OD: Lab Accidents in the News: Institutional and Individual Risks, Roles and Responsibilities

Recorded on: Monday, April 2, 2012 1:00 PM ET

Overview

Within the past few years there have been several high profile incidents in college and university laboratories across the country, resulting in death, serious injury, and major property damage. These incidents captured the attention of the press, the public, regulatory agencies and, for the first time, the US Chemical Safety Board (CSB). In another first, a university and a principal investigator were charged with criminal offenses related to a fatal laboratory accident.

Universities are developing a reputation of being lax and inattentive when it comes to laboratory safety, with the press describing an “epidemic” of serious safety issues and allegations of incident rates much higher than general industry. As a result, many universities are exploring ways to improve their safety culture. Faculty members are now looking at their responsibilities as laboratory supervisors in a new light. The safety culture in academia is often one of tension between the research goals of the laboratory workers and the need for safe and compliant behavior. Faculty face numerous challenges in maintaining a positive safety culture, documenting procedures and training, supervising students, post-docs and staff, and meeting their responsibilities as teachers, advisors and researchers.

The increased awareness of laboratory incidents is leading regulatory agencies, insurers, and others to take a closer look at the issues around the safety culture in academic laboratories and associated risks.

This joint NACUBO and CSHEMA webcast will present a summary of recent lab-related incidents, including those at UCLA and Texas Tech University.We will provide an overview of the CSB findings and recommendations and what they mean to our institutions from the standpoint of safety, management and liability.

This webcast is brought to you in partnership with
Campus Safety Health and Environmental Management Association

and in collaboration with
American Council on Education (ACE), National Association of College & University Attorneys (NACUA), National Association of Scientific Materials Managers (NAOSMM) and University Risk Management and Insurance Association (URMIA)

What You Will Learn

Common themes among the high-profile academic laboratory incidents, including recommendations by the US Chemical Safety Board
Laboratory liability – regulatory, civil and criminal charges
Laboratory management and safety culture challenges faced by faculty and academic administrators, and ideas for improvements
Ideas for raising safety culture awareness of faculty and administrators on your campus

Who Should Attend

Business officers
Environmental health and safety directors, managers, and lab safety staff
Risk managers
Department chairs and faculty with labs
General counsel
Senior administrators
Research integrity and compliance staff

Meet the Presenters

Robin Izzo, associate director, environmental health and safety, Princeton University
Dr. Dominick Casadonte, chemistry professor and former chemistry chair, Texas Tech
David Monz, environmental attorney, Updike, Kelly and Spellacy
Dr. Bob Emery, vice president for environmental health and safety and risk management and associate professor, University of Texas Health Science Center, Houston

Course Information

Length: 120 minutes

Fees

Site Fee: $189.00

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