THE TEACHING ASSISTANTS ROLE IN LABORATORY SAFETY

Preview This section discusses the role of undergraduate and graduate students who function as teaching assistants in promoting safety in undergraduate teaching laboratories. 

One is not exposed to danger who, even when in safety, is always on their guard. 

INCIDENT 1.3.6.1 QUICK ACTION BY A TEACHING ASSISTANT LIMITS CHEMICAL BURN  

What lessons can be learned from this incident  

As an undergraduate TA you will likely be an assistant working alongside a faculty member. As a graduate student you will likely be the main and sole supervisor of lab activities for an undergraduate laboratory. In either case perhaps the most important task is to be alert to the behaviors of the students in the lab. This involves, in particular, watching for actions that can lead to lab incidents, such as spills, cuts, inappropriate exposure to chemicals in the lab, or chemical or thermal burns. As Incident 1.3.6.1 illustrates, the quick response of a TA can greatly reduce the extent of harm caused to a student. Let s consider what kinds of 

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