Importance of Safety Education for Graduate and Undergraduate Students

 
AN UNKNOWING,
UNTHINKING, UNCARING
GRADUATE STUDENT LEARNS
A LESSON ABOUT SAFETY
 
Robert H. Hill, Jr.
Stone Mountain, GA
 
UNDERGRADUATES NEED A SAFETY
EDUCATION!
1
 
Graduates:
Lack safety knowledge/understanding
Lack safety ethics (caring/thinking)
Don’t know that they don’t know
Academic institutions:
Left safety education out of curriculum
Substituted safety training for safety education
Safety education and safety training are NOT equivalent
 
1
RH Hill, J Chem Ed 
93
 1495-1498 (2016)
 
UNDERGRADUATES NEED A SAFETY
EDUCATION!
 
Education
 
1.
Mind building
2.
Thought building, critical thinking
3.
Principles, general applications
4.
Long-term learning
5.
Taught by educators
6.
Provides basic knowledge,
understanding for future careers
 
 
 
 
Training
 
1.
Skill building
2.
Behavior, rules
3.
Specific applications
4.
Short-term learning
5.
Provided by employers
6.
Specific required skills, knowledge to
do jobs
 
 
 
UNDERGRADUATES NEED A SAFETY
EDUCATION!
 
Safety education provides two things:
Knowledge, understanding (critical thinking)
to handle 
future
 safety issues, 
AND
Caring/thinking about safety (ethics) with
safety teaching throughout curriculum
Find ways to fold principle-based safety
education into curriculum
Teach safety in all lab-based sciences
THE SAFETY ETHIC:   I
value safety, work safely,
teach safety, prevent at-
risk behavior, promote
safety, and accept
responsibility for safety.
 
RH Hill, J Chem Health Safety, 
20
 8-11 (2003)
 
R.A.M.P UP FOR SAFETY
 
Four Principles of Safety
R
ecognize
 hazards
A
ssess
 risks of hazards
M
inimize
 risks of hazards
P
repare
 for emergencies
 
up for
 
R Hill, D Finster. 
Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students, 2
nd
Edition, 
John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2016
 
ONCE UPON A TIME IN A LAB WHERE
CHEMISTRY HAPPENED……
 
Graduate student (2
nd
 yr) – synthetic organic research
Lab/teaching assistant (undergraduate & graduate)
Safety instruction
Yearly 1-hr review of Dept. safety rules
PI’s safety reminder – “Be careful!”
Did not know that he did not know about safety
THE INCIDENT
 
Needed to purify a solid synthesis product
Laboratory hood – too cluttered for use
In a hurry, did not want to clean up hood
Recrystallization in beaker on open bench using hot plate
Began heating product in solvent - diethyl ether
THE INCIDENT
 
Solvent (ether) began to boil on hot plate
Solvent (ether) began to boil on hot plate
Then he heard  the 
Then he heard  the 
THUNDEROUS 
CLICK!
Instantly a flash fire ran up his right arm, burning hair off arm, eyebrows
He staggered backwards in shock
Only then did he realize that he had not recapped the 5-gal can of ether
It looked like a giant Bunsen burner with a flame about 12 inches high
Another graduate student extinguished the fire
USING 
RAMP
 TO ANALYZE INCIDENT
 
Recognize hazards – not done (
Hazard
is potential source of danger or harm
)
1.
Housekeeping
2.
Cutting corners – hurried, lazy?
3.
Flammable on open bench
4.
Hot plate – not spark proof
5.
Carelessness – Failed to recap ether
6.
Not thinking/caring about safety
 
Assess risks of hazards – not done
Minimize risks of hazards – not done
Prepare for emergencies – not done
WHY DID THIS HAPPEN?
 
Hot plate ignited flammable vapors on open bench – Did
not understand properties of flammable chemicals
Cut corners – Poor housekeeping in hood; in a hurry or too
lazy to clean up hood
Did not recognize and understand multiple hazards
Did not receive a laboratory safety education AND did not
think about safety (missing safety ethic)
Safety education missing from chemistry curriculum
 
TEACHING THE “
TEACHING THE “
R
R
” OF RAMP
” OF RAMP
 
Recognizing
 and understanding hazards
Critical for safe chemistry
Doesn’t just “happen” – needs to be taught
Learning about hazards builds strong safety ethic
(caring/thinking about safety)
Without “R”, RAMP does not work
Assessing, Minimizing, Preparing 
must be
taught
Integrate Safety Education into
undergraduate/graduate educational processes
 
up for
R
ecognize hazards
A
ssess risks of hazards
M
inimize risks of hazards
P
repare for emergencies
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Graduate and undergraduate students often lack safety knowledge and ethics, emphasizing the need for safety education over mere training. Safety education builds critical thinking, promotes safety ethics, and prepares individuals to handle future safety issues. Incorporating safety teachings throughout the curriculum is vital to instill a safety ethic and prevent risky behaviors. The incident involving a graduate student highlights the repercussions of overlooking safety protocols.


