As a result of a serious accident at Texas Tech University in 2010 and the subsequent investigation and report by the Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) into the causes and practices associated with the accident, ongoing steps are being taken by Texas Tech to improve its culture of safety. In continuing conversations with the CSB as well as members of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Division of Chemical Health and Safety (CHAS), several information and procedure gaps related to the national academic laboratory safety culture conversation have become clear. It is our aim at Texas Tech to act both as an agent to improve local safety culture as well as a catalyst for change concerning the mindsets of academic laboratory environments around the country.  This presentation will provide an update on our continuing efforts with regard to safety culture development at Texas Tech, as well as our plan to use the new ACS document 'Identifying and Evaluating Hazards in Research Laboratories' as an educational tool for improving discussions concerning laboratory safety at both the laboratory and institutional levels.

Texas Tech: An update on safety culture changes and how we plan to use the ACS hazard identification and evaluation document as part of the process

246th National Meeting (2013)

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