A N N E B . PA D Í A SD E PA R T M E N T O F C H E M I S T RY A N D

B I O C H E M I S T RYU N I V E R S I T Y O F A R I Z O N A

Safety in the CBC Teaching Laboratories

Safety is paramount.

Therefore everybody has to be involved.

• University• Department• Lab managers and Preproom• TAs• Students

University Level

• UA Risk Management• ORCBS

CBC Department

CBC Safety Committee:

• Composed of faculty, staff and graduate students• Regular meetings• CBC lab inspections twice per year• General safety policies, f.ex. only 100 % cotton lab

coats in teaching labs.

Laboratory Teaching in CBC:By the Numbers (Labs only)

# F ‘13 students

F ‘13 TAs S ‘14 Students

S ’14 TAs

100 (gen chem) 2,938 65 2,745 57.5

200 (org chem 1,298 30.5 1,163 29.5

300 (Jr) 53 4 35 2.5

400 (Sr) 123 16 85 13

Total 4,412 115.5 4,028 102.5

KOFFLER BUILDING

Training of TAs

Incoming class August 2014

Training of TAs

• Yearly TA training• CPR training• Weekly 2 hour staff meetings• Online safety training/test

The TA training for the new TAs includes:

• All TAs receive good goggles and cotton lab coat• Safety talk emphasizing their responsibility as TAs• Viewing of the safety video on D2L (CBC-produced)• Introduction to all safety features in the lab rooms• Discussion of evacuation procedures• Hands-on lab practice with experienced TAs• Re-emphasis of safety in All-TA meeting

Training of TAs

Training of students

• View safety video• Sign safety agreement (next slides)• Enforce safety PPE (goggles, lab coat, shoes, gloves)• Safety questions on quizzes and exams• Understand the chemistry!

Safety Agreement

Safety Agreement

Safety Agreement

Where do students find information?

• Safety video on D2L• Safety agreement• On-line prelab assignment• Prelab in notebook (safety hazards included)• Safety PPE at all times in lab• Quizzes and exams• Enforcement

Infrastructure in the teaching labs

Infrastructure in the teaching labs

Waste Streams in the teaching labs

Safety in the labs: How?

• Infrastructure: lab layout, safety shower, eye wash• Multiple exits to the building• Always 2 people “behind” the TA: person in lab quad

+ TSO or preproom employee (access to UA phone)• Call 911 (UAPD)

How are we doing? Statistics

Semester # TotalSpring 2012 Cuts 6 18

Burns 11Faint etc 1

Fall 2012 Cuts 4 12Burns 7Faint etc 1

Spring 2013 Cuts 5 18Burns 12Faint etc 1

Fall 2013 Cuts 3 8Burns 4Faint etc 1

**Including one serious burn accident in Fall 2013

Challenges

• Dealing with ~4,500 18-19 year olds• TAs also very young• Graduate students• Senior undergraduate students• Staff instructors

• Reluctance to “spy”• Supervisor illusion: we think we know what happens!

Questions?

Comments?

THANK YOU!