Overview
The lecture emphasizes the importance of consistently conducting risk assessments in the lab, comparing it to the everyday habit of looking both ways before crossing the street.
Risk and Hazard Assessment in the Lab
- Performing experiments routinely can lead to complacency and overlooked risks.
- Lab conditions change frequently, making even familiar experiments potentially hazardous.
- Hazard assessment identifies all possible things that could go wrong.
- Risk assessment prioritizes which hazards are most likely to present a significant risk.
- Regular risk assessments help maintain safety and improve scientific practice.
- Recognizing, assessing, and managing hazards should become habitual behaviors.
- Preparation for emergencies is a key part of maintaining lab safety.
Complacency and Excuses
- Familiarity with procedures can lead to unsafe shortcuts and rationalizations.
- Common excuses include: minimal changes in procedure, using small amounts, previous experience, lack of safety equipment, and reliance on others' assessments.
- Skipping risk assessments to save time is dangerous and unjustifiable.
Best Practices for Lab Safety
- Always plan, prepare, and stay alert to changing conditions in the lab.
- Never assume previous assessments or experiences are sufficient for current experiments.
- Treat every experiment as potentially hazardous, regardless of routine.
Key Terms & Definitions
- Hazard Assessment — the process of identifying all possible things that could go wrong in an experiment.
- Risk Assessment — evaluating and prioritizing which identified hazards are most likely to pose serious threats.
Action Items / Next Steps
- Consistently perform risk and hazard assessments before every experiment.
- Develop the habit of preparing for emergencies and re-evaluating risks as conditions change.