Celebrating what goes RIGHT in chemistry-lab safety www.unr.edu/nevada-to…

Recognizing it is typical in the world of chemistry-lab safety to point out what people are doing wrong, employees in Environmental Health & Safety set out to create a program to highlight what’s going right. Their Safest Teaching Assistant Awards program launched in 2017 and has sparked the interest of other universities as an example program. In summer 2020 the program was nationally recognized by a leading safety organization.

The Campus Safety, Health, and Environmental Management Association awarded the University of Nevada, Reno program first place in the category of Innovation-Safety Culture. The award was announced at CSHEMA’s 2020 conference, held online for this year.

The EH&S program selects and recognizes teaching assistants responsible for managing safety in the general chemistry, analytical chemistry, organic chemistry and introductory organic chemistry labs within the College of Science. Nearly 30 awards have been presented to teaching assistants since the program started.

Someone holding a handful of safety buttons

When the EH&S representatives show up to present a congratulatory certificate, they also provide all of the students in the lab a “science rocks” pin. EH&S Training Manager Brock A. Young notes the teaching assistants set the tone and teach safety practices, but the students make safety happen through their actions.

The acknowledgment of students recognizes the connection of laboratory safety to the overall culture of campus safety and to workforce development. As University President Marc Johnson said, “When you teach safety as an everyday practice, our graduates spread this culture where ever they go.”