Substances" (21,729 toxic chemicals are listed in the 1976 edition). "The Registry" includes OSHA workplace standards for hazardous chemicals and the known toxic potential for each substance. I t is available from the Superintendent of Documents in Washington. NIOSH recently initiated a program of activities to help sec~~
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ondarv school teachers imurove safetv and health in their science laboratories. Because the basis for OSHA rermlations is urotection of the employee in the workplace, &dents, inciuding graduate students, are not directlv ~rotectedhv the law. Nonetheless. the OSHA safety and health regulatio& provide the standards that undoubtedly will form the basis for court decisions should students claim ihey have been harmed in the laboratory. In such cases, the claimant, who could be a graduate student, of course, might seek redress from the faculty member in charge of a course or research ~roiect. 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 serious problems of faculty attitudes, a need to include safety and health considerations as an important part of the education of students in science, and recognition of serious inadequacies and questions of prudence andjudgment in the law and regulations. Manv facultv members remain to be convinced that their laboraiories are as hazardous as the regulations imply. They point with some satisfaction to what they believe is an excellent safety record, considering the hackground and maturity of the students enrolled in their courses. To most of these persons, much of the law is repressive and unnecessary. Against this view are the safety performances of industry and the accumulated toxicology information on common chemicals. It is said, for example, that the annual incidence rate of lahoratory accidents in a major chemical company may be as much as one one-thousandth that of an academic laboratory, and that benzene in concentrations of 1 ppm in laboratory air may be a health hazard. If faculty memhers would examine the safety records of industry and read more toxicology reports, many might change their views. Perhaps it is not true, as claimed by some, that the most hazardous object in any industry is a brash young PhD fresh out of school. Yet, clearly the time has come when a basic competency in laboratory health and safety is required of all science and enaineerine eraduates. The sooner this nhase of education is iicluded ii earnest in chemistry couises and curricula, the sooner we will have fulfilled an ethical obliea~
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Like many other laws and setR of regulatory procedures. the OSHA and TOSCA packages contain numerous serious inadequacies. Some standards are too rigid; others have limited applicability, hut as the law is written, they apply everywhere; some are simply indefensible. The agencies are aware of inadequacies and are working--often with input from ACS and chemists-to correct them. Of particular interest to chemists are the questions: Should there he separate standards for academic laboratories? and Will research activities be exempted from some or all toxic chemicals regulations? Academic chemists can keep abreast of developments and possibly have an opportunity to get their views before the agencies and Congress by joining the new ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safetv, The habit, common among academicians, of placing premium value on all kinds of scientific information excent safetv and health information may have to change as the lad and tG climate of the times makes this a luxurv we no loneer can afford. WTL Volume 54, Number
12, December 1977 1 719
