Oklahoma State University

Environmental Health and Safety

(405) 744-7241

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

OBJECTIVES

Introduction to the safety culture and its impact

on University research and teaching programs.
Understanding the challenges of implementing a
safety culture.
Introduction to components of a safety plan.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

TOPICS OF DISCUSSION

Discuss safety culture

How to create change in safety culture

Risk culture

Recent problems with safety culture

How to use the safety culture concept

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

WHAT IS SAFETY CULTURE?

Many definitions exist, most exhibit similar

themes such as

the attitudes, beliefs, and perceptions shared by

natural groups as defining norms and values which
determine how they act and react in relation to risk
and risk control systems (Hale, 2000)

A true culture of safety requires commitment

across the organization with a particular
emphasis on the faculty directing the lab, as
they are primarily responsible and accountable
for its safe conduct

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

A STRONG SAFETY CULTURE

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission specified

nine traits of a good safety culture:

Demonstrated commitment to safety

Problem identification and resolution
Personal responsibility for safety
Process safety management
Continuous learning
Positive environment
Effective safety communication
Respectful work environment
Questioning attitude
(Hill, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS

We have an ethical obligation to protect the

health and safety of all our constituencies
These efforts are essential to preserving the
publics trust!
Important to remember: Not a single dollar is
provided to our institutions without a set of both
explicit and implicit expectations:
Explicit: funds to be used for certain work or activity
Implicit: the work is to be done ethically, compliantly,
safely

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

IMPACT OF SAFETY CULTURE ON AN

ORGANIZATION

A weak safety culture within an organization is

usually the result of one or more factors:

No clear commitment
Failure to establish accountability
Lack of interest
Weak or missing safety management system
Failure to adequately educate
Failure to evaluate
Failure to maintain strong safety awareness
Failure to learn lessons from past
Weak collaborative interactions
(Hill, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CREATING SAFETY

CULTURES IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS

To create vibrant, strong safety cultures in

academic institutions, the Safety Culture Task
Force makes the following recommendations:

Establish the lines of authority and responsibilities.

Advocate for safety and safety education.

Establish a strong and effective safety program.

Ensure faculty, staff and students are trained

properly.

Implement hazards analysis procedures.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

RECOMMENDATIONS FOR CREATING SAFETY

CULTURES IN ACADEMIC INSTITUTIONS CONT.

Integrate safety culture through applicable curricula

Include safety training during all phases of research

Adopt a personal credo: the Safety Ethic

Effectively utilize the Incident Reporting System

Follow proper internal accident analysis protocols

Share case studies on lessons learned

Utilize the guidance and expertise of EHS

(Hill, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ACADEMIC SAFETY CULTURE MODEL

(Weil, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

STEPS FOR SUCCESSFUL CHANGE

(Kotter, 2002)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

UNDERSTAND THAT IT WILL NOT HAPPEN

OVERNIGHT

Real culture change requires a long term view

and commitment
Not an engineering solution its an
organizational solution
Recently published report on a grassroots led,
management supported change at a major utility
that took 9 years to fully implement (Simon and
Cistaro, 2009)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

SUGGESTED SHORT TERM WIN STEPS

Formally communicate high level commitment to

safety to the campus
Conduct routine lab safety assessments

Provide findings to designees for corrective action

As part of assessments actively solicit feedback

Establish various means for reporting events,
near misses

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

RISK CULTURES
The concept of safety culture began to be
discussed in the 1980's, in the aftermath of large
systemic failures such as Love Canal,
Chernobyl and Bhopal.

In the early 1990's, Arie Rip, a

Belgian chemist, broadened the
idea of safety culture to identify
two types of Risk Cultures:
Danger Cultures and
Safety Cultures

Memorial to Bhopal victims

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

RISK CULTURES ARE COMPLEX SYSTEMS

Some principles of complex systems:

Complex systems are only understood in hindsight
People learn about systems from stories

From the UK Days Out,

July 2012: Professor Nitrate's
Mad Lab a gang of hugely
excited children were shown
how to build rockets.

Is there
something wrong
with this picture?

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

CONTRASTING THE TWO TYPES OF RISK

CULTURES
Danger Culture

Safety Culture

Background looking

Forward looking; expecting

change

Slow to respond to changing

risks

Able to respond to changing

risks proactively

Focused on specific physical

risks

Focused on processes

In group oriented (focused on

peoples risks)

System risk oriented

Typical of press and

government attention to risk

Typical of organizations that

have suffered significant
losses (e.g. the Noble family)
(Styranec, 2014)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

INJURIES/FATALITIES IN ACADEMIC LABS

Laboratory Safety Institute Virtual Memorial

Wall lists five fatalities in academic labs since
2001

CSB investigated academic

lab safety focusing on an
accident at Texas Tech
University.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sjDdl_d8br8

Multiple fume hood

explosion injuries

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

CHEMICAL SAFETY BOARDS INTERPRETATION

OF THE REASON SWISS CHEESE MODEL

(Weil, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

THREE RECENT ACCIDENTS

UCLA- In January 2009, Lab Tech

Sheharbano 'Sheri Sangji, died after being
critically burned in a UCLA Chemistry
Lab.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F6NEdcZY2WY

Northwestern In December 2010, a post

doctoral student was severely injured when
his experiment exploded in a Northwestern
University Chemistry Lab.
Dartmouth In 1997, Chemistry Professor
Karen Wetterhahn, died from acute
mercury poisoning after dropping two drops
onto her glove.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h049Hgfk-BI

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

THREE CRITICAL VALUES DURING THE

THREE ACCIDENTS

Management Commitment to Safety

Communication of Vital Safety Information

Trust

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

MANAGEMENT COMMITMENT TO SAFETY

Most critical value

Feeds into trust, accountability

Critical to show support for safety activities

In academic institutions,
there are many levels of
management.