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  1. AN UNKNOWING, UNTHINKING, UNCARING GRADUATE STUDENT LEARNS A LESSON ABOUT SAFETY Robert H. Hill, Jr. Stone Mountain, GA

  2. UNDERGRADUATES NEED A SAFETY EDUCATION!1 Graduates: Lack safety knowledge/understanding Lack safety ethics (caring/thinking) Don t know that they don t know Academic institutions: Left safety education out of curriculum Substituted safety training for safety education Safety education and safety training are NOT equivalent 1RH Hill, J Chem Ed 93 1495-1498 (2016)

  3. UNDERGRADUATES NEED A SAFETY EDUCATION! Education Training Skill building 1. 1. Mind building 2. Behavior, rules 2. Thought building, critical thinking 3. Specific applications 3. Principles, general applications 4. Short-term learning 4. Long-term learning 5. Provided by employers 5. Taught by educators 6. Specific required skills, knowledge to do jobs 6. Provides basic knowledge, understanding for future careers

  4. UNDERGRADUATES NEED A SAFETY EDUCATION! Safety education provides two things: THE SAFETY ETHIC: I value safety, work safely, teach safety, prevent at- risk behavior, promote safety, and accept responsibility for safety. Knowledge, understanding (critical thinking) to handle future safety issues, AND Caring/thinking about safety (ethics) with safety teaching throughout curriculum Find ways to fold principle-based safety education into curriculum Teach safety in all lab-based sciences RH Hill, J Chem Health Safety, 20 8-11 (2003)

  5. R.A.M.P UP FOR SAFETY Four Principles of Safety Recognize hazards Assess risks of hazards Minimize risks of hazards Prepare for emergencies R.A.M. P. R Hill, D Finster. Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students, 2nd Edition, John Wiley & Sons, Hoboken, NJ, 2016

  6. ONCE UPON A TIME IN A LAB WHERE CHEMISTRY HAPPENED Graduate student (2nd yr) synthetic organic research Lab/teaching assistant (undergraduate & graduate) Safety instruction Yearly 1-hr review of Dept. safety rules PI s safety reminder Be careful! Did not know that he did not know about safety

  7. THE INCIDENT Needed to purify a solid synthesis product Laboratory hood too cluttered for use In a hurry, did not want to clean up hood Recrystallization in beaker on open bench using hot plate Began heating product in solvent - diethyl ether

  8. THE INCIDENT Solvent (ether) began to boil on hot plate Then he heard the THUNDEROUS CLICK! Instantly a flash fire ran up his right arm, burning hair off arm, eyebrows He staggered backwards in shock Only then did he realize that he had not recapped the 5-gal can of ether It looked like a giant Bunsen burner with a flame about 12 inches high Another graduate student extinguished the fire

  9. USING RAMP TO ANALYZE INCIDENT Recognize hazards not done (Hazard is potential source of danger or harm) Assess risks of hazards not done Minimize risks of hazards not done 1. Housekeeping Prepare for emergencies not done 2. Cutting corners hurried, lazy? 3. Flammable on open bench 4. Hot plate not spark proof 5. Carelessness Failed to recap ether 6. Not thinking/caring about safety

  10. WHY DID THIS HAPPEN? WHY? Hot plate ignited flammable vapors on open bench Did not understand properties of flammable chemicals WHY? Cut corners Poor housekeeping in hood; in a hurry or too lazy to clean up hood WHY? Did not recognize and understand multiple hazards WHY? Did not receive a laboratory safety education AND did not think about safety (missing safety ethic) WHY? Safety education missing from chemistry curriculum

  11. TEACHING THE R OF RAMP Recognizing and understanding hazards Critical for safe chemistry Recognize hazards Assess risks of hazards Minimize risks of hazards Prepare for emergencies Doesn t just happen needs to be taught Learning about hazards builds strong safety ethic (caring/thinking about safety) Without R , RAMP does not work Assessing, Minimizing, Preparing must be taught Integrate Safety Education into undergraduate/graduate educational processesR.A.M. P.

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