Chemical safety has become a contemporary theme in chemical education. Recent academic laboratory and industry incidents have led to policy changes in government and academic programs to improve chemical safety. Contrary to this, not much is known about post-secondary chemical security education. The purpose of this study is to identify why there is such a large gap in the understanding of the need for chemical safety but not much for chemical security, while attempting to identify current practices and attitudes concerning chemical security. For the study, ACS-approved chemistry programs were surveyed to determine their perceived chemical safety and chemical security culture, how chemical safety and chemical security is taught, and how often either were taught at their institution. Nearly all (&gt;99%) of the institutions teach chemical safety to undergraduates at their institutions, 73% to graduate students, while only about one-third of the respondents say that chemical security is taught at any education level. A majority of respondents to the survey (96%) feel that chemical safety should be mandatory while about half (57%) felt that chemical security should be mandatory.

Chemical security education is needed for undergraduate and graduate students

Fall 2022 abstracts, posters, and presentations will launch in mid-September.

ACS Fall 2022

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.