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How DivCHAS has helped me as an academic safety professional
TILLSMANN-SKOLNICK AWARD ADDRESS
How DivCHAS has helped me as an academic safety professional By Peter C. Ashbrook
INTRODUCTION
When I was informed that I was to be honored with the Tillmanns-Skolnick award, I started thinking of all the changes we have seen in chemical health and safety over the past 20 years. RCRA, waste minimization, Prudent Practices, the OSHA Laboratory Standard, HAZWOPER, and Chemical Health & Safety magazine all readily came to mind, and I figured I could put a talk together fairly quickly on these. But it didn’t work out that way. Instead of focusing on some specific issues, I have decided to address the big picture of why we are here—that is, why have we joined the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety (DivCHAS), why do we volunteer for DivCHAS positions, and why do we come to these meetings? I submit that the answer to these questions is that we come to learn and to share.
LEARN
Let me expand on this answer. First, the ‘‘learn’’ part. When we start our careers, we quickly realize that we don’t have all the answers. (Sometimes it seems like I don’t have ANY of the answers.) So we buy books and magazines, attend conferences and seminars, and work on networking. If one is involved with chemical safety, it doesn’t take long to realize DivCHAS is a player. Because of its association with ACS and the quality work performed by its members over the years, DivCHAS has credibility, substantial Peter C. Ashbrook is affiliated with University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211 (Tel.: (573) 882-7018; fax: (573) 882-7940; e-mail: [email protected]). Presented at the ACS National Meeting, New York City, September 7, 2003.
14
information resources, and a lot of really good contacts. The variety and quality of presentations and workshops here in New York City is typical of what DivCHAS provides. Of special value to those of us in academia, but who are on the administrative side of the house, is that many of our clients (i.e., the faculty) are members of ACS and have a lot of respect for ACS, which affects how we are viewed in a positive way. Since the Chemistry Department tends to have the most chemicals—certainly the most variety—and most are members of ACS, my association with DivCHAS has given me opportunities for connecting in ways that enhance my credibility. This is one step to being seen as part of the team, rather than as the ‘‘chemical police.’’
SHARE
Moving on to the ‘‘share’’ part of why we’re here, I quickly realized anybody can get just about anything published. This is common with government publications, but to be fair, the government often does a good job of summarizing what has been published. This means that if some people are putting out poor information or advice, this will be perpetuated unless there is someone putting out something better. One of the great things about science and a free press, is that the good stuff survives, while the bad staff eventually withers away (often not fast enough). The good stuff has to see the light of day, and this is where DivCHAS comes in: through its workshops, technical sessions, and especially with Chemical Health & Safety magazine. One example is the realization a few years back that contact lens did not present special hazards in laboratories as long as one also realized that they did not provide any protection either. DivCHAS was instrumental in publicizing this finding and reversing a long standard safety recommendation that con-
ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
tact lens should not be worn in laboratories. Each of us must participate in the ‘‘share’’ part of the equation. While we may feel like we’re bogged down doing the same thing over and over again, the reality is that with a little change in perspective, we can find some special issues and/or solutions that will be of interest to others. Many of us fear that our experiences aren’t worthy of presentation to the world, but I can tell you based on over 20 years of making 1–2 presentations each year, the response I get is almost always one of appreciation.
