Enhancing EHS Culture: Creating Safe Environments for Responsible Research

1. Environment, Health, and Safety (EHS)The EHS Management System, Safety Culture and EHS Responsibilities Media Lab MAS.111 intro to research March 22, 2019 Fred McWilliams

2. The Good Old Days Gilbert U-238 Atomic Energy Lab

3. Compliance requirements and complexity example: US environmental regulatory history History of the Dow Jones Industrial Average: 1900 - 2007

4. Recent Incidents: Damage to PI Reputation and Career • University of Hawaii: Lab Explosion resulting in loss of arm - March 16, 2016 • $115,000 fine, 15 workplace violations http://cen.acs.org/articles/94/web/2016/04/Spark-pressure-gauge-caused-University.html • UCLA: accident during transfer of pyrophoric material resulting in fatality - 2008 • Cal OHSA investigation/fines • Criminal/civil penalties Filed and subsequently settled in 2012 http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/87/8731sci1.html • Texas Tech: Explosion in lab resulting in serious injury to researcher • First lab incident review by CSB (Chemical Safety Board) • Texas Tech to require written SOP’s and PI sign-offs http://pubs.acs.org/cen/science/88/8834sci1.html • Yale University – fatality from lathe work practices and working alone http://www.nature.com/news/2011/110418/full/472270a.html

5. U-Hawaii (2016) • March 16th 2016 • Visiting Post Doc • Been working for 6 months • Working Alone at 6 pm • “Fully Trained in Lab Safety Protocols” • “Since 2008 the process has been used almost daily and without incident. Clearly something unexplained happened,” • Building was closed • $115,000 in fines • 15 Workplace violations

6. Recent Incidents MIT Labs: • Explosion with serious injury • FBI involvement due to chemical mixture • Graduate student suspected of terrorist activities • Inadequate oversight of student’s activities • Chemical Spill 66 tunnel • 5 Buildings evacuated • PI paid for spill clean-up • Chemical Spill with injury • Bromine spill on skin • Lab closure by CFD due to poor housekeeping • Electrical shock/burn • Graduate student testing robot with faulty electric wiring • Student taken to hospital with burns to the hands

7. Of More recent…. Bldg. 66 Incident “Endothermic Runaway” Reactions do not behave the same at larger scale. It is important to replicate the scale-up process for every change of conditions A sobering realization of the hazards presenting our everyday experiments – easy to become comfortable

8. Safety Culture

9. What is Safety Culture • Safety Culture refers to an organization’s shared values, assumptions, and beliefs specific to workplace safety – or more simply, the relative importance of safety within an organization • A strong, positive safety culture is not a culture of compliance • A strong, positive safety culture supports the free exchange of safety information and assigns greater importance to solving problems than to placing blame. • A healthy safety culture involves everyone. • High importance is assigned to safety all the time, not just when it is convenient.

10. Safety Culture Traits: USNRC Leaders demonstrate a commitment to safety in their decisions and behaviors All individuals take personal responsibility for safety Risk assessment: The process of planning and controlling work activities is implemented so that safety is maintained Communications maintain a focus on safety

11. MIT Safety Culture Traits

12. So I walk into a lab and I ask….. is it safe?

13. MIT Organization President INSTITUTE OVERSIGHT Executive Vice President & Treasurer Vice President for Research Chancellor Provost Institute Council on EHS • Animal Care • Assessment of Biohazard and Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research Oversight • Radiation Exposure to Human Subjects • Radiation Protection • Reactor Safeguard • Toxic Chemicals • Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects • Facilities • Vice President for Finance • Human Resources • Sustainability • Information Systems & Technology • Medical • Division of Student Life • Athletics • Housing • Dinning • Endicott House Deans • Ad hoc Safety Committee • Working Committee DLC Head/Director DLC EHS Committee Director for EHS Programs/HQ Office Laboratory/Facility Registration PI/Supervisor EHS-MS EHS Coordinator EHS Lead Contact EHS Office • Biosafety • Env. Management • Industrial Hygiene • Radiation • Safety • Campus Design & Construction Support EHS Rep • LINE KEY • Reports to • Relationship to • Strong Relationship Definitions: DLC: Department, Lab or Center EHS: Environment, Health & Safety EHS-MS: Environment, Health & Safety Management System

15. Media Lab EHS Team

16. Requirements for Research Labs Handling Potentially Hazardous Materials/Equipment • Biological Materials • Bioresearch registration & Committee on Assessment of Biohazards • Exposure Control Plan • Ordering Select Agents/Toxins • Animal Research • Committee on Animal Care • Human Subjects • Committee on Use of Humans as Experimental Subjects • Chemicals • Chemical Hygiene Plan • Chemical Inventory • Chemical waste management • Ionizing Radiation • Radioactive material authorization by Radiation Protection Committee (RPC) • Registration of radiation producing equipment • Non-ionizing Radiation • Registration with RPC for class 3&4 lasers, RF sources, magnets, UV EHS uses information to perform risk assessments on proposed uses • EHS team will help faculty complete applications and registrations to the various institute committees

17. Be Aware of Your Surroundings

19. Questions ?