Date: Mon, 30 Mar 2009 10:30:05 -0400
Reply-To: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Ralph Stuart <rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Best Practices for Students in Industrial Labs

A DCHAS-L member who preferred to ask this question anonymously asked  
me to post this...

- Ralph

Our industrial laboratory has previously allowed high school students  
(under age 18) to shadow researchers in the laboratory.  The parents  
must sign a release form to allow emergency medical treatment and  
disclose any prescription medications the student is currently  
taking.  There is a lengthy and serious safety presentation with the  
students and their mentors prior to entering the lab.  The students  
are allowed to observe low risk experiments, e.g., room temperature  
reactions, pipeting non-BBP materials into multi-well plates, use of  
microscopes and surface analysis equipment and HPLC's, etc.  The  
students are not allowed into high hazard areas such as hazardous drug  
labs or to observe experiments that involve pyrophoric reagents  
(hydrides, etc.).  The mentor must accompany the student in the  
laboratory 100% of the time.

We have had a recent request from management to allow a high school  
student (< 18 years old) to actually conduct experiments in our  
research laboratory during the summer.  Do any industrial labs allow  
high school students to participate in a summer research project?   
What are the limitations?  Do you have any guidelines to share?

We have considered having a local university allow the student to work  
in their lab and our company sponsor the project.

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