Student Involvement in Improving the Culture of Safety in Academic Laboratories

Abstract

An effective way of addressing the need for an improved culture of safety in research-intensive science departments is described, which involves enabling leadership by graduate student and postdoctoral associate laboratory safety officers (LSOs). In partnership with The Dow Chemical Company, LSOs from the Departments of Chemistry and Chemical Engineering and Materials Science at the University of Minnesota formed a Joint Safety Team. With helpful input from Dow, the team has played a key role in improving the culture and practice of safety in both departments, providing support for use of this model for inculcating safety as a core value and an integral part of academic life.

Should science departments have their own safety personnel? – An assessment of a centralized approach

“…The argument made was that a decentralized approach makes sense because research within the university is decentralized and diverse. 18 In other instances, the move has been to focus on making experiments safer and introducing chemical hygiene and safety into the General Chemistry curriculum via innovative approaches such as comics and real-life safety problems. 19,20 The success of OHSA over the last 25 years was not the presence of the Act itself but the recognition of the administration at the highest level that safety was important to the proper management of the academic space, support from all levels of laboratory personnel and the general embracing of a safety culture.…”

Evaluating Large-Scale STEM Outreach Efficacy with a Consistent Theme: Thermodynamics for Elementary School Students

“…Best safety practice principles were adopted to the show from the Joint Safety Team at the University of Minnesota. 27 All students and demonstrators wore safety glasses for personal protection equipment at all times during the show. Long hair was tied back, and selected participants wore long pants and closed-toe shoes.…”

Inculcating Safety Management Through an Electronic Learning Module

“…Safety culture in academic laboratories has been a subject of recent focus in response to a number of tragedies [1,5], and student engagement in building a safety culture in academic laboratories is an early opportunities to prepare students to be leaders of safety culture in whatever organizations the find themselves in during their careers [2,4]. However, laboratory safety is not the only element of workplace health and safety that students need to be informed about.…”