Category Archives: About Us

Professional Workshops

[If you are looking for the LST Workshop (“Empowering Academic Researchers to Strengthen Safety Culture”) or the RAMP Workshop (“RAMP in the Research Lab”), please click here.]

CHAS no longer holds in-person workshops in conjunction with the ACS National Meetings due to the costs associated with the meeting rooms and attendee travel costs. We now have online workshops via zoom covering the same variety of topics. These are held twice a year, usually 2-4 weeks after national meetings. For the Spring 2023 session, we are experimenting with half-day sessions, but may return to full-day for the Fall depending on attendance and enthusiasm for the half-day sessions.

Below are links to registration for the Spring sessions to be held the first week of May. All sessions begin at 1PM EDST and the cost is $195 per session. Please let me know if you have any questions!

If you are interested in arranging any of these trainings for your company or local section meetings, contact us at membership@dchas.org

Upcoming Workshops for 2024

“How to Convince Others (that safety is important and that you’re serious about it)” – Jim Kaufman, Laboratory Safety Institute

“Why Fume Hoods Go Wrong- And How to Make Them Right” – Victor Neuman, FumeHoodCertified.com

“Laboratory Waste Management” – Russ Phifer, WC Environmental, LLC

“Chemical Safety in the Lab: Purchasing, Handling, Storage, Disposal, and Labeling” – Jim Kaufman, Laboratory Safety Institute

“How to be a More Effective Chemical Hygiene Officer” – Russ Phifer, WC Environmental and Jim Kaufman, Laboratory Safety Institute


Ongoing

The ACS Youtube channel hosts chemical safety related videos on a variety of topics and styles for specific audiences. They are all available for Creative Commons use in classes with attribution.
This extensive 15 hour course on chemical safety in the laboratory is designed for undergraduate STEM students and others with a need to review the fundamentals of chemical safety in the laboratory. Register at https://institute.acs.org/courses/foundations-chemical-safety.html
ACS Essentials of Lab Safety for General Chemistry
On line, registration fee required.

If you have any questions about these workshops, contact us at membership@dchas.org or complete the form below.

Fall 2022 ACS CHAS Meeting Information

Division of Chemical Health & Safety Executive Committee Fall 2021 Meeting

Monday, August 22, 2022 12:00-2:00 PM CDT
Hyde Park B / CC11B meeting room of the Hyatt Regency
Join from PC, Mac, Linux, iOS or Android: https://yale.zoom.us/j/98891321288
    Or Telephone:203-432-9666 or 646 568 7788
    Meeting ID: 988 9132 1288
 

May ACS Webinar: Careers in Chemical Safety for Chemists

On May 12, 2022, three chemists who have found careers in environmental health and safety work discussed how they found their way into this field, the opportunities and challenges they have found in making the transition from the laboratory to the safety profession, and provided advice for other chemists considering this career transition.

The presentation file they shared is available below and the recording of the webinar is available at the ACS Webinars web site. The webinar included active audience participation, with several members of the audience sharing their own interests and experiences in the field.

In addition to questions and answers from the audience, the webinar included 4 poll questions about their experience working with EHS professionals in their lab. Their responses are outlined in the figures below.

Resources mentioned in the webinar:

Audience Comments

  • I work as a lab manager at a university that has an EHS department. I earned CHO certification purely for educational purposes. What type of position would I look for to actually use this certification and grow into a safety professional?
  • I worked in chemistry scale up for 20 years before moving into Safety –
  • Great to see the early career/late career questions being asked here – I think the presenters are saying this is an any time opportunity when it is right for you.
  • If your employer doesn’t have an EHS department – do you see this as an opportunity or a problem?
  • The engineering bias is there when things are written down in my experience too – I don’t think that is a blocker in practice.
  • Is there an on line space where people looking to connect through the comments can do that?
  • I would love to learn more about how to address a career in chem safety after being a CHO for my school and district and find a new position after retirement from teaching Chemistry for 30 years.
  • In past I have taken quite a few courses offered by Ken Roy ( NSTA consultant in Safety) while a teacher in CT and have helped to write my chemical Hygiene plan for our school and district and to introduce a Chemical Hygiene officer position. I believe our school and district has become safer as a result of the work.
  • I need to know how to gain certifications that can now support my skills and bring credibility to applying to positions in academic and or industry.
  • Need to know what certifications and courses to take? How to rewrite the resume to best apply for positions? Maybe someone might be willing here to share and to give me some help as a mentor to transition?
  • What kinds of opportunities exist for people freshly done with their undergraduate degree in the area ESH&Q opportunities, or is a Master’s/PhD required for these positions?
  • I work at a small, private liberal arts school that doesn’t have a EHS department. :/
  • I have 20 years industry experience as a formulator. I’m inspired that it’s not to late to switch to a safety career but concerned that my resume will be overlooked as either over or under qualified in that field, or both. What training might be available for such a transition without getting in over my head?
  • When I look at EHS positions, there appear to be far more looking for an engineering background than a chemistry background. Any tips for how to frame transferable skills for people who are in an engineering mindset?
  • What was that free course mentioned?
  • Perhaps someone can address an “encore” career transition after retiring from a technical career.
  • As a chemistry professor at a community college who also does not have an EHS department, I’ve found myself in the roll of needing to educate myself on the EHS concerns. What additional resources would be useful for those of us that need to help build institutional EHS departments?
  • At what point should an R&D organization have a dedicated “full-time” Chemical Hygiene Officer? Our site’s current CHO performs their EH&S duties in addition to their full-time R&D position.
  • Is there any great way of avoiding a near miss as far as Lab safety is concerned
  • And is a lab safety exam necessarily needed in academic Institutions for students doing a major that involves a wet lab environment
  • I have a bachelor’s in Chemistry and an MBA with a concentration in project management. I used to work in the raw-material lab for AkzoNobel in Brazil. I was responsible to generate security codes for handling raw materials in the manufacturing . Once I moved to the US, I had to change careers, but I am interested to go back into the scientific world and perhaps safety.
  • How can we start a joint training joint program funded by ACS with the academia in Egypt and Middle East?
  • Hi, Colin, safety professional in Pharma based in UK – great webinar so far – brilliant presentation from Whitney.

CHAS services survey

Please take a few moments and tell us how the Division can best support your chemical safety work in 2022 by completing the survey below.

CHAS services survey 2021

Staying Up to Date

Which of these Internet media do you use for professional purposes?
Which of these virtual Divisional activities have you participated in?

Which topics are you interested in tracking via the DCHAS-L list?

1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested

Which professional skills are you most interested in developing?

1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested
1 = least interested; 5 = most interested

Ideas for the Division

Demographic Information

Are you an ACS or CHAS member?
What sector do you work in?

CHAS Workshops 2021

The Division of Chemical Safety presents several workshops as part of the American Chemical Society’s continuing education program around chemical safety issues