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Safety - First, Last, Always
In December 2008 a lab assistant at UCLA was handling pyrophoric materials that ignited and burned her badly, in part because she was not wearing the appropriate personal protective gear. She died from her injuries.
In January 20 1 0 a graduate student at Texas Tech lost several fingers and suffered burns and eye damage during the synthesis of an energetic material. He had decided to scale up the synmesis in violation of protocols.
In April 201 1 an undergraduate was found dead with her hair tangled in a lathe in a machine shop at Yale.
These incidents are shocking. Not only because of young lives lost or forever altered, but because they happened at all. I am sad to admit that during my time as a student and an academic researcher I know I didn't always observe the safety protocols. I can even tell you why - it's...