On January 7, 2010, a graduate student at Texas Tech University (TTU) was injured in an explosion while grinding a recently-prepared energetic material. Shortly thereafter, members of the National Chemical Safety and Hazard Investigation Board (CSB) began an investigation into the causes of and practices associated with the accident.  The results of their investigation were released on October 19, 2011. The report included steps for Texas Tech to take to improve its safety culture. This talk will detail some of the changes that have occurred at Texas Tech to make it one of the safest campuses in American in which to do chemical research. Our aim at Texas Tech is to change the culture of safety from one of local apprenticeship to a globally proactive and positive response.  This presentation will detail the lessons learned from the TTU explosion, a case which is now textbook for the consequences of not following safety protocols, and suggest steps that the academic community can take to change the culture of chemical safety in general.<br/>

Changing a culture: The accident at Texas Tech; what happened in the next five years, and why you should develop a culture of safety: Thoughts from the department chair at the time

251st National Meeting (2016)

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