On October 19, 2011, the U.S. Chemical Safety Board (CSB) released its final report into a January 7, 2010, chemistry laboratory explosion at Texas Tech University (TTU) in Lubbock, Texas.  Resulting from that investigation were recommendations to the American Chemical Society (ACS) to develop new hazard evaluation guidelines for laboratories and to the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) to issue a Safety Bulletin on the importance of controlling the physical hazards of chemicals in academic laboratories.The accident occurred during the handling of explosive compounds and resulted in serious injuries to a graduate student. The CSB's investigation identified systemic deficiencies in safety accountability and oversight at TTU.  Beyond the accident at TTU, the CSB identified other important gaps in the regulatory framework and guidance for university laboratory safety. Research conducted at university laboratories is often on the forefront of technology and innovation and must be done within a strong safety culture based upon effective safety management systems where preventing hazards is an important value.  The CSB continues to advocate for comprehensive hazard evaluation guidance that is directly applicable to the dynamic nature of academic laboratory research and can prevent future accidents.

Texas Tech University laboratory explosion

246th National Meeting (2013)

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