(Weil, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

MANAGEMENT ASSESSMENT
UCLA

Management
Commitment
to Safety
Comments

Northwestern

Dartmouth

Changed
since
accident

Better,
worse or
same

Changed
since
accident

Better,
worse or
same

Changed
since
accident

Better,
worse or
same

Yes

Better

No

Better

Yes

Better

Previously lab safety at

UCLA was under the
radar. The Chancellor is
now supportive with
increase in funding for
creation of Center for
Lab Safety. Despite
budget constraints, UC
System started lab safety
institute and hiring staff.

The NU Dean's Office of

Arts and Sciences
sponsored the creation of
ISIS and the hiring of
the chemistry safety
officer.

The accident at
Dartmouth happened in
1997. Funding and
attention was paid to
address the cause of that
accident at the time,
creating a the
management structure of
today.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

COMMUNICATION
External- Newsletters, scholarly
articles, conference presentations

Internal - Hazard assessments,

chemical handling and procedures,
SDS, previous experiences,
incident reporting

(Weil, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

COMMUNICATION ASSESSMENT
UCLA

Northwestern

Dartmouth

Changed
since
accident

Better,
worse or
same

Changed
since
accident

Better,
worse or
same

Changed
since
accident

Better,
worse or
same

External

Yes

Better

No

Better

Yes

Better

Internal

Yes

Better

Yes

Better

Yes

Better

Comments

Only downward and outward

communication have been
improved. There is no
indication that communication
from the students as to near
misses, or safety concerns are
entertained or addressed in
any fashion.

Northwestern has quietly

presented the accident for the
benefit of the chemistry and
chemical health and safety
community and produced an
award winning EHS
newsletter.

In response to the accident,

Dartmouth publicized the
hazards of dimethylmercury
and caused a reexamination of
the use and handling of it
through scholarly articles.
Information about the
accident changed and OSHA
regulatory policy document,
public opinion

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

TRUST

Critical to safety culture

Mutual trust promotes safety

Corresponds with open

communication, information
sharing, power sharing

Played a role in each accident

(Weil, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

TRUST ASSESSMENT
UCLA

Trust
Comments

Northwestern

Dartmouth

Changed
since
accident

Positive,
negative or
neutral

Changed
since
accident

Positive,
negative or
neutral

Changed
since
accident

Positive,
negative or
neutral

No

positive

Yes

positive

Yes

positive

UCLA had mentors within

some of the labs but it is not
clear that that was a
university policy.

NUs mentoring program and

the safety policies
implemented in one lab after
the accident was a great leap
forward in instituting trust
amongst students.

Dartmouth mentioned trying

to instill a safe environment
at the outset of a students
career. EHS acts as a
consultant on safety
questions.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

HAZARD ANALYSIS TO DEVELOP A STRONG

SAFETY CULTURE
Identifying
Lessons to
Be Learned

Performing
the Work
Using the
Defined
Controls

Defining the
Scope of
Research

Identifying
and
Evaluating
Hazards
(Hill, 2012)

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

COLLEGE OF ENGINEERING, ARCHITECTURE &

TECHNOLOGY
LABORATORY SAFETY PROGRAM

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

DEFINITION

A laboratory is a room that requires specialpurpose equipment or a specific room

configuration for experimentation, observation or
practice in an academic discipline.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

FIVE MAJOR ELEMENTS

Element 1 Hazard Identification

Element 2 Chemical Hygiene Plan

Element 3 Information and Training

Element 4 Exposure Monitoring

Element 5 Medical Consultation and Examination

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ELEMENT 1 HAZARD IDENTIFICATION

Chemical

Occupational Safety

Biological, Laser or Radiological

Fire/Life Safety

Other

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ELEMENT 2 CHEMICAL HYGIENE PLAN

(CHP)

The CHP is a written program stating the

policies, procedures and responsibilities that
protect workers from the health hazards
associated with the hazardous chemicals used in
that particular workplace.

A CHP must address virtually every aspect of the

procurement, storage, handling, and disposal of
chemicals in use in a facility.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ELEMENT 3 INFORMATION & TRAINING

Site-specific

Hazardous Communications

Emergency Procedures

Waste Disposal

Personal Protective Equipment

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ELEMENT 4 EXPOSURE MONITORING

Job hazard analysis

Chemical lab hood evaluations

Air quality checks

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ELEMENT 5 MEDICAL CONSULTATION &

EXAMINATION

Medical requirements vary based on exposures

and operations in laboratories:

Occupational Health and Safety Program

IACUC
IBC

OSHA required physicals

Hearing conservation
Respiratory protection

Bloodborne Pathogen Program

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

TAKEAWAYS

Introduction to the safety culture and its impact

on University research and teaching programs.
Understanding the challenges of implementing a
safety culture.
Introduction to components of a safety plan.

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

ENVIRONMENTAL HEALTH AND SAFETY

Programs and Services

Location: University Health Services Bldg

Fire Protection Engineering

Life Safety & Emergency Preparedness
Environmental Compliance
Laboratory Safety
Occupational Safety
Occupational Health and Medical Surveillance
Hazardous Materials Management
Industrial Hygiene
Safety Training

Room 002 (basement)

Phone number: 744-7241

OSU Environmental Health & Safety

QUESTIONS