Teaching Basic Technique: A View into Preparing for a Safer Educa(onal and Work Environment

Transcription

1 Teaching Basic Technique: A View into Preparing for a Safer Educa(onal and Work Environment Presenta(on at the 249 th ACS Na(onal Mee(ng Denver, Colorado

2 Student/Graduate/Post Graduate Incidents - 3/4/15 - A University of Liverpool spokesperson told the Liverpool Echo: A post- graduate student has been injured in an incident in a chemistry laboratory. The University is inves(ga(ng how the incident occurred and is offering advice and support to those affected. 3/13/15 -No injuries, but plenty of commotion, after a chemical spill at a North Dakota State University research building Friday morning. Fargo Fire officials say a student and a researcher were working in a lab when they accidentally knocked over a bottle of a chemical. 11/10/14 RENO, Nev. (MyNews4.com & KRNV) - - A UNR building was evacuated Monday a`ernoon a`er a chemical splash sent one student to the hospital. Natalie Savidge,Senior Communica(ons Specialist Senior Communica(ons Specialist at UNR, told News 4 the student is being treated for injuries sustained during the chemical splash at the Manville Health Services building. The building is expected to reopen some(me Monday. Savidge said no other labs were affected by the chemical splash.

3 Student/Graduate/Post Graduate Incidents - 10/28/14 - Officials at Villanova University say two students suffered very minor injuries in an incident on campus Tuesday morning. The incident was reported around 10:00 a.m. in the 800 block of E. Lancaster Avenue. According to the university, the students were in a chem lab when a higher concentra(on of Hydrogen Peroxide splashed on their skin, causing skin irrita(on on their arms 10/18/14 - A scary situa(on at the University of Rochester on Saturday a`ernoon. Police say three students were injured a`er a chemical explosion on campus. They say the explosion happened inside the chemistry department, in the basement of Hutchinson Hall, at around 2:30 p.m. We re told three graduate students were doing lab work in the basement when a mixture of chemicals and acidic waste exploded right in front of them. School officials have iden(fied those three students as Jared Kneebone, Kathlyn Fillman and Malik Al- Afyouni. They are being evaluated right now. It s possible acidic burns could be a part of their injuries, said Sara Miller, U of R spokesperson 2/3/15 - Four people were taken to a hospital with minor injuries Monday a`er an explosion in the Texas Tech Chemistry Building.

4 Common Root Causes Per EPA/OSHA for Chemical Incidents/Accidents Poor Iden(fica(on of the Hazards Use of inappropriate or poorly designed equipment Inadequate indica(on of process condi(ons Warnings went unheeded Training or operator error did not make the list because None of them explicitly addressed training or operator error. This may seem surprising, since these are o`en considered "the usual suspects" in accident inves(ga(ons. However, while operator performance clearly plays a crucial role in safe plant opera(on, it is only one aspect of a proper safety management system. 1.5a Recurring Causes of Recent Chemical Accidents James C. Belke U.S. Environmental Protec(on Agency Chemical Emergency Preparedness and Preven(on Office

5 If Hazard Recogni(on and Training are keys to accident preven(on how are we developing these skills? Presumably it is through guided laboratory/classroom experiences. And hopefully not through personal or witnessed experience. The CSB safety bulle(n outlines key lessons learned as a result of the CSB s inves(ga(on into these incidents: - Due to flash fire hazards and the poten(al for serious injuries, do not use bulk containers of flammable chemicals in educa(onal demonstra(ons when small quan((es are sufficient - Employers should implement strict safety controls when demonstra(ons necessitate handling hazardous chemicals including wrioen procedures, effec(ve training, and the required use of appropriate personal protec(ve equipment for all par(cipants - Conduct a comprehensive hazard review prior to performing any educa(onal demonstra(on - Provide a safety barrier between the demonstra(on and the audience Chairperson Rafael Moure- Erason said, These key lessons, if followed, will prevent future injuries. Educators should subs(tute or minimize the use of flammable chemicals and perform an effec(ve hazard review prior to conduc(ng an educa(onal demonstra(on. Safety must be the absolute priority and educators should demonstrate chemical safety concepts as well as the science topic. From CSB release on the Chemical Demonstra(on Inves(ga(ons

