Louisiana Tech University has an integrated science curriculum for its mathematics, chemistry, physics, computer science, biology-research track and secondary mathematics and science education majors. The curriculum focuses on the calculus sequence and introductory labs in biology, physics, and chemistry. In the introductory biology laboratory…

This guide provides guidelines and procedures for safety audits and inspections in work environments. Contents include: (1) Administrative Concepts, (2) Physical Concepts, (3) Protecting Your Audits, (4) Safety Inspections, and (5) Safety Inspection Checklist. The appendix features federal laws and regulations affecting laboratories. (YDS)

Introduces Chemical Laboratory Information Profiles (CLIPs) which can be used to assist in making precaution decisions for laboratory work. Lists hazardous chemicals that have a popular use among students. (YDS)

This article (1) defines risk management and discusses alternatives to treating exposures facing those operating chemical laboratories; (2) indicates how two Virginia universities did or did not apply the risk management concept to their laboratory settings; and (3) identifies potential sources of information on this subject. (JN)

Describes laboratory inspection forms developed by the New York section of the American Chemical Society and recommends that they be used by qualified college safety officers. Includes instructions on how to order full-size copies of the forms suitable for duplication. (SK)

Background information is provided on the registered trademark "TLV" (Threshold Limit Value), the term used to express tolerable concentrations. The TLV of a compound is an estimate extrapolated from some defined damage to humans or animals at higher concentrations or by drawing analogies between similar concentrations. (JN)

Indicates that academe must emphasize professional responsibility for chemical health and safety and engender a similar concern in students. Suggests this may be accomplished both by informing students and by helping them make reasoned decisions concerning their exposure to these hazards. (Author/JN)

Presents the script of a skit designed to engage beginning students in a contest to identify and list the most safety violations they observe during the skit. Includes a list of 37 safe laboratory practices. (MKR)

Discusses a National Research Council report which summarizes what laboratories need to know about Environmental Protection Agency and Department of Transportation regulations that apply to laboratory waste. The report provides guidelines for establishing and operating waste management systems for laboratories and gives specific advice on waste…

Examines reasons why individuals in academic institutions do not feel the same safety-related pressures as individuals in nonacademic institutions. Also lists elements that should be included in any basic safety/health program and describes the steps taken at one college to improve laboratory safety. (JN)

Determined whether improved ventilation and use of "formaldehyde-free" biological specimens could reduce the levels of formaldehyde in air to which students and faculty would be exposed. Both methods were found to be effective in reducing formaldehyde levels in air. (JN)

Topics addressed in this discussion of toxicology and chemical safety include routes of exposure, dose/response relationships, action of toxic substances, and effects of exposure to chemicals. Specific examples are used to illustrate the principles discussed. Suggests prudence in handling any chemicals, whether or not toxicity is known. (JN)

Explains how to manage waste after a classroom laboratory experiment which generally has the potential to generate large amounts of waste. Focuses on pollution prevention and the selection processes to eliminate or minimize waste. (YDS)

Reports on the use of a technique that involves students in researching the hazardous properties of chemicals they are about to use. Students include this information in their lab reports focusing on product and company identification and hazards identification. (DDR)