CHEMICAL SAFETY: A MODEL PROGRAM FOR SMALL COLLEGES

Abstract

Chemical safety has become a matter of growing social concern in recent years due to increasing public recognition of the potential health effects of chemical exposures. Federal and state regulation of chemicals has increased dramatically over the last two decades. Widespread media coverage of chemical contamination at Love Canal, Times Beach, and Bhopal have made these names household words that conjure up images of dying people and deserted towns. Although the public has little knowledge or understanding of these incidents - its perception is that chemicals are dangerous and should be feared. This fear is apparent in our court systems, swamped by suits alleging harm from chemical exposures. There is no reason to believe that this level of public concern will decrease in the future. Just the opposite is true. Highly publicized incidents of chemical contamination will continue to occur - prompting the public to demand even more regulation of chemicals. A sagacious institutional response to these trends would be to assume that such incidents, albeit smaller in scope, can occur at any institution that handles chemicals and that a chemical safety program should be instituted to minimize their adverse consequences. This model was developed at a small, liberal arts college with approximately 1200 undergraduate students. Although the college has both chemistry and biology departments, the model is specifically addressed to the biology department (hereafter "the department."). It can easily be adopted by other departments or entire institutions with minimal adaptation.