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Barbara L. Foster NRCC-CHO National Registry of Certified Chemists – Certified Chemical Hygiene Officer Safety Director, C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry Safety Coordinator, Eberly College of Arts and Sciences Board of Editors, American Chemical Society Journal of Chemical Health & Safety Recipient of 2006 Tillmanns-Skolnick Award for outstanding service to the ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety |
CONTACT INFORMATION
- Office Phone: (304) 293-2729
- Fax: (304) 293-4904
- Mailing Address:
C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry
West Virginia University
Room 217 Clark Hall, Prospect Street
PO Box 6045
Morgantown, WV 26506-6045 - Email address: Barbara.Foster@mail.wvu.edu
MESSAGE FROM THE SAFETY DIRECTOR
How to Avoid Exposure to Hazardous Materials
The OSHA Laboratory Standard, 29CFR 1910.1450, was promulgated in 1990 to protect laboratory workers from exposure to hazardous chemicals in the laboratory. The Standard defines “hazardous chemical” as a chemical for which there is statistically significant evidence, based on at least one study conducted in accordance with established scientific principles, that acute or chronic health effects may occur in exposed employees. Acute exposure is defined as short durations of exposure to high concentrations of hazardous materials in the workplace. Chronic exposure is defined as continuous exposure over a long period of time to low concentrations of hazardous materials in the work place. Routes of exposure include skin, eyes, inhalation, ingestion, and injection.
How do we protect laboratory workers from exposure to hazardous materials? We accomplish this important goal with three sets of controls:
1) Engineering Controls
2) Administrative Controls
3) Personal Protective Equipment (PPE)
Within the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, the laboratory staff, teaching assistants, and faculty work together to continue the legacy of safety excellence for our students and personnel. On a daily basis, safety is our first priority, both in our academic and research laboratories. It is with a keen sense of responsibility that we prepare our students for their careers in laboratory settings in academia, industry, government, law enforcement, and the health sciences. We realize that what our students learn about safety in our laboratories will have a significant impact on all of the people who will share their work environments in the future. Work Safely and Teach Safety!
SELECTED PUBLICATIONS
“Campus Focus, Hazardous Materials Management: Prevent a Departmental Crisis”, Laboratory Safety and Environmental Management, Volume 8, Number 6, November/December; PRIZIM, Inc.: Gaithersburg, MD, 2000; p. 6.
“Memoirs of a Safety Director: Focus on Student Safety”, Chemical Health & Safety, Volume 8, Number 1, January/February; Elsevier Science: New York, NY, 2001; pp. 12-14.
“Campus Focus, The Chemical Hygiene Plan – A Guide for Lab Life”, Laboratory Safety and
Environmental Management, Volume 9, Number 1, January/February; PRIZIM, Inc.: Gaithersburg, MD, 2001; p. 6.
“When Your Academic Safety Plan Has to Pass the Litmus Test of Reality”, Chemical Health & Safety, Volume 8, Number 5, September/October; Elsevier Science: New York, NY, 2001; pp. 6-8.
“Department of Chemistry Laboratory Safety Program at West Virginia University”, Chemical Health & Safety, Volume 9, Number 2, March/April; Elsevier Science Ireland, Ltd.: Shannon, Ireland, 2002; pp.21-28.
“Fundamentals of Productive Laboratory Inspections in Academia”, Chemical Health & Safety; Elsevier Science Ireland, Ltd.: Shannon, Ireland; Volume 10, Number 1, January/February 2003; pp.28-34.
“Principles of Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, Chemical Health & Safety; Elsevier Science Ireland, Ltd.: Shannon, Ireland; 10(2), March/April 2003; pp. 13-16.
Laboratory Safety and Management: A Handbook for Teaching Assistants, June 2004.
“Laboratory Safety Program Assessment in Academia”, Chemical Health & Safety; Elsevier Science Ireland, Ltd.: Shannon, Ireland; 11(4), September/October 2004; pp. 6-13.
