Everyone knows lab safety is essential. Yet accidents continue to happen. Why are lab accidents still a problem in 2018? In part, the problem may lie with chemists being reluctant to share safe Standard Operating Procedures, according to a new editorial in Organometallics. Alexander J. M. Miller and Ian A. Tonks argue that while organizations […]

Everyone knows lab safety is essential. Yet accidents continue to happen. Why are lab accidents still a problem in 2018? In part, the problem may lie with chemists being reluctant to share safe Standard Operating Procedures, according to a new editorial in Organometallics. Alexander J. M. Miller and Ian A. Tonks argue that while organizations like ACS have worked to set standards and spread information, creating a culture of lab safety requires a grassroots commitment from chemists to share their experiences in the lab to keep each other safe. The pair discusses their efforts to encourage SOP sharing through their new website, The Safety Net. The site also shares other safety resources, such as laboratory signage, links to synthetic procedures that address prior safety concerns, and links to collections of physical properties of potentially hazardous chemicals, with the overall goal of creating a public forum for dialogue on best safety practices.

Learn why your lab should consider sharing its Standard Operating Procedures

Read the full editorial in Organometallics and visit The Safety Net to learn more about sharing lab SOPs and promoting a culture of safety within the chemistry community.

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