1. “The Minnesota Model”
Successful Safety Collaborations within the College of Science and Engineering

2. Safety Moment: Phone Use In The Lab
Phone uses:
Talk
Listen to music
Check messages
Lab timer
Calculator
Look up information on the internet
Risks: Transferring hazardous chemicals
phone face

3. Put the phone in a plastic bag
Phone use in the lab
Put the phone in a plastic bag
Touch screen works!
screen is visible
Device is not in contact with hazardous chemicals

4. The DOW Initiative Partnership began 2012
Dow Chemical
Department of Chemistry
Department of Chemical Engineering and Material Science
Peer-led “Joint Safety Team” was created
Laboratory Safety Officers (Grad Students & Postdocs)
Started with 50 people
Dedicated funds
March 2012, the Chief Technical Officer at Dow, William Banholzer, presented an offer to the heads of CHEM (Bill Tolman) and CEMS (Frank Bates) who agreed to a partnership aimed at improving the safety cultures in the two departments. Dow made the offer to schools where a large number of their new hires come from.

5. Defining Goals List of recommendations
To improve the safety culture here at the University of Minnesota in the Chemistry and Chemical Engineering & Materials Science departments
List of recommendations
Compliance: Define and enforce standard roles and expectations
Awareness: Increase signage and discussion to promote safety
Resources: Provide access to proper equipment and information on best practices
Education: Provide frequent and relevant training in general and specific safety topics
list of 13 recommended actions. Each recommendation was detailed with an objective, timeline, resources needed, and assessment method. one or more of 4 key areas: compliance, awareness, resources, education

6. National Profile
The peer-led program’s characteristic “bottom-up” approach is particularly important

7. New “JSTs”
Yale

8. Teamwork Is Critical Departmental Leadership & Safety Committees
JST committees
EHS
Departmental Leaders
EHS
Researchers

9. Dept Leadership Perspective
Backing of Dept Leadership critical for initial catalyst and sustaining future efforts
Peer-led JST is empowered by knowing their department supports them
Department Safety Committee is empowered in the same way, and coordinates with JST
EHS works across all groups, providing expertise in both culture and compliance issues

10. Everybody Wins!
Faculty → delegate to lab safety officer, happy students are learning and safety is taken care of
Lab Safety Officers → job experience, learns management skills, gets credit for positive but not responsible for enforcement
Leadership → can focus on providing support to areas that need or request more

11. Why was the JST formed?
A need for improved safety and culture of safety
Safety survey reveals lab risks:
Questionnaire suggests researchers not as safe as they feel.
– Nature, 2013, 493, 9–10.
CHEM and CEMS departments had little student contribution.
Better prepared for advancement in careers in industry or as a PI
National fatal accidents spurred a need for safety improvement in chemistry labs.
C&EN, 2012, 90, 21–23.

12. JST Initiatives
Initiative
Description
Safety moments
Brief discussion or presentation on a safety topic at the beginning of group meetings and departmental seminars
Laboratory Walkthroughs
Semiannual student-led audits to evaluate laboratory housekeeping and compliance
LSO Training
Annual session to train LSOs in their roles and responsibilities
Cleanup Week
Week focused on reducing clutter and waste from labs, in conjunction with DEHS
Community Safety Survey
Anonymous online survey issued twice a year to track safety attitudes and areas of concern
Standard lab signage
Templates to display hazards and contact information for each lab space
JST Website
Website containing links, information, and JST content
Safety posters
7 unique posters on safety topics designed and displayed
Chemical Labeling Resources
Sticker templates to describe contents and hazards of samples, secondary containment, cabinets, etc.
Learning Experience Reports
Anonymous online reporting system for ‘near miss’ incidents or accidents with results to be distributed each semester
Monthly JST Meetings
1-hour monthly meeting of all LSOs and other JST members for training and brainstorming JST actions
Weekly Safety Note
A short safety tip sent weekly by to faculty, staff, and students
Lab Coat Laundering
Motivated CHEM administration to implement contract with lab coat laundering service
Identify 10 Guidelines for a Safer Lab
Document describing most important aspects of lab safety
Kickoff Event
Highly attended event to introduce the JST and identify new goals for safety culture
implementing 2 actions every 3 months is the right pace to keep our initiative moving without overwhelming our members or our community

13. Engaging Environment Researchers from every lab join together
Different labs work together to create common safety habits
Focus is on culture, NOT compliance

14. Personal Motivation Members are students - End goal is to be hired
Connections to potential employers
Fantastic resume builder
Learn proper procedures from those who do it best

15. EHS Perspective If you care about Safety…. Must CONTROL and PUNISH
If you don’t PUNISH, then you don’t CARE

16. Provide opportunities for peer comparison and collaborations
EHS Perspective
Assume positive
Ask questions
Provide opportunities for peer comparison and collaborations
Faculty say the most helpful, providing training for students, walking through “what if” and risk matrix, regulatory translation and simplification, opportunities for communication.

17. A strong, positive safety culture
Everyone involved in problem solving
Committed all the time to learning & sharing
Continuous Improvement is the goal. Flexible and diverse methods for unique situations

18. Keys to Success Distinct Responsibilities
Goal: making safety an integral part of all research & teaching activities
Official Inspections
Departmental Policy
SOP Review
Incident Follow-up
Peer Inspection
Awareness
LSO Training

19. Questions? Spencer Reisbick JST President Chuck Tomlinson
Chemical Engineering & Material Science
JST President
Chuck Tomlinson
Chemistry Department
Director of Operations
Anna Sitek
College of Science & Engineering - Research Safety
University Health Safety