MovingfromCompliancetoSafetyinUCLaboratories:

AFacultyPerspectiveonWhereWeCameFromandWhereWeAreGoing

CraigMerlicUCLADepartmentofChemistryandBiochemistry

UCCenterforLaboratorySafety

December29,2008

SheharbanoSangji

AccidentAftermath

Repercussionsacross

• UCLAcampus

• UniversityofCaliforniasystem

• Chemistrydepartmentsanduniversitiesnationwide

• Federalagencies

• Professionalsocieties

Averytragicaccidentthathashadtrueimpactimproving

academicsafetypracticesandthecultureofsafety

UCLAResponseUCLAinitiatedawidearrayofchangesandactivitiesinresponsetotheaccident,Cal/OSHAinspections,andlegalfillings.• Chancellor• ViceChancellorforResearch• AssociateViceChancellorforResearch– LaboratorySafety• UCCenterforLaboratorySafety• LaboratorySafetyCommittee• Environment,HealthandSafety• Departments

• Faculty• ResearchStaff• GraduateStudentsandUndergraduateStudents

Changestoptobottomwererequiredtochangethesafetyculture

InitialFacultyResponseA widearrayofperspectivesfromresearchfaculty• “Arealtragedy”• “Ihadn’tconsideredthatimmediatecause”• “Mystudentsperformverysimilarprocedures”• “Itcouldhavehappenedinmylab”• “Ineedtoimprovehowmystudentsaretrained”• “Ineedtomonitormorecloselywhatmystudentsdo”• “SafetyistheroleofEH&S”• “EH&Sneedstodoabetterjobofsafetytraining”

Whatchangedsincethenandwhatarethekeyissues?

UCFacultyResponse• RequiredPIsafetytraining– initialandannual• RequiredmonitoringofresearchersPPE• Requiredtrainingoflabstaff• Requireddocumentationoftraining• Requiredresponsetoinspections• Requiredchangestolabmaintenance• Requiredchangestochemicalstorage,inventoryandhandling• Requiredchangestolabprotocols• RequireddocumentationofSOPsandlabprotocols

KeyPoints:• Communicatingresponsibilitiesandsettingexpectations• Cultureofsafetyestablishedbyacceptanceofsafetyrequirements

andfacultyengagement• Implementrequirementssetbythe1990OSHALaboratoryStandard

UCLAFaculty-LedSafetyCommittees

ViceChancellorforResearch

AnimalResearchCommittee

ChemicalandPhysicalSafety

Committee

InstitutionalBiosafetyCommittee

LaserSafetyCommittee

RadiationSafety

Committee

SafetyOversightCommittee

KeyPoints: EngageandEmpowerFacultyAllcommitteesareledbyresearchfaculty

SOCconsistsofViceChancellorforResearch,AVCResearchLabSafety,CommitteeChairs,EH&SDirector

PIResponsibility

0%

20%

40%

60%

80%

0 1to2 3to50 1to2 3to5 6+ LabInjuries

Majorinjuries Minorinjuries

Stud

entsand

postdocs

PImonitorslabsafety

PIdoesnot monitorlabsafety

PImayormaynotchecksafety

ImpactofPISafetyEngagementontheNumberofLabInjuries

I.Schröder,D.Y.Q.Huang,O.Ellis,J.H.Gibson,N.L.Wayne;JChem HealthandSafety,2015

Key:FacultyEngagement

PIResponsibilityWhatisfacultyengagementinlabsafety?• Facultysetexpectationsonstudents• FacultyparticipateinEH&Sinspections• Facultyrespondtoinspectionreports• FacultywearPPE• Facultydiscusssafetyingroupmeetings• Facultydiscusssafetyindividually• Facultyareinvolvedindesignofexperimentsafety

Howtoobtainfacultyengagementinlabsafety?• Leadershipsetsexpectations• EH&Ssupportsandengagesthem• Leadershipempowersthem• EH&Shelpssolveproblems• EH&Sprovidesqualitytraining• Leadershipsupportsinnovation– softwaresolutions

PIResponsibility

Problem: NewChairofChemistryandBiochemistryhadahighnumberof“findings”fromEH&Sinspectionsofhislaboratory

Solutions:• FacultyEngagement• RotatingLaboratorySafetyOfficerpositionwhodoestwice-daily

inspectionstobetterappreciatethevalueofsafetyregulations• Frequentsafetyquizzesinmeetingstogiveresearchersanopportunity

toassesstheirsafetyknowledge

“AnApproachToEnhancetheSafetyCultureofanAcademicChemistryResearchLaboratorybyAddressingBehavioralFactors”I.O.Staehle,T.S.Chung,A.Stopin,G.S.Vadehra,S.I.Hsieh,J.H.Gibson,M.A.Garcia-Garibay;JournalofChemicalEducation 2016,93,217-222.

PIResponsibility

DocumentedoutcomeintermsofchangestothelabSafetyCultureasevidencedbyEH&SinspectionresultsinGarcia-Garibay Lab

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2"

4"

6"

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10"

12"

14"

16"

18"

20"

2011"" 2012"" 2013)1"" 2013)2"" 2011" 2012" 2013)1" 2013)2" 2014"

Numbe

r"of"Findings"

Inspec;on"Year"

Departmental"Average"Compared"To"Garcia)Garibay"Group""from"2011"to"2013"

Personal"

Environmental"

Behavioral"

Department"Average" Garcia)Garibay"Group"

Results:

PIResponsibilitySafetyGuidelinesfortheChemistryProfessional- ACSDivisionofChemicalHealthandSafety

• Thechemistryprofessionalhasanethicalandlegalresponsibilitytoworkwithchemicalssafely.

