Chemical Engineering August 2014 - 54

Solids Processing
Environmental Manager
A Safety Checklist
For Laboratories
These nine best practices for managing change in
laboratories can help ensure a safe workplace
Lori Seiler
The Dow Chemical Company
L
aboratories, such as those
used for quality control in a
production environment and
those in research and development,
are an integral part of the
chemical process industries (CPI).
Everyday demands of business can
easily overtake safety when it comes
to setting priorities in the laboratory.
Deadlines must be met. Samples
must be analyzed. Questions must
be answered - and quickly.
But even for the most experienced
chemists and laboratory workers,
safety must remain at the forefront.
This is especially true when new
chemicals, employees or equipment
are introduced. Changes such as
these are part of life in the laboratory,
yet change represents risk. And
as such, it is an element that must
be thoroughly incorporated into
every CPI laboratory's safety plan.
Read on for nine best practices
- from identifying hazards to communicating
effectively - to ensure
that your laboratory is as safe as
possible amid inevitable and ongoing
change.
1. Tackle change upfront
As the old saying goes, " nothing is
constant but change. " And that's
doubly true for work in the laboratory.
In fact, change defines chemistry.
So how do we plan for it?
Take time upfront to carefully assess
the impact that every change
will have on safety, health and environmental
issues. Laboratory
operations designed for safety also
generate better, more reproducible
results, without placing people or
equipment at risk.
All project changes that are
made in the laboratory should be
first evaluated for potential hazards.
Having a process in place to
evaluate and manage change is
extremely helpful. Inviting others
to get involved as you work
through the process is smart, as
well. Your supervisors, advisors,
co-workers and environmental,
health and safety (EH&S) experts
can put their knowledge and
experience to work by helping to
identify potential hazards and offering
ways to mitigate those risks.
2. Identify potential hazards
You can't manage what you don't
know or understand. Using a
change-management process, you
can identify potential hazards and
mitigation solutions associated
with change. Reviewing predefined
triggers - or typical changes that
are known to create hazards - can
help as you go through laboratory
changes step-by-step. The triggers
quickly highlight changes that need
further consideration.
A Hazard Assessment Trigger
Grid and Safe Operations Card
(SOC) are two tools that can be
used to identify potential hazards
[1]. SOCs allow you to evaluate hazards
as you plan your laboratory
project, thereby helping to ensure
that any potential hazards are fully
identified and assessed early on.
They also document appropriate
operating ranges, conditions and
emergency response in the event of
an accident.
Documenting potential hazards
and evaluating how you will miti54
ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com august 2014
gate the risks are key components
in managing process change. This
ensures that others know about
the changes, as well as their potential
hazards and impact. The more
everyone in the laboratory understands,
the safer the work environment
in the laboratory becomes.
3. Rely on a second set of eyes
Your colleagues can often see what
you can't. The truth is that we become
so familiar with our own work
that we often overlook the obvious.
Inviting a co-worker or supervisor
to be your second set of eyes during
a change review can help identify
and address potential issues.
When sharing your situation with
a reviewer, don't just sit in an office
and talk about your changes with
the other person. Go where the action
is, like the laboratory hood or
bench. Tell and show your reviewers
exactly what you will be doing
(Figure 1). With everything set up
and in sight, you and your reviewers
may see things that can be
modified to further enhance safety.
Reviewers should ask open-ended
questions to best understand the
work to be completed and potential
worst-case scenarios, as well as to
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Chemical Engineering August 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of Chemical Engineering August 2014