“Mercury Thermometer Replacements in Chemistry Laboratories”, ACS Journal of Chemical Education, February 2005, pp. 269-270.
“The Chemical Inventory Management System in Academia”, Chemical Health & Safety, 2005, 12(5), September/October; pp. 21-25.
Safety, Health, and Environment, education content developer and reviewer of this process industries textbook, Pearson Custom Publishing, Boston, MA, 2006.
Foster, B.L., “In Pursuit of Excellence in Safety”, Journal of Chemical Health & Safety, Elsevier Science Ireland, Ltd.: Shannon, Ireland; May/June 2007; pp 6-13.
Foster, B.L., Laboratory Safety and Management – A Handbook for Teaching Assistants, West Virginia University: Morgantown, WV, 2007.
PRESENTATIONS, INVITED TALKS, SHORT COURSES, AND WORKSHOPS
“The Department of Chemistry Laboratory Safety Program at West Virginia University”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Awards Symposium, 222nd ACS National Meeting: Chicago, IL, August 27, 2001.
“Ten Years After: The Impact of the Laboratory Standard at West Virginia University”
, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Recent Developments in Chemical Health and Safety Symposium, 222nd ACS National Meeting: Chicago, IL, August 27, 2001.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, Colorado School of Mines, Department of Chemistry and Geochemistry: Golden, CO, December 4, 2001.
“Fundamentals of Productive Laboratory Inspections in Academia”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, General Papers Symposium, 223rd ACS National Meeting: Orlando, FL, April 10, 2002.
“Principles of Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Awards Symposium, 224th ACS National Meeting: Boston, MA, August 19, 2002.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, University of Pittsburgh, Department of Chemistry: Pittsburgh, PA, September 26, 2002.
“Teaching Safety and Safe Work Practices in Academic Laboratories”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Jay Young Symposium on Teaching Safety, 225th ACS National Meeting: New Orleans, LA, March 2003.
“Effective Replacements for Mercury Thermometers in Academic Laboratories”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, The Health Hazards of Mercury: An Ongoing Problem Symposium, 225th ACS National Meeting: New Orleans, LA, March 2003.
“Chemical Management”, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Chemical and Metallurgy Research/Nuclear Materials Technology Division: Los Alamos, NM, April 30, 2003.
Safety training course, “Fundamentals of Productive Laboratory Inspections”, Los Alamos National Laboratory, Nuclear Materials Technology Division, presented to Chemical Hygiene Officers and Line Managers: Los Alamos, NM, June 18, 2003.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, The University of Texas at San Antonio, Department of Chemistry, San Antonio, TX, August 20, 2003.
“ACS Taskforce for Safety in the Chemistry Curriculum”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Teaching Safety Symposium, 226th ACS National Meeting: New York, NY, September 9, 2003.
“Any Chemical Reaction that Proceeds Smoothly under Normal Conditions can Proceed Violently in the Presence of the Uninformed”, Duquesne University, Department of Chemistry and Biochemistry Seminar: Pittsburgh, PA, February 20, 2004.
“Laboratory Safety Program Assessment in Academia”, American Chemical Society Division of Chemical Health and Safety, Symposium on Measuring and Recognizing Safety Performance, 227th ACS National Meeting: Anaheim, CA, March 30, 2004.
“Chemical Inventory Management at the C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry at West Virginia University”, Chemical Inventory Management Symposium, 228th ACS National Meeting: Philadelphia, PA, August 24, 2004.
“Basic Principles of Safety in Academic Laboratories”, ACS Online Chemistry Course, Chemical Safety: Protecting Ourselves and Our Environment, September 2004.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, a four-hour workshop, ACS 36th Great Lakes Regional Meeting: Peoria, IL, October 18, 2004.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, Missouri Western State College: St. Joseph, MO, November 3, 2004.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, Marshall University: Huntington, WV, November 19, 2004.
