Chemical Engineering August 2014 - 55

Safety InSpectIonS: the KIndneSS factor
I
t is amazing what you can find when you take time to look, ask
and connect with those around you. During times of change,
which can introduce extra stressors into the environment, this
element of connection becomes extremely important in ensuring
that communication is clear and effective. This is true throughout
laboratory work, but is notably important during inspections.
Inspections help identify and mitigate safety discrepancies, and
they can be formal or informal, depending on what is needed. Yet
inspections are more than checking off items on a checklist to see
what is " good " or " bad. " They are an opportunity to ensure that
everyone in the laboratory clearly recognizes and understands
what is needed to maximize laboratory safety.
In fact, one of the most important components of inspections is
the interaction and dialogue that will take place between you,
your co-workers and supervisor. That is why it is a must to make
a personal connection during the inspection. Psychologist E.
understand the layers of protection
and safety measures in place to mitigate
risks.
You'll find that both you and your
project will benefit when you involve
a variety of people with different
expertise and experience early on.
When considering who to approach
for this role, seek to match your reviewers
with the type of change that
you're planning. For instance, if you
are installing new equipment, get
people who are familiar with that
type of equipment. If you are using
new chemistries, get people who
are knowledgeable about those. Use
their knowledge to your advantage.
An added bonus to the review is
that this type of cross-functional
involvement creates networking
opportunities. You will get to know
people throughout your department
and in other functions, as well.
4. Understand the risks
When new chemicals enter the
laboratory, the risks increase. This
situation calls for special planning
to account for how you will plan
your experiment - including what
equipment you'll use, how you manage
your waste and decontamination
considerations.
To provide an example, let's say
that you are beginning new laboratory
work that involves nanomaterials.
Your preplanning research
would tell you that these ultrasmall
materials could be absorbed
by the body faster than other materials,
thereby resulting in greater
exposure. Also, they may travel to
internal organs that were not previously
accessible to the larger-scale
particles of the same material.
As part of the preplanning proScott
Geller says that actively caring means practicing " systematic
and purposeful acts of kindness to keep other people safe
and healthy. "
When you and your co-workers care about safety - and each
other - you will want to learn how to improve. You will be actively
involved. So create an environment in your workplace where
people are free to ask questions and know how to escalate issues
that become a problem. Make sure that everyone in the laboratory
knows that no matter what, safety must be planned into the experiment
every step of the way.
Finally, after taking the time for inspections and improvements,
remember to recognize success. As improvements are made, or if
a minimum number of safety discrepancies are found, let everyone
know. Be loud and proud about your successes in incorporating
new chemicals, materials, equipment and new people into your
work environment.
❏
cess, you would want to assess
potential worker exposure to any
nanomaterials that will be used by
considering tasks that may potentially
expose you or fellow laboratory
workers to nanomaterials. You
would consider the dustiness of the
material, how it will be used, how
much will be used, and the duration
and frequency of the task.
Once the preplanning is finished,
move on to safety equipment considerations.
Will a fume hood be
needed? Is your standard personal
protective equipment (PPE) enough
to keep you safe? Continuing with
the nanomaterials example, you
would want to ensure that you keep
the materials off your skin and out
of your lungs and eyes. As such, ventilation
systems would be needed to
capture and remove airborne nanomaterials
before they are inhaled
by workers. Depending on the scale
of the operations, ventilated enclosures,
local exhaust ventilation or
other types of ventilation could be
needed. Go through this planning
process for any new material you
introduce, devoting extra time to
evaluate your safety when dealing
with pyrophoric materials, hazardous
chemicals, cryogenic liquids and
reactive chemicals.
When considering disposal of new
chemicals or materials, always be
sure that different categories of waste
are stored in different containers
and are clearly separated, and that
incompatible chemicals are stored
separately. The laboratory is not the
place for unexpected reactions.
5. Know your equipment
When a new material is introduced
to the laboratory, new equipment
often must be used. From fume
hoods and glassware to gas cylinders,
nearly every piece of equipment
in a laboratory can pose a
hazard when used inappropriately.
Be sure to think about and plan for
how you'll handle tasks like equipment
set-up, maintenance and
cleaning. The hazards associated
with these types of support tasks
(such as ergonomics, decontamination,
energy control and more) are
often underestimated.
Not only must you make sure that
you are completely up to speed on
the safest way to operate the equipment
- especially if it's been some
time since you've received training
- but you also must ensure that
others, including new employees,
are up to speed as well. In the rush
to find results for an experiment,
shortcuts may seem appealing, but
proper care always must be taken -
even more so when change is afoot.
If you are uncertain about how to
use a piece of equipment, seek out
training. For quick refreshers, resources
are available on a variety of
topics [2].
6. Take care when working alone
On a busy day at work on a new
project, you may be tempted to stay
late to make additional progress. If
you find yourself in this situation,
you must first look at the work
you'll be doing and evaluate its hazard
potential before deciding that it
is safe to work alone.
If what you're doing is classified
as a high-hazard operation,
it's never safe to work alone, even
if special precautions are in place.
Some examples of high-hazard operations
include work with process
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Chemical Engineering August 2014

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