Chemical Laboratory Safety Practices: What we learn from world leading universities best practice Dr Jeffrey Shi School of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering The University of Sydney AUSA Conference, Queenstown New Zealand June 2015 AUSA Conference, Queenstown New Zealand June 2015

Chemical Laboratory Safety Practices: What we learn from world leading universities best practice Chemical Laboratory Safety Practices: What we learn from world leading universities best practice Background * Professional staff travelling scholarship program from USyd and my application on laboratory safety was accepted; * Leading Universities visited in USA in 2013; (Uni Minnesota; Penn State U; UCSB) * Some European leading Universities in the following year while I attending USHA conference. (ETH Zurich, Imperial College London and Polytechnic U of Milan)

Sites visited in the States

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University of Minnesota Found: 1851 Enrollment: ~52,000 (Twin Cities campus)

Met : HOD, Prof Bill Holman, Dept Safety Committee, Lab Director, Jane Wissinger Discussion meeting with Joint Safety Team(JST) Presentation to JST Lab tour: Three research groups’ lab in Chemistry plus one in Chem Eng & Mat Sci.

Pennsylvania State University Found: 1855 Enrollment: ~45,000 (State College campus) Met: HOD, Prof Andrew Zydney; Chem E Prof Mike Hickner MATSE Safety Committee Chair; Roger Dunlop, Facilities Coordinator & Safety Officer; Kate Lumley-Sapanski, EP&H manager; Trevor Zuroff, Joe O’Connor, PG Representative, Safety committee member. Tour research lab and UG teaching lab

Pennsylvania State University Chemical Engineering Building foyer

University of California, Santa Barbara Found: 1944 Enrollment: ~32,000

Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry Met: Alex Moretto, Safety Officer for Chemistry, and Engineering; Amanda Strom, Safety Off, MRL; Dave Vandenberg, EH&S, Safety orientation, training, inspection; Jim Caesar, EH&S Emergency; Bruce Caeter, EH&S Waste handling. Tour of various labs

Why & how choose host institutes * Public, research intensive universities; * World leader in chemical / material related laboratory safety practice; * Size / history matches to ours; * Dow lab safety partnership participants (Dow Chemical Company is a world leader in industry safety, the partnership program attracted lots of interests worldwide).

What we learnt from the visiting: * Safety visibility and awareness, safety culture built; * Great involvement, staff, students & visitors; * Comprehensive, easy access, user friendly & on- demand safety training program; *Continuous improvement.

Part I: Safety visibility and awareness, safety culture built

May 24, 2013: Dow Unveils Lab Safety WebsiteDow Unveils Lab Safety Website February 8, 2013: UMNewsUMNews October 29, 2012: C&EN NewsC&EN News October 01, 2012: Minnesota DailyMinnesota Daily September 25, 2012: University of Minnesota Department of ChemistryUniversity of Minnesota Department of Chemistry May 4, 2012: Science Careers BlogScience Careers Blog May 2, 2012: C&En Safety Zone BlogC&En Safety Zone Blog April 30, 2012: The Dow Chemical Company press release.The Dow Chemical Company press release. U Minnesota Joint Safety Team in the News Safety visibility and awareness, safety culture built

Joint Safety Team’s Safety Moments initiative: Safety moments are minute topics regarding an aspect of safety in lab or everyday life that can be used to start off any meeting or seminar with a consideration for safety.

Part II: Great involvement, staff, students & visitors

U Minnesota Joint Safety Team, Safety Moments, Safety Video Contest; Safety Poster design competition, cleanup week, Student-led laboratory walk-through Penn State U PAWS cards, Safety Newsletter, safety improvement of the month award UC Santa Barbara On-line training library Great involvement, staff, student & visitors

Joint Safety Team (JST) in University of Minnesota, formed by graduates, run by graduates, and responsible for daily safety operation in individual research labs. Both Penn State University and UCSB have strong graduates participating in their Department’s safety committee, and their students view it as a very good exercise and beneficially; One of very attractive experience for future employer.

Comprehensive, easy access, user friendly & on-demand safety training program Comprehensive, easy access, user friendly & on-demand safety training program

Comprehensive, easy access, user friendly & on-demand safety training program Comprehensive, easy access, user friendly & on-demand safety training program Part III: Comprehensive, easy access, user friendly & on-demand safety training program

UCSB online training Lab safety training & delivery Efficient online safety training; On demand delivery; Self assessment and reporting;

Safe Operation Card, UM. idea learnt from Dow Chemical Company

Part IV: Continuous improvement

Flammable cabinet, With ventilation University of Minnesota

Comprehensive waste recycling program

Sample label, color coded, adapted from Dow Chemicals

Waste with secondary containment, U MN

Summary First hand experience in safety practice at world leader’s research lab; We are ok. But plenty of rooms for future improvement; Bench mark for our further development and improvement; Future cooperation opportunity exists; Great students (particularly research students) participation in lab safety will be vital for success; Partnership with leading industrial partner will benefit all parties involved.

Pennsylvania State University - Safety Poster

Thank you very much! And question please?

Lab Safety Practice at USyd The University of Sydney School of Chemical & Biomolecular Engineering Dr Jeffrey Shi Presentation Prepared for University of Minnesota Laboratories Safety Learning Tour, Aug 2013