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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] [EXTERNAL] [DCHAS-L] Safety awareness
Date: Friday, July 22, 2022 at 11:45:01 AM
Author: David C. Finster <dfinster**At_Symbol_Here**WITTENBERG.EDU> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] [EXT] Re: [DCHAS-L] [EXTERNAL] [DCHAS-L] Safety awareness
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2022 16:42:10 +0000
Author: "Gmurczyk, Marta"

From: Info <info**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] [EXTERNAL] [DCHAS-L] Safety awareness
Date: Fri, 22 Jul 2022 12:37:20 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: 9658C4AE-53A3-4BBF-BDB8-39BD92F3E54F**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com
In-Reply-To


Veering slightly off course, but as safety is a core value of ACS and safety is a fundamental part of all laboratory activity, do any of the other ACS exams contain any safety questions?

Some time ago, we used an ACS final exam in an organic chemistry course that I taught and I don't recall seeing any practical questions regarding laboratory operations or safety. Hopefully, this has changed over the years.  I could see the organic chemists wanting to "save" the questions for reactions, problem solving etc. but the narrow focus I recall disturbs me. Safety is not a separate subject and it is not an "add on" to a laboratory.

If it hasn't been done already, it would be straightforward to adapt the test to use organic reactivity knowledge with respect to RAMP without "sacrificing" questions.  For example, "why would this reaction not be a good way to synthesize the product?" with answers such as "would give the wrong diastereomer", "elimination would be more likely", "the reactants are incompatible", etc.  Even with that though, I would maintain that a couple "pure" questions on lab techniques as well as safety would enhance the exams. Again, if it hasn't been done yet.

If someone suggests that this isn't fair to the students because the course materials don't include such considerations, then I would suggest the instructors are the problem, not a test that includes safety or practical laboratory questions. I understand that the demands of the ACS accreditation require an incredible fast pace and including all of the requirements in a course is already a daunting task, but if the educational outcome came down to my students *knowing* (without looking anything up) not to mix nitric acid and organics versus memorizing which set of conditions gives anti-Markovnikov addition of HBr to an alkene, I know which one I wouldn't lose sleep over. And which student I'd want in my lab.


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On Jul 22, 2022, at 11:45 AM, David C. Finster <dfinster**At_Symbol_Here**WITTENBERG.EDU> wrote:

Neal, et al,
 
As many of you know, the Examinations Institute of the ACS Division of Chemical Education produces a wide variety of "ACS exams" for use at the high school and undergraduate levels. (Exams | ACS Exams (uwm.edu)).  The current (2019) Chemical Heath and Safety exam was prepared by a committee of academic colleagues with experience in safety and exam-writing; the experience of this group provides "validation".  The exam items are also field-tested.  For more information about the exam see:  
 
Writing the 2019 ACS Exam for Chemical Health and Safety, Journal of Chemical Education 2021 98 (1), 7-8;  DOI: 10.1021/acs.jchemed.0c00124
 
The exam is designed for undergraduate use, and I believe that only faculty can purchase it for use "in the classroom".  For any "other situation" I suggest contacting the Examinations Institute director through: acsexams**At_Symbol_Here**examsinstitute.org.
 
Dave
 
David C. Finster
Chemistry Professor Emeritus
Wittenberg University
 
 
-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of neal**At_Symbol_Here**CHEMICAL-SAFETY.COM
Sent: Thursday, July 21, 2022 10:59 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: [EXTERNAL] [DCHAS-L] Safety awareness
 
*** This email was sent from a non-Wittenberg email service ***
 
A retired ACS colleague asked me if there were examples of "validated 'Safety Questionnaires' to evaluate the level of understanding of laboratory safety for educators" available.  We have discussed this and related on this list.  I am putting together a list of such documents for the colleague.
Please send me via the list or privately what you are willing to share.
 
I do not know the application this is wanted for, but knowing this colleague, it will be valuable and interesting.
 
Thank you in advance
Neal
 
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