LEARN/SHARE
The best part of learning and sharing is that the two processes are sometimes indistinguishable. I am not a particularly gifted writer or speaker, but it is unusual when I run into someone who has seen one of my presentations for that person to tell me that was a waste of time. But even if they did, the process of putting together a presentation or writing a paper is valuable for me in my job because it forces me to take a close look at what I am doing and brings insights that would not arise if I allowed myself to stay in the mode of fighting fires all the time. And we all know how easy that would be. One does not need to give presentations or write papers to contribute; there are a variety of ways to serve that can be just as useful. One example was when I became a member of the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS). It just so happened that shortly after I became a member of CCS, I managed to get caught up at work. Hard to believe, but true. So I wrote the Committee Chair, saying that I was available and asking if there were any specific ways I could contribute. The response was that the Committee was very interested in laboratory design and fume hoods in particular. I became chair of a subcommittee, which put
1074-9098/$30.00 doi:10.1016/j.chs.2004.02.001
together an informational brochure, sponsored a symposium, and eventually put out a book on design of safe laboratories. These were not subjects I knew much about, but I had the organizational skills to pull this off and my organizational skills improved a lot through this process. As an aside, the day after I offered my services to CCS, all heck broke loose at work and I have not been caught up with work since. I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about Chemical Health & Safety magazine. As many of you know, the magazine was preceded by CHASNotes. When I heard that the magazine was going to become a reality, I contacted the editor, Warren Kingsley, and told him that I would like to write a regular column on laboratory waste minimization. Warren was most encouraging; in fact, he didn’t want to wait for the magazine, he wanted me to start writing columns for CHASNotes right away. I mention this encounter, not to toot my horn, but to give you encouragement. There are lots of opportunities in the chemical safety area, and if you are able to take the first step, there are plenty of people in DivCHAS to provide encouragement. I know the current magazine editor is very grateful for
Chemical Health & Safety, May/June 2004
each article submitted and works closely with authors to make papers worthy of publication.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR DIVCHAS
One of my frustrations as a DivCHAS member is that we have such a hard time reaching ACS members who are not DivCHAS members. During my service as Treasurer, I saw DivCHAS try a lot of things. It is my opinion that we can best reach these folks at ACS meetings by first, presenting at poster sessions and second, conducting workshops. It is unusual for safety to be a primary driver to get these people to the ACS meetings, so we should offer them information at times that are unlikely to conflict with the presentations in which they are most interested. An example of implementing this suggestion is that earlier this summer I discovered that the ACS Midwest regional meeting would be on my campus in November. Not surprisingly, the schedule did not include any safety presentations. When I inquired of the program chair, I was told that no one volunteered to put any safety presentations together. It’s not that safety was intentionally left off the agenda—it’s
that no one took the initiative to organize something. Well we don’t need another opportunity to preach to the choir, but here was a perfect opportunity to put together a poster session. So, I put together two posters—one on basic chemical safety resources, with a handout, and one on general regulatory requirements for laboratories, also with a handout. We aren’t going to get these folks to safety symposia yet, but we ought to have a presence to provide them basic information. This is something that some of you have done in other regions, and I would encourage each of you to consider the possibility should a regional meeting come near you.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, membership in DivCHAS has brought me in contact with many, many good people. It has provided a forum to exchange ideas, and given me the opportunity to take on challenges and expand skills in ways that would not have been possible in my job. The chemical safety profession needs more contributions from people like you. Based on my experience, the biggest beneficiary of your contributions will be you.
15
How DivCHAS has helped me as an academic safety professional By Peter C. Ashbrook
INTRODUCTION
When I was informed that I was to be honored with the Tillmanns-Skolnick award, I started thinking of all the changes we have seen in chemical health and safety over the past 20 years. RCRA, waste minimization, Prudent Practices, the OSHA Laboratory Standard, HAZWOPER, and Chemical Health & Safety magazine all readily came to mind, and I figured I could put a talk together fairly quickly on these. But it didn’t work out that way. Instead of focusing on some specific issues, I have decided to address the big picture of why we are here—that is, why have we joined the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety (DivCHAS), why do we volunteer for DivCHAS positions, and why do we come to these meetings? I submit that the answer to these questions is that we come to learn and to share.
LEARN
Let me expand on this answer. First, the ‘‘learn’’ part. When we start our careers, we quickly realize that we don’t have all the answers. (Sometimes it seems like I don’t have ANY of the answers.) So we buy books and magazines, attend conferences and seminars, and work on networking. If one is involved with chemical safety, it doesn’t take long to realize DivCHAS is a player. Because of its association with ACS and the quality work performed by its members over the years, DivCHAS has credibility, substantial Peter C. Ashbrook is affiliated with University of Missouri-Columbia, Columbia, MO 65211 (Tel.: (573) 882-7018; fax: (573) 882-7940; e-mail: [email protected]). Presented at the ACS National Meeting, New York City, September 7, 2003.
14
information resources, and a lot of really good contacts. The variety and quality of presentations and workshops here in New York City is typical of what DivCHAS provides. Of special value to those of us in academia, but who are on the administrative side of the house, is that many of our clients (i.e., the faculty) are members of ACS and have a lot of respect for ACS, which affects how we are viewed in a positive way. Since the Chemistry Department tends to have the most chemicals—certainly the most variety—and most are members of ACS, my association with DivCHAS has given me opportunities for connecting in ways that enhance my credibility. This is one step to being seen as part of the team, rather than as the ‘‘chemical police.’’
