Laboratory Safety for Chemistry Students

The strategy of this book is based upon the need to provide continuous reinforcement of safety throughout the chemistry curriculum – and throughout a career in the laboratory. To accomplish this goal, relatively short sections are written so that these can be easily integrated into appropriate laboratory and lecture sessions throughout the chemistry curriculum. It provides a “layered” approach to the topics so that the introductory, intermediate, and advanced levels best reflect the educational experiences of students as they progress through the four years of an undergraduate program. In order to make this textbook appealing to instructors, the authors have designed easy-to-use ancillary materials such as quizzes, discussion guides, and website materials that will allow for easy implementation of the textbook by multiple faculty in multiple courses, all of whom may not wish to use the book in the same fashion.

Each of the 70 sections in the book also includes multiple-choice questions. Each section opens with a real-life anecdote of an incident related to the topic, a relevant quote, and synopsis of the chapter. We will revise and update anecdotes as needed and review and expand (in some sections) the multiple-choice questions. The RAMP paradigm, (recognize hazards, assess risks, minimize risk, and prepare for emergencies) introduced in the first edition has experienced adoption in the safety community as a model paradigm for conducting chemical hazard analysis and is therefore present in the new edition.

Robert H. Hill, Jr, PhD, has more than thirty years of experience working in the occupational and environmental health community at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). He has worked in the CDC research laboratories of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health and the National Center for Environmental Health. Dr. Hill has also worked in the Office of Health and Safety, serving as acting director, and presently works part time for Battelle Memorial Institute in Atlanta. He is involved with American Chemical Society (ACS) Committee on Chemical Safety (former Chair) and with the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety (former Chair). He is on the Board of Editors of the Journal of Chemical Health and Safety. He has a great passion for lab safety and for preventing lab incidents.

David C. Finster, PhD, is Professor of Chemistry at Wittenberg University, where he has served as chair of the Chemistry Department. He is the university's Chemical Hygiene Officer and a Certified Chemical Hygiene Officer (NRCC, 1999). He is a member of the American Chemical Society (ACS) Committee on Chemical Safety and chair of the Safety Committee in the Division of Chemical Education. He is on the Board of Editors of the Journal of Chemical Health and Safety.  He has presented numerous talks and workshops on the application of intellectual development theory to learning science and chemistry and has been a volunteer firefighter and hazmat technician for many years.