As ACS continues to celebrate its 150th anniversary, learn how we are applying open access to demonstrate our commitment to supporting chemical safety.
As ACS continues to celebrate its 150th anniversary, the month of June is dedicated to the theme of safety. ACS strives to be a champion for safety in academia, research, and industry by communicating best practices and developing resources to support a culture of safety that can adapt to new technologies, workplaces, and global collaborations.
Incidents and near-misses serve as crucial teaching moments and show us how safety is inseparable from the practice of chemistry. That is why it is imperative for practitioners to feel encouraged to openly communicate these moments with the broader chemistry community.
A clear demonstration of ACS’ commitment to safety is the establishment of ACS Chemical Health & Safety as a Diamond Open Access journal earlier this year. This means that the impactful, peer-reviewed articles published in ACS Chemical Health & Safety from 2026 and onward are free to read by anyone, anywhere in the world. Furthermore, as of January 1, 2026, it is free to publish your research in ACS Chemical Health & Safety, with all editorial and publishing costs covered by ACS.
“ACS has consistently impressed me through its support for both ACS Chemical Health & Safety and chemical safety more broadly,” says Dr. Mary Beth Mulcahy, Editor-in-Chief of ACS Chemical Health & Safety. “Safety information cannot prevent incidents if people cannot access it. By making ACS Chemical Health & Safety a Diamond Open Access journal and covering all publication costs, ACS has ensured that critical chemical safety information is freely available to all who need it.”
ACS is committed to ensuring that vital chemical safety research, case studies, and best practices are accessible to the global community without cost to authors. Across the wide range of ACS journal disciplines, safety is a foundational part of discovery.
ACS Chemical Health & Safety supports safer labs, workplaces and global communities by ensuring critical safety insights, analyses and hazard warnings are available to researchers, educators, students, and industry practitioners worldwide.
We have curated five of our most-read recent articles from ACS Chemical Health & Safety that showcase the foundational role that safety plays in discovery across the wide range of chemistry disciplines and for people around the world who count on a safe research environment.
Article Highlights from ACS Chemical Health & Safety
Chemical Safety Ecosystem of the American Chemical Society: A Primer
This editorial provides an overview of the different ACS component groups, including ACS Chemical Health & Safety, that collaborate to advance chemical safety.
New Era of AI in Chemical Process Safety: Foundation Models
What role will artificial intelligence (AI) play in laboratories and manufacturing? This article examines how large language models (LLMs) and vision foundation models (VFMs) can help address issues in process safety.
Evaluation of a Novel Risk Assessment Tool for Hazardous Chemicals in Academic Laboratories: An Exploratory Study
Read this article to learn more about the Chemical Hazard Assessment and Prioritization (CHAP) Risk tool, intended to raise awareness of chemical hazards by calculating a risk level and providing a recommended control.
Practical Protocols for Improving Safety and Sustainability in Multidisciplinary Research Laboratories
Designed to improve laboratory safety and sustainability in small and medium-sized multidisciplinary research laboratories, this protocol offers a low-cost, user-friendly guide contributing to chemical safety and sustainability goals.
Lab Notebook Commentary: Transforming the Laboratory Notebook into a Framework for Risk Management
This article reveals that inconsistent inclusion of safety information into laboratory notebooks separates safety from experimental documentation. The authors offer a framework for strengthening laboratory safety practices by better integrating hazard awareness and risk management into laboratory notebooks.
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ACS 150th Anniversary
Celebrating ACS150: Chemistry is Everything
Throughout 2026, ACS will mark 150 years of advancing chemistry — a historic milestone built on discovery, innovation, and community.