SHARE
Moving on to the ‘‘share’’ part of why we’re here, I quickly realized anybody can get just about anything published. This is common with government publications, but to be fair, the government often does a good job of summarizing what has been published. This means that if some people are putting out poor information or advice, this will be perpetuated unless there is someone putting out something better. One of the great things about science and a free press, is that the good stuff survives, while the bad staff eventually withers away (often not fast enough). The good stuff has to see the light of day, and this is where DivCHAS comes in: through its workshops, technical sessions, and especially with Chemical Health & Safety magazine. One example is the realization a few years back that contact lens did not present special hazards in laboratories as long as one also realized that they did not provide any protection either. DivCHAS was instrumental in publicizing this finding and reversing a long standard safety recommendation that con-
ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.
tact lens should not be worn in laboratories. Each of us must participate in the ‘‘share’’ part of the equation. While we may feel like we’re bogged down doing the same thing over and over again, the reality is that with a little change in perspective, we can find some special issues and/or solutions that will be of interest to others. Many of us fear that our experiences aren’t worthy of presentation to the world, but I can tell you based on over 20 years of making 1–2 presentations each year, the response I get is almost always one of appreciation.
LEARN/SHARE
The best part of learning and sharing is that the two processes are sometimes indistinguishable. I am not a particularly gifted writer or speaker, but it is unusual when I run into someone who has seen one of my presentations for that person to tell me that was a waste of time. But even if they did, the process of putting together a presentation or writing a paper is valuable for me in my job because it forces me to take a close look at what I am doing and brings insights that would not arise if I allowed myself to stay in the mode of fighting fires all the time. And we all know how easy that would be. One does not need to give presentations or write papers to contribute; there are a variety of ways to serve that can be just as useful. One example was when I became a member of the ACS Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS). It just so happened that shortly after I became a member of CCS, I managed to get caught up at work. Hard to believe, but true. So I wrote the Committee Chair, saying that I was available and asking if there were any specific ways I could contribute. The response was that the Committee was very interested in laboratory design and fume hoods in particular. I became chair of a subcommittee, which put
1074-9098/$30.00 doi:10.1016/j.chs.2004.02.001
together an informational brochure, sponsored a symposium, and eventually put out a book on design of safe laboratories. These were not subjects I knew much about, but I had the organizational skills to pull this off and my organizational skills improved a lot through this process. As an aside, the day after I offered my services to CCS, all heck broke loose at work and I have not been caught up with work since. I would be remiss if I didn’t say something about Chemical Health & Safety magazine. As many of you know, the magazine was preceded by CHASNotes. When I heard that the magazine was going to become a reality, I contacted the editor, Warren Kingsley, and told him that I would like to write a regular column on laboratory waste minimization. Warren was most encouraging; in fact, he didn’t want to wait for the magazine, he wanted me to start writing columns for CHASNotes right away. I mention this encounter, not to toot my horn, but to give you encouragement. There are lots of opportunities in the chemical safety area, and if you are able to take the first step, there are plenty of people in DivCHAS to provide encouragement. I know the current magazine editor is very grateful for
Chemical Health & Safety, May/June 2004
each article submitted and works closely with authors to make papers worthy of publication.
FUTURE DIRECTIONS FOR DIVCHAS
One of my frustrations as a DivCHAS member is that we have such a hard time reaching ACS members who are not DivCHAS members. During my service as Treasurer, I saw DivCHAS try a lot of things. It is my opinion that we can best reach these folks at ACS meetings by first, presenting at poster sessions and second, conducting workshops. It is unusual for safety to be a primary driver to get these people to the ACS meetings, so we should offer them information at times that are unlikely to conflict with the presentations in which they are most interested. An example of implementing this suggestion is that earlier this summer I discovered that the ACS Midwest regional meeting would be on my campus in November. Not surprisingly, the schedule did not include any safety presentations. When I inquired of the program chair, I was told that no one volunteered to put any safety presentations together. It’s not that safety was intentionally left off the agenda—it’s
that no one took the initiative to organize something. Well we don’t need another opportunity to preach to the choir, but here was a perfect opportunity to put together a poster session. So, I put together two posters—one on basic chemical safety resources, with a handout, and one on general regulatory requirements for laboratories, also with a handout. We aren’t going to get these folks to safety symposia yet, but we ought to have a presence to provide them basic information. This is something that some of you have done in other regions, and I would encourage each of you to consider the possibility should a regional meeting come near you.
CONCLUSION
In conclusion, membership in DivCHAS has brought me in contact with many, many good people. It has provided a forum to exchange ideas, and given me the opportunity to take on challenges and expand skills in ways that would not have been possible in my job. The chemical safety profession needs more contributions from people like you. Based on my experience, the biggest beneficiary of your contributions will be you.
15