The safe handling, storage, and disposal of chemicals in industrial and laboratory settings, including hazard assessment, exposure control, emergency response, regulatory compliance, and process safety management
3 papersItalian research lab workers demonstrate a reasonable understanding of chemical hazards, but often lack knowledge on personal protective equipment and proper safety procedures. A concerning number of participants reported unsafe practices like not washing hands or eating in the lab, despite handling cancer-causing chemicals.
This commentary advocates for cooperation between the NORMAN Association and the European Partnership for Chemicals Risk Assessment (PARC) to enhance chemical risk assessment in the EU. It highlights NORMAN's established network, data resources, and advanced tools, emphasizing their potential to strengthen PARC's efforts towards a non-toxic environment and next-generation risk assessment.
The study analyzed two explosion accidents in university chemistry labs and found common contributing factors related to lack of standard operating procedures, insufficient safety awareness, poor communication, and ineffective safety management systems. It proposes using the SHEL model (Software, Hardware, Environment, Liveware) for accident investigation and analysis in university labs to identify systemic issues and improve safety practices by addressing both local workplace factors and organizational factors.