• Chemistryprofessionalsneedtodevelopcompetencyinevaluatinghazards,conductingassessments,andmitigatingtherisksofthosehazards.

• Chemistryprofessionalsmustactivelyparticipateintheirorganizationalcultureconcerningthesafepracticeofchemistry.

• Safetyskillsneedtobeincludedaspartoftheformaleducationofchemistryprofessionals.

PIResponsibilitySafetyGuidelinesforScientists

- ACSDivisionofChemicalHealthandSafety• Scientists haveanethicalandlegalresponsibilitytoworkwithchemicalssafely.

• Scientists needtodevelopcompetencyinevaluatinghazards,conductingassessments,andmitigatingtherisksofthosehazards.

• Scientists mustactivelyparticipateintheirorganizationalcultureconcerningthesafepracticeofchemistry.

• SafetyskillsneedtobeincludedaspartoftheformaleducationofScientists.

PIResponsibility

HowtoreinforcePIResponsibility?• Campusleadershipmustsetexpectations• Expectationsmustbecommunicated• CampusEH&Smustsupportandreinforceexpectations

• EH&Smusthelpsolveproblems• PIsmustbeinvolvedinchanges• Expectationsmustbetaught

SafetyEducationLotsofawesomematerial,butsomechallenges:• AnnualsafetyrefreshertrainingbyEH&Sislosingimpact

• NeedtobridgethegapbetweenEH&Sgenerallabsafetytrainingandlab-specifictraining

• NotallPIsprovidequalitylab-specifictraining• ValueofSOPshighlyvariable• Bettersharingofaccidentinformationisneeded• PIResponsibilitytrainingmustbeahomerun

SafetyEducation

LessonsLearned• LessonsLearnedaretooretrospective• LessonsLearnedcanbetoofocused• LessonsLearnedstandardtheme:accidentduetolackofSOP

• LessonsLearnedcouldbebetterusedforillustratingconcepts

• SafetyCaseStudiescanprovideflexibility&rigor

SafetyEducation

SafetyCaseStudies• Casestudiespresentreallaboratorysituationswithenoughinformationtocompletesafetyevaluations,butenoughdetailmissingtoallowcreativityinmakinginterestingandcompellinganalyses.

• Foreachcasestudy:a)Identifyallpotentialhazardsb)Assessriskofeachhazardouseventc)Determinecontrols/steps/training/etc toeliminateor

minimizehazards

SafetyEducation

SafetyCaseStudies• UndergraduateResearch:Yourresearchadvisorassignedyou

tomentoranundergraduateresearchstudentwhowillworkwithyouonyourcurrentproject.Youareresponsibleforallaspectsofherlabandsafetytraininganddecidingwhichexperimentsshewillconductinthefirsttermofresearch.

• GelElectrophoresis:Youareinventinganewgelelectrophoresismethodfortheseparationandanalysisofgoldnanoparticlestaggedwithmacromolecules(DNA,RNAandproteins)basedonsizeandnetcharge.Youplantouseanoldhome-builtunitinordertomakeyourownmodificationstothegelcomposition,geldepth,electricfieldstrength,andelectrodedesign.

HazardIdentification,RiskAssessmentandHazardMitigation

MOSTimportantcomponentoflabsafety• FocusesonSafetyratherthanCompliance• Leastunderstoodcomponentoflabsafety• Leastusedcomponentoflabsafety• ACStoolisonesolution• STCcourseaimstoteachthistopic

HazardIdentification,RiskAssessmentandHazardMitigation

SomeHI/RA/HMtoolstrytocovereverything• Ifitistoocumbersome,itwillnotbeused• Thedetailthatmakesitrigorouslimitsitsuse• Afamilyoftoolsmightbemoreeffective• Asmartformwithinternallogiccouldbeanothersolutiontostreamlinetheprocess

• Usedatabasestocallupinformation

FACULTYTIMEOrlackthereof

• Yes,itisalousyexcusenottofollowthroughonlabsafety,but…

• FacultywantmoresupportfromcampusEH&S

• Universitysystemsneedmorecollaborationbetweencampuses

• EH&Sandothersafetycommunities,likeDCHAS,haveandwillcontinuetoplayamajorrole

CONCLUSIONS• Labsafetyisalotlikeexercise,thinkingaboutitonceamonthis

notgoodenough– Asustainedandcomprehensiveapproachisnecessary

• PIResponsibility– PIengagementisthemosteffectiveactiontoimpactsafety– PIengagementreducesinjuriesandpromotesacultureofsafety

• SafetyEducation– Criticaltoimprovesafetypractices,butmanygapsexist

• HazardIdentification,Risk,Assessment andHazardMitigation– Possiblythemostimportantactiontoimprovelabsafety– Requiredtomovefromsafetycompliancetolabsafety

ThinkSafety

Whatcouldgowrong?HowcanIpreventit?HowcanIpreparefortheunexpected?

Acknowledgements• Dr.Imke Schroeder(UCLA,UCCLS)• Dr.NancyWayne(UCLA,UCCLS)• Dr.MichaelBlayney (NorthwesternUniv,STC)

• AdvisoryBoard,UCCenterforLaboratorySafety• AdvisoryBoard,SafetyTrainingConsortium• UCLAChemistry&Biochemistry• UCLAEH&S• UCOPEnterpriseRiskManagement• UCRisk&SafetySolutions

• Milliken,Workrite,MissionLinen- ShieldTEC LabCoats