Safe Science Promoting a Culture of Safety in Academic Chemical Research (2014) / Chapter Skim
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4 Laboratory Safety Dynamics to Improve Safety Culture
4 Laboratory Safety Dynamics to Improve Safety Culture
Pages 71-94
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. The chapter identifies well-recognized systems, lab processes, and practices that can improve safety performance in academic research labs.
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showed an impressively high level of safety precautions. From extremely safe and easy-to-use engineering controls in laser labs, to very high levels of documentation of chemicals and materials, this lab was a model for what many research labs should seek.
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Second, principal investigators may regard safety practices, such as inspections by outsiders, as a barrier to their research projects and violation of their academic freedom. Third, the individuals within the unit (lab managers, graduate students, and staff)
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YOUNGER PEOPLE AT WORK AND RISKY BEHAVIOR Because of the composition of academic laboratories, it is important to make special mention of evidence that young people differ from more experienced researchers in their perceptions about risks that affect their behavior. A National Academies study examined how youth are different and are affected by the way that work is organized and managed, with possible generalization to postsecondary students.8 While university students are not children or adolescents, there is certainly a range of maturity and development within the university community and some of these trends may be applicable.
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University labs are also more exposed to market pressures, which may lead them to ignore safety procedures by cutting corners. A National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health survey found that smaller organizations (fewer than 100 workers)
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The actions they produce are often grounded in regulatory directives, or prohibitions to autonomously functioning individuals and research units. Communication Content Most of the measures reviewed from chemistry laboratories are lagging indicators of safety performance.
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It requires addressing the psychological, social organizational, and political processes that contribute to incidents.14 One implication is to understand the leading indicators to change individual and organizational behavior. Human factors and ergonomics principles and systems safety have been used to change many complex systems using leading indicators.
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It developed laboratory safety policies for Laboratory Safety Training, Personal Protective Equipment, and Minors in Laboratories and Shops. After its initial draft and much negative reaction from researchers, the policy had to be reworked to make reasonable accommodation for practical implementation by laboratories.
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The U.S. Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB)
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The first important issue to remember is that the need for laboratory safety is not only good for the health of the students and researchers involved but also in educating and providing a positive example to younger scientists that laboratory research can be done safely and, at the same time, efficiently. The practice of laboratory safety is ultimately left up to the individual, and in most cases the importance of doing research safely is learned from others in the same lab.
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As mentioned above, while the discipline of performing research is dependent on the leadership of the faculty member and ultimately the individual doing the research, the possibility of changing the cultural attitude toward safety is also the responsibility of the department and research/university community. An additional reason is that including safety in annual and advancement evaluations allows faculty members to document and report the substantial work required to develop and sustain a strong, positive safety culture in their laboratories.
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In instances in which unanticipated hazards or risks are discovered during data acquisition or analysis, safety information must be included in results and discussion sections and in the abstract and any publicity about the work. LABORATORY PROCESSES Hazard Analysis Hazard analysis involves the identification, assessment, and mitigation of hazards and their associated risks.
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Groups that work with highly toxic organisms or certain radioactive materials have special laboratories designed to protect workers from those hazards, and there appear to be good protocols and campus oversight for those activities.21 However, it is clear that in many routine situations, many researchers in the biological sciences feel their experiments are free of chemical hazards, perhaps because they are performed mostly in aqueous media. This leads both principal investigators and researchers to believe that common chemistry laboratory safety practices, such as wearing safety glasses, lab coats, and protective footwear and gloves, are unnecessary -- even in cases in which biological materials are being modified with potentially hazardous chemical reagents.
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Laser eyewear was not worn so that the researchers would see a small amount of visible light from the laser while aligning the mirror. This was a clear violation of standard operating procedures that specified the use of laser eye protection.1 A number of safety precautions were overlooked in this incident.
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Important Characteristics in the Laboratory In a strong, positive safety culture, researchers are encouraged to care about working safely and are rewarded, rather than sanctioned, for this philosophy. One of the most recalcitrant problems in many chemistry laboratories is the attitude, unfortunately often reinforced by principal investigators, that safety practices are time-wasting inhibitions to research productivity.
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In this context, the following characteristics should be sought and encouraged in laboratory environments to ensure that laboratories have strong safety cultures: 1. Laboratory safety culture is strongly influenced by the extent to which research workers are consulted about safety rules and procedures.
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If these are han dled in a collegial way, the inspections can have a positive effect on the development of laboratory safety culture. The inspections, as well as other interactions with departmental safety committees and/or advocates, could also play a role in encouraging intra-lab coaching/collaboration and teaching researchers how to politely approach their peers about potential safety hazards that should be corrected.
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Although the prospect of shutting down a principal investigator's laboratory is an unfortunate action, it cannot be taken completely off the table as a last resort way of making sure that research workers in a university are protected. IDEAS TO ADDRESS SAFETY DYNAMICS Advantages for Recruiting and Laboratory Funding There are many advantages in promoting a safety culture and environment in a chemistry department.
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. Safety in Departmental Rankings While it is clear that many departments gain more resources by virtue of their accomplishments in publishing papers, acquiring research grants, and ultimately in national rankings, there should be a level of appreciation and reward for practicing safe methods in doing research as well.
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.a Faculty, department chairs, graduate students, and postdoctoral associates from the departments part nered with EHS professionals to develop awareness and practices to foster safety. This "bottom-up" approach was developed and implemented by groups of volunteer laboratory safety officers (LSOs)
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al. Student Involvement in Improving the Culture of Safety in Academic Laboratories.
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Resources such as Making the Right Moves,24 At the Helm,25 and the American Association for the Advancement of Science Careers site26 contain practical information and guidance from experienced researchers; resources such as Training Scientists to Make the Right Moves27 provides guidance for institutions, and institutional programs can be tailored to specific challenges faced by faculty in a local environment. • Institutional support for development and dissemination of lab specific safety information, for expectations that faculty and train ees will regularly include EHS professionals in research planning, and for involvement of students and postdoctoral students in safety programs (indeed, the Minnesota program described in Box 4-2 suggests that institutions may need to empower and sup port trainees as leaders of departmental programs)
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LABORATORY SAFETY DYNAMICS TO IMPROVE SAFETY CULTURE 93 • Integration of safety work into promotion and recognition pro grams at all levels of the institution, so that the work required to advance academic laboratory safety becomes a "normal" part of performance expectations and of academic discourse (group meetings, seminars, dissertations, publications)
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