Chemical spillage has been measured for undergraduate students undertaking a laboratory practical designed to help develop their chemical handling skills. There was a low correlation found between the amount of chemical spilled and the ability to accurately carry out the primary goal of the experiment, which was to measure the concentrations of…

Pre-service teachers who conduct experiments are faced with various risks in terms of physical, health and environment due to the chemicals they are exposed to in the laboratory classes. Working in a laboratory without knowing these risks causes accidents such as chemical spills, explosions and fires, and even individual injuries. For this reason,…

In 2015, "NFPA 45, Standard on Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals," from the National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) was updated to include language requiring educators to perform a documented risk assessment when conducting demonstrations in K-12 classrooms. Additionally, in the past five years numerous organizations…

While lab accidents that involved personal injuries or significant property damage are required to be reported by law, many minor lab incidents or near misses are less frequently reported, especially in an academic research environment. However, public awareness of these stories and incidents create valuable learning opportunities and can prevent…

A ChE process safety assignment using case study videos produced by the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) is described. Study of student perceptions of video quality and effectiveness of 25 CSB videos identified a number of entries highly-regarded by students which would make good choices for in-class discussion/assignments. Student ratings of…

Accidents occur in laboratories due to a lack of proper knowledge regarding laboratory safety measures, perilous attitudes, and unacceptable laboratory practices. This study assessed the chemistry laboratory safety knowledge, attitude, and practice (KAP) of teachers and laboratory technicians in secondary schools of South Wollo, Ethiopia. The…

The ability to handle chemicals safely is a key aspect of the learning development of students studying chemistry; however, there have been no previously reported investigations of the quantity of chemicals spilled by students during lab experiments. Therefore, the first part of this article reports the assessment of the volume of chemicals…

Over the past 20 years 164 children and educators have been reported as injured in demonstrations using flammable solvents. The injuries were the result of flash fires, flame jets, and projectiles which occurred once control was lost by the presenter. "The rainbow demonstration" using methanol as the solvent has by far been the most…

Chemical safety management is an iterative process where reviews of safety deficiencies (e.g., inspection notes) and failures (e.g., injuries) guide improvement efforts. The present work investigates safety in the school chemistry laboratory through two substudies. First, we interviewed 10 Swedish middle and high school chemistry teachers about…

During the past 50 years the amount of chemistry applied to the preservation of all sorts of materials, from wood, to ceramics, glass and metallic objects has increased dramatically as materials conservation laboratories became established around the world. In Australia, the finding of a series of historic shipwrecks of ships from the Dutch…

It is important that first responders remain aware of the possible hazards resulting from chemical accidents or the intentional use of chemicals in destructive devices. Chemical components can be utilized in the manufacturing of improvised explosive devices (IEDs), can enhance the effect of a more conventional device, or can pose hazards based on…

Within the past 15 years, three North American pulp mills experienced catastrophic equipment failures while using 50 wt% hydrogen peroxide. In two cases, explosions occurred when normal pulp flow was interrupted due to other process problems. To understand the accidents, a kinetic model of alkali-catalyzed decomposition of peroxide was developed.…

Research advancements into different fields of study have increased the risks for accidents, criminal acts, or a potential breach of national security, and the types of hazardous materials (HAZMAT) stored and used at universities and colleges are under new scrutiny. Before, a chemistry laboratory might only have basic substances such as sulfur,…

Tips that laboratory researchers and beginning graduate students can use to safeguard against explosion hazard with emphasis on clear illustrations of molecular structure are discussed. Those working with hazardous materials must proceed cautiously and may want to consider alternative and synthetic routes.

The guide presents information about ordering, using, storing, and maintaining chemicals in the high school laboratory. The guide also provides information about chemical waste, safety and emergency equipment, assessing chemical hazards, common safety symbols and signs, and fundamental resources relating to chemical safety, such as Material…