“Lessons Learned from Teaching an Online Chemical Safety Course”, Teaching Safety Symposium, 229th ACS National Meeting: San Diego, CA, March 15, 2005.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, Kansas State University: Manhattan, KS, April 21, 2005.
“Chemical Inventory Management”, Centers for Disease Control – National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health: Cincinnati, OH, June 24, 2005.
“Laboratory Safety and Management for Teaching Assistants in Chemistry Laboratories”, Teaching Safety Symposium, 230th ACS National Meeting: Washington, DC, August 31, 2005.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, a four-hour workshop, ACS SE/SW Regional Meeting: Memphis, TN, November 1, 2005.
“Laboratory Inspections in Academia”, Laboratory Inspections and Audits Symposium, ACS SE/SW Regional Meeting: Memphis, TN, November 3, 2005.
“Prudent Practices—Planning an Update: Audience and Outreach”, presented at the National
Academies of Science Building, Washington, DC, to invited workshop participants, December 15, 2005.
“Incidents and Accidents: Are You Prepared?”, How Did That Happen – Learning from our Mistakes Symposium, 231st ACS National Meeting: Atlanta, GA, March 28, 2006.
“Laboratory Safety Management in Academia”, West Virginia University Department of Biology
Colloquium: Morgantown, WV, April 4, 2006.
“Elements of an Effective Laboratory Safety Program”, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, CHO Training Workshop: Morgantown, WV, June 6, 2006.
“Development of a Chemical Hygiene Plan and Duties of a Chemical Hygiene Officer”, Science Safety Seminar, Asheville, NC, July 19, 2006.
“Chemical Management”, Science Safety Seminar, Asheville, NC, July 20, 2006.
“Elements of an Effective Laboratory Safety Program”, West Virginia University Health Sciences Center, CHO Training Workshop: Morgantown, WV, August 2, 2006.
“Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories”, West Virginia University, C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry Seminar, Morgantown, WV, August 30, 2006.
“In Pursuit of Excellence in Safety”, 232nd ACS National Meeting, Awards Symposium, San Francisco, CA, September 10, 2006.
“Chemical Management and Laboratory Safety in Research Laboratories”, West Virginia University, C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry Seminar, Morgantown, WV, October 11, 2006.
“Key Elements of an Effective Laboratory Safety Program”, Forensic Quality Assurance Class, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, November 27, 2006.
“Laboratory Safety Management – How to Avoid Incidents and Accidents”, NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, MD, April 23, 2007.
“Key Elements of an Effective Laboratory Safety Program”, WVNano National Science Foundation-Research Experiences for Undergraduates, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, May 31, 2007.
“Safety in Research Laboratories”, Dr. Lisa Holland Research Group, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, June 6, 2007.
“Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories”, new graduate student orientation, West Virginia University, C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, Morgantown, WV, August 14, 2007.
“Safety in Research Laboratories”, West Virginia University Department of Biology, Life Sciences Building, Morgantown, WV, April 14, 2008.
“How to Avoid Exposure to Hazardous Materials”, WVNano National Science Foundation-Research Experiences for Undergraduates, West Virginia University, Morgantown, WV, May 29, 2008.
RELATED LINKS
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
ACS Joint Board-Council Committee on Chemical Safety
Centers for Disease Control and Prevention
Chemical Reactivity Hazards Management Alliance
Department of Transportation (DOT) – Office of Hazardous Materials Safety
Incompatible Chemicals – Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) – MSDS online Search
Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) – Vermont SIRI
National Chemistry Week and Community Activities Safety Guidelines
National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health
National Registry of Certified Chemists – Certified Chemical Hygiene Officer Information
Occupational Safety and Health Administration
Peroxide Formers – Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals
Prudent Practices in the Laboratory: Handling and Disposal of Chemicals
Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, Faculty and Administrators Edition
Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, Student Edition
Safety in Academic Chemistry Laboratories, Student Edition-Spanish
