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Shifting Safety Culture from Rules to Risk-Based at a Research-Focused Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI)

Krysti L. Knoche Gupta

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Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI)
Regional Comprehensive University, part of “Universities of Wisconsin”
~9,000 undergraduate students
High percentage of first-generation and/or low income students
Wisconsin is ranked 43/50 for state education funding

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University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Department Profile

15 tenured/tenure-track faculty
~30 majors graduate each year
60% Teaching/ 20% Research/ 20% Service
Teaching load is 12 contact hours/ semester
Historically strong program of research with undergraduate students

Focus on preparing students for success in future: grad school, industry

Advisory Board of industry members with a theme every year
Strongly Emphasize the advantage of direct faculty-student collaborative research and the skills it imparts

Competency in chemical safety skills, especially risk assessment, is a major component of conducting research
Research students who can competently assess risk and plan best safety practices for their experiments are more effective and more productive

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University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire (UWEC) Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry

Safety Structure

Office of Risk Management under a Vice Chancellor

One employee collects hazardous waste
Student employees are hired to do weekly tests of safety showers and conduct annual lab inspections
Mandates biannual online training

Chemical Hygiene Officer is a departmental service position

Department maintains a Chemical Hygiene Plan
Faculty safety committee does annual inspections of research and teaching labs

Professors are the “safety officers” of their research lab

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Safety Culture Shift

Rules-based Safety Culture: rules and regulations are set from the top down along with penalties for noncompliance
Risk-based Safety Culture: proactive approach to identifying and managing risks before they lead to incidents

Individuals are trained and empowered to assess and plan for risks
Emphasis on community responsibility for keeping each other safe

Our Department has begun the shift in two ways:

Top-Down
Bottom-Up

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Top-down initiatives to align with the shift in chemistry safety culture

Adjustments to safety scaffolding in curriculum

General Chemistry and Analytical Chemistry I use the new ACS safety video series
CHEM 344 (Instrumentation) requires students to complete ACS online safety course “Foundations of Chemical Safety and Risk Management”

Implemented new hands-on safety training - actively engage in RAMP, spills, cleaning glassware, using safety shower and eye wash, extinguishing solvent fire - empowers

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Hands-On Safety Training

Required for all research students and SAAs (student academic apprentices)
Demonstrate cleaning broken glass
Walk through all the parts and uses of a Spill Kit
workshop using RAMP to improve a titration experiment
Students pull the safety shower and eye wash
Students practice extinguishing a solvent fire

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Hands-On Safety Training

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Hands-On Safety Training

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Hands-On Safety Training

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UWEC Chemistry Safety Team (CSST) started with mentorship from University of Minnesota (UMN) Joint Safety Team (JST)

Spring 2021

Peer-Led Safety Workshop – connected with UMN JST

Fall 2021

UMN JST Outreach Committee visited UWEC, gave seminar

Fall 2021

Seven students were recruited to form UWEC Safety Team

Spring 2022

UWEC students shadowed lab walk-throughs at UMN

Spring 2024

UMN JST Outreach Committee visited UWEC, gave seminar

Spring 2023

UWEC students shadowed lab walk-throughs at UMN

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Differences for a Primarily Undergraduate Institution (PUI) vs Graduate Lab Safety Team (LST)

Different expectations for students

Level of independence in the lab
Time commitment
Liability/responsibility
Initial level of education/skills

= Different focuses for undergraduate LST

Peer education and professional development

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CSST Events/Activities

Peer Outreach/ Culture Development

Fall Goggle and Science Art Sale
Safety Demos at the Department’s Open House
Liquid Nitrogen Ice Cream at the Department’s Banquet
Golden Goggles Award (presented at banquet)