Where are we with lab safety education: Who, what, when, where, and how?

Abstract

Recent discussions of safety culture and several notable incidents in academic labs have increased interest in safety education in the undergraduate chemistry curriculum. Content sources have increased in quantity and quality. Many colleges and universities have implemented laboratory safety courses in their chemistry curricula. Other academic institutions choose to have safety education embedded in the individual lab courses. A Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS) task force has discussed expanding lab safety throughout formal science education, from elementary and middle schools through graduate school and postdoctoral fellowships. The safety expert or champion in each department is often either a teacher who has developed a professional interest in lab safety or an individual who is assigned by the school or department. What needs more emphasis in the current state of chemical safety is original research which will lead to better understanding of chemical hazards and safer lab environments. Developing tenure-track positions in chemical health and safety will promote more breakthrough research in this area.