Chemical Engineering August 2014 - 56

Environmental Manager
plants, any equipment that compresses,
and work that involves
high quantities of flammable or
extremely hazardous materials.
These kinds of operations require
two or more people, including a
safety observer or someone who
can provide immediate help in case
of an emergency.
But even low-hazard operations
come with risks. In general, lowhazard
operations include routine
analytical work, such as titration,
handing samples for routine analysis,
minor maintenance, general
laboratory work and office work.
These operations don't present any
major risk to safety and are generally
safe, as long as you have a plan
in case of a problem. A mechanism
like a lone operator alarm or emergency
radio should be in place.
7. Practice good housekeeping
In the laboratory, everything you
do, or don't do, makes a difference
in the outcome of your experiments
and your safety. That includes keeping
the laboratory clean. Whether
you're introducing change into the
laboratory or not, you're much more
likely to notice when something is
amiss when everything is in order.
Use a checklist to perform inspections
on at least a monthly
basis. Ensure your space is free
of tripping hazards, unused materials,
excess paper and clutter.
Check to make sure that the covers
for drains and trench drains are in
place. Also, pay special attention
to surfaces - including benches,
floors and operating equipment -
to see that they are free of hazardous
dust accumulation.
Part of your checklist should
focus on safety equipment: Is everything
in place and functioning
as it should be? Be especially
vigilant when it comes to personal
protective equipment, respirators,
eyewash, safety shower, fire extinguishers
and telephone. Once
your laboratory inspection is done,
openly communicate any problems
you see, especially unsafe practices
and procedures. (See sidebar.
p.55: " Safety Inspections: The
Kindness Factor. " )
8. Communicate clearly
Communication is critical to effective
laboratory safety in any
situation, but especially when any
change is introduced to your laboratory.
While this may seem obvious,
poor communication is the reason
for far too many laboratory accidents.
That's why it is absolutely essential
that you communicate with
everyone who could be impacted by
any change.
Your plans must always be shared
with anyone who could be impacted
by them. Be diligent about this.
Discuss the experiments you will
be conducting, the potential hazards,
worst-case scenarios and any
planned emergency response. As
project owners, be receptive to the
advice and safety improvements suggested
by colleagues. As reviewers,
interact and share your expertise
in a way that influences safety best
practices. The engagement should
be a positive interaction where risks
are identified and solutions to mitigate
these risks are identified.
The aforementioned SOC is a
great tool for helping to plan for
and communicate potential hazards
connected to process change.
SOCs establish accurate communication
between you and everyone
else in the laboratory - and
that is one of the most important
things you can do to ensure a safe
working environment.
9. Make change part of the culture
In order to ensure that change
management is always part of the
plan, a strong safety culture must
permeate the laboratory. And while
everyone is essential to the safety
culture, it starts with leaders.
Experience shows that leaders
56 ChemiCal engineering www.Che.Com august 2014
FIGURE 1.
Pre-startup
safety reviews
are an important
tool to help ensure
laboratory
safety
who actively engage with their
teams help deliver outstanding results
and improved performance.
They are able to build, strengthen
and engage their teams. This is certainly
true for safety performance.
Even if you are not a laboratory
leader, you have a big role in promoting
leadership engagement.
First, help your safety leader in
identifying key systems needed,
such as programs, practices, procedures
and training. As your leader
identifies key behaviors required to
achieve the desired goals, be open
and willing to adjust, use and champion
those behaviors.
Change and safety are constant
Your personal safety, as well as the
safety of your co-workers, depends
on your commitment to managing
change wisely. Remember that
change is the main reason to stop
and evaluate potential hazards.
Whether you're changing chemicals,
equipment or people, you can
manage it successfully and safely. ■
Edited by Dorothy Lozowski
References
1. Free downloads of these tools are available
under " Resources " at the Dow Lab Safety
Academy, http://safety.dow.com).
2. The Dow Lab Safety Academy (http://safety.
dow.com) offers short tutorial videos on a variety
of topics.
Author
Lori Seiler is the associate
director for environmental
health & safety for Dow Research
and Development at
The Dow Chemical Company
(2030 Dow Center, Midland,
MI 48674; Email: lseiler@dow.
com). Seiler is a certified industrial
hygienist (CIH) and
holds a Master's degree from
the University of Massachusetts
at Amherst. She has
been closely involved in Dow's university laboratory
safety initiative and the creation of the Dow
Lab Safety Academy (http://safety.dow.com).
http://safety.dow.com http://safety http://www.dow.com http://safety.dow.com http://www.Che.Com
Chemical Engineering August 2014

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