6 So, if we need to be teaching and demonstra(ng basic laboratory and safety techniques, what are they? From the Internet How to write a lab report How to Read a Meniscus How to Clean Laboratory Glassware How to Purify Solids by Recrystalliza(on How to Cut and Fire Polish Glass Tubing How to Bend and Draw Glass Tubing How to Perform the Mohs Hardness Test How to Dilute a Stock Solu(on What a Volumetric Flask is and How to Use How to Read an MSDS Sheet How to Do a Flame Test How to Prepare Ammonia Gas How to Prepare Carbon Dioxide Gas How to Make Chlorine Gas How to Make a Phosphate Buffer Solu(on

7 More from the Internet Course Descrip,on MIT Open Courseware The "Digital Lab Techniques Manual" is a series of videos designed to help you prepare for your chemistry laboratory class. Each video provides a detailed demonstra(on of a common laboratory technique, as well as helpful (ps and informa(on. These videos are meant to supplement, and not replace, your lab manual and assigned reading. In fact, you will most benefit from watching the videos if you have already read the appropriate background informa(on. To be a great experimentalist, you must understand both theory and technique! If you have ques(ons about what you see, make sure to ask your TA or your instructor. Volumetric Titra(on Reac(on Work Ups Thin Layer Chromatography Filtra(on Using a Balance Making Buffers and using a ph Meter Using an autopipet Dis(lla(on Mel(ng Point Refluxing

8 More from the Internet UCDavis ChemWiki Rotary Evapora(on Packing Columns Vacuum Equipment Liquid- Liquid Extrac(on Acid- Base Extrac(ons Cooling Baths

9 The Problem in a Nutshell We are expec(ng our general chemistry students at the college level to have some basic scien(fic laboratory skills. We assume: They know how to measure. They know how to get informa(on. They know how to look at a situa(on and ask appropriate ques(ons. We assume our students in higher level courses have been: Exposed to some techniques in between the very basic ones and more complex.

10 So, if we need to be teaching and demonstra(ng basic laboratory and safety techniques, what are they? This ques(on was posed to the Safety List Serve during the summer of Here was my proposed star(ng list: - General Safety (PPE, Safety Equipment, etc.) - Housekeeping - Proper use of glassware - Bunsen Burners/Hot Plates - Mixing/Dilu(ons/Pouring

11 Return comments for General Chemistry: Don t use Bunsen burners anymore too dangerous. Don t allow students to pour from containers or get reagents provided in squeeze booles or already measured out. More hazardous type experiments are done as demonstra(ons. Students don t do their setups come in to already set up experiments, e.g. (tra(ons apparatus is preassembled. Don t have students make up the dilu(ons pre- prepared. Etc.

12 Essen(ally, We have refined and diminished the general laboratory experience to a point where they: Don t address technique at all. Don t introduce the concept of risk we have taken so much of it out that there is no respect for the material or equipment. Don t deal with waste products and/or cleaning. And barely introduce the scien(fic concept.

13 Which begs the ques(ons - When do the students get an exposure to proper technique? And Is this a par(al reason we are seeing more incidents in the graduate laboratory?

14 From what I am seeing. We have created a situa(on where students aren t prepared. The laboratories are so cookbook in some of the lower level classes that technique is not addressed. We are sending students into upper division laboratories unprepared and poten(ally an accident wai(ng to happen. If they are in terminal degrees such as our PTEC program they are not prepared for the workplace.

15 Proposed solu(ons To start re- enforcing technique even though the materials in the general laboratories are of a limited hazard poten(al. Have a skills assessment as part of the laboratory curriculum including a laboratory skills final or exam. Include technique discussions as part of the laboratory. Review laboratories for essen(al basic skills.