Conducting Research and Development Safely EVERY DAY of Your Professional Career Kevin E Howard, PhD May 15, 2019

This presentation is not offered as a presentation from Dow Inc., Disclaimer Dr. Howard retired from Dow Chemical (now Dow, Inc.) on March 31, 2019. This presentation is not offered as a presentation from Dow Inc., but rather as an alumnus of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Presentation Outline Introduction Key Safety Areas A Few Comments from a 30 Year Industrial Scientist Questions and Discussion?

Introduction Safety Every Day and Everywhere Exits, Fire Extinguishers, Eye Wash Fountains, Safety Showers and Hazards - Every lab you enter, every time. To and from work - no distractions. Proper Personal Protective Equipment. Safety goggles/glasses, labcoats, gloves. Contamination in public spaces - gloves and door handles.

Introduction Industrial R&D and Academic R&D Conduct Your R&D Safely EVERYDAY Unexplored Chemistry - Industry and Academia Extremely Easy Access to Safety Information ASK before you DO if you are UNCERTAIN 42 Years of Chemistry - 15,330 Days of Going Home Safely

Key Safety Areas Your Personal and Professional Obligations Regulatory: Federal and State (TSCA, OSHA, DOT) Proper Disposal of ALL Waste Conducting safe laboratory work Shipping samples safely Local: Site, Building, Laboratory Safety Protocols Waste Disposal, Solvent Storage, Materials Handling

Key Safety Areas Ethical Obligations Accurate Documentation of Procedures, Syntheses Analysis of Unexpected Reactions or Results You may save your life in a future experiment! You may save another group member or coworker!

Key Safety Areas Conducting Experiments Safely Raw materials, solvents, gases (MSDS - handling, toxicity, mutagenicity, reactivity, flammability). Raw materials and product storage (light, oxygen, moisture, temperature) Reaction conditions and unanticipated reactivity (exotherms, endotherms, runaway reactions, gas-generation, redox) High temperature reactions (materials compatibility, CTE at extreme temperatures, m.p., vaporization and sublimation)

Key Safety Areas Conducting Experiments Safely Cryogenics (tissue damage, asphyxiation) Inert Gases (asphyxiation) Table 1: Effects of Oxygen-Deficient Exposure Oxygen conc. (% vol) Health effects of persons at rest 19 Some adverse physiological effects occur, but they may not be noticeable. 15-19 Impaired thinking and attention. Increased pulse and breathing rate. Reduced coordination. Reduced physical and intellectual performance without awareness. 12-15 Poor judgment. Faulty coordination. Abnormal fatigue upon exertion. Emotional upset. 10-12 Very poor judgment and coordination. Impaired respiration may cause permanent heart damage. Possibility of fainting within a few minutes without warning. Nausea and vomiting. <10 Inability to move. Fainting almost immediate. Loss of consciousness. Convulsions. Death. https://www.airproducts.com/~/media/Files/PDF/company/safetygram-17.pdf

Key Safety Areas Conducting Experiments Safely Spectroscopy Laser light, High magnetic fields, UV, IR, microwave Modifications to Experimental Equipment Electrical modifications - grounding compromised? Overtemperature, overpressure controls modified? Scale of reaction, gaseous reactants

Key Safety Areas Conducting Experiments Safely Mechanical Equipment Pinch-points (e.g., compression mold, ball-mill) Rotating Equipment (clothing, jewelry) Cutting devices (scissors, knives) Glass Ventilation and Safety Hoods

Safely Planning Experiments Properties of all reactants and solvents (MSDS) Literature references to similar reactions? Scale of experiment (adequate reaction vessel and appropriate controls - temperature/pressure/etc.) Monitoring, duration of experiment, worst-case scenario (because it can happen and has happened) Handling and storage of reaction product, disposal of wast

Safety - Bottom Line Safety showers can save lives (please don’t let modesty deter you from entering the NEAREST safety shower). Eye protection and eye wash access is critical. If you are unsure about what you are about to do in the laboratory, STOP and ASK for someone else to review with you. Everyone has an obligation to help. Be aware of the hazards in every lab you are working in - whether for a day or for years. Complacency and routine cause most lab accidents.

Safety - Bottom Line Assignment Are the safety showers and eyewashes in your labs readily accessible with nothing that would block someone rushing to use the unit? Are there any instances where you have had a near-miss in the lab but didn’t want to tell the group? Now would be a great time for open discussion. Reporting a safety near-miss is critical to everyone’s safety.

30 Year Industrial Perspective The education you are receiving here is second-to-none. You will be ready for your next step in life - whatever path you choose. Know the Scientific Method and Use It! Never has access to the scientific literature been easier - there is no excuse for not knowing it! Branch out in your experiences - learn something new with every opportunity

30 Year Industrial Perspective Be passionate for what you do, but also don’t be afraid to admit that you don’t know everything - no one does! Diversity and Inclusion are critical to success - individually and as a team or corporation. Listen to those who have come before you and to those who come after you! “If you treat the person who empties your trash with the same respect as the CEO or University President, you will never regret it.”

30 Year Industrial Perspective “The secret of change is to focus all of our energy, not on fighting the old, but on building the new” - Socrates “Be kind, for everyone you meet is fighting a harder battle” - Plato “Be kind whenever possible. It is always possible” - Dalai Lama