d e t y in the chernkal laboratory
edited by MALCOLM M. RENFREW University of Idaho Moscow, Idaho 83843
Safety Concerns at the Local Laboratory Kenh 0. Berry University of Puget Sound, Tacoma. WA 98416 Almost every town in America has a local chemistry lahoratory. There may he no local chemical industry, no government lahoratory, perhaps not even a hospital laboratory. But there is probably a lahoratory associated with the high school, junior high, or middle school, possibly a local community college or other secondary school. That lahoratory generates just as much concern on the part of those associated with it (teachers, supervisors, students, parents, the press) as do much more sophisticated and elahorate laboratories at large chemical sites. The American Chemical Society, its Board/ Council Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS), its Education Division (particularly the Office of High School Chemistry), and several of its programming divisions, such as the Divisions of Chemical Health and Safety and Chemical Education, are intensely interested in problems related to the purchase, storage, use, and disposal of chemicals from all laboratories, but especially from small users such as the local schools. Some of the concern is related to the perception that societies, such as the American Chemical Society, and governmental agen-
cies, such as the EPA (Environmental Protection Agency), move too slowly. Such agencies simply are not able to move rapidly enough to meet the crisis faced by small chemical generators, or so it is thought. Some of the concern is generated because those interested in maintaining safe environments are unable to keep up with the many changes in the law and in federal, state. and local reeulations that have heen " developed in the recent past. Some ilf the concern results when the varioul groups art nut aware of changes that have occurred in local practice or are unahle to evaluate the data that are available to them. Finally, some of the concern is generated by persons who do not understand the nature of risk and the evaluation of risks in the chemical workspace. The determination of "acceptable risk" is done hv individuals on a dailv basis, but the rational thought required f i r conscious decrsron-making when handling chemicals is missing. In fact, various groups within the American Chemical Society have been active in developing guidelines to reduce the risk of serious accident a t the local level. In this brief article we will detail some of those activities. ~~~~~,concentratine on actions bv the Board,Council Committee on Chemical Safety, the D i G u n of rhemical Educatiun, and the Government Relations and Special Programs (GRASP) Office of the American Chemical Society. ~
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Keith Belly is Professor of Chemistry at me University of Puget Sound, where he has been on the faculty since 1965. He is past chairman and now councilor from the Puaet " Sound Section of ACS and has oartictpated n var ous eaxatoons actwties tor many years in psrtlcu ar, he has Olganored and presentee several safety seminars for secondary and community college teachers, some Sponsored locally and athers sponsored by the ACS. He is a member of me BoardICouncii Committee on Chem ical Safety, where he is also chairperson for the Subcomminee on High School Safety. In that capacity he works with David Licata. ACS Manager of me High Schml Office in its Education Division, to solicit and edit articles lor the publication Chsmunity. Chemonity is otfered to high school teachers once each quarter: each issue has a safety article as part of its presentation. Berry is also active in issues before the Division of Chemical Education, one of which is the basis for this article.
A58
Journal of Chemical Education
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Dlvlsion o( Chemlcal Education A good example is the recent action taken by the Division of Chemical Education. Members of the Division, having witnessed situations that seemed Less than prudent, perhaps even dangerous, undertook to establish guidelines for the safe use of chemicals in demonstrations, both during classes and laboratory periods, but also during public presentations in situations that are somewhat unusual. The latter cases arose because of the stnmg interest in chemical demmstrationu. "hands-on" experiments, end "magic shows" that have recently been presented. Presentations in conjunction with celebrations of National Chemistry Day, and in places such as local shopping malls, hotels, convention centers, and other centers that do not have the facilities nor-
mally found in the chemistry lahoratory orovide soecial constraints on the safe oresentation of chemistry. Those presenting theshow want totransmit theexcitement of chemistry, hut in an environment that is safe for those in the audience. The guidelines drawn up by a committee for the Division have now been approved by its Executive Committee, the final wording pending one further action, and have heen forwarded to the Committee on Chemical Safety for their consideration (the guidelines were approved by that committee a t the Toronto national meeting) and to the ACS Counsel far his advice. The final wording will dependan Counsel's advice, which is anticipated soon. Thus, the wording of the guidelines provided below is the latest effort, but may not he exactly as will be found in the final form of the document. It is important, however, that all teachers and persons who might wish to use chemical demonstrations as part of formal or informal presentations he aware of these suggestions. While the guidelines were first proposed for those meetings that were a formal program of the Division of Chemical Education, it is to the credit of that division that thev have made these euidelines oublic and have encouraged all'persons topay attention to the safe conduct of chemical experiments, no matter what the conditions of the room or area of the presentation may he. ~
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Guidelines for Presentlng Chemical Demonstrations Chemical demonstrators must: 1. know the properties of the chemicals and the chemical reactions involved in all demonstrations performed. 2. comply with all local rules and regulations. 3. wear approved eye protection for all chemical demonstrations. 4. warn the audience to cover their ears whenever a loud noise is anticipated. 5. plan the demonstration so that harmful quantities of noxious gases (e.g., N01, S01, H2S) do not enter the Local air iupply. 6. provide safety shield protection for any explosion wherever there is the
