Laboratory Accidents: A Continuing Problem

In a National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) compilation several years ago, they found 586 accidents (fires, explosions, etc.) in or involving laboratories in the US. Since not all such incidents are reported to the NFPA, the actual numbers are probably  higher. In 2016 to date I have read reports of 7 fires, 8 explosions and 2 other serious incidents in US laboratories. This excludes the numerous reports of spills, odors, and evacuations for one reason or another.

The record of safety in colleges and schools is sadly not good. NFPA-45 Fire Protection for Laboratories Using Chemicals was concerned enough to add an entire chapter on Educational and Instructional occupancies to try and address some of the concerns. The American Institute of Chemical Engineers (AIChE) is working on publishing a new set of safety guidelines on laboratory and pilot plant safety for both schools and smaller industries to offer assistance in developing more effective safety programs, practices and procedures.

Many colleges and schools have less than effective safety in their laboratories. They tend to focus on the mandatory requirements (which are burdensome and demanding enough) and often are unable to give adequate attention to training their faculty and students in fire safety, safe chemical handling procedures, proper hood use, effective emergency plans, proper equipment use, safe handling of compressed gases and flammable liquids, and realistic hazard analysis and risk assessment. Their facilities are not realistically inspected for unsafe conditions or inadvertent problems beyond the code and fire protection concerns. It's not that they don't try, they just often don't really know what to look for or how to evaluate what they see.

What is the underlying problem? Money is always an issue as is time and resources. All common and not unjustified complaints.   Another, I think more insidious issue, is that schools tend to remain insular and feel they can identify, address, evaluate, or audit any problems (or lack of problems) with their own resources and not drawn the outside. At best, help is sought only from another college who often cannot contribute much more expertise or truly different insight. A similar incident in industry would draw assistance from numerous other often outside organizations in order to broaden the scope of the inspection or analysis.

Schools have an inherently difficult problem. A transitory work force, always only partially trained, constantly working in new or novel areas with limited supervisory resources, many of whom have a lot of experience but little real training particularly in safety and hazards. In this area, industry can provide the training and assistance. It's time for schools to reach out to industry for help. There is no doubt all schools want a totally safe working environment and always protect all their students and personnel. They need to look outside their walls, however, for the help they need to do it effectively. It won't be fast nor easy and probably feel rather uncomfortable at times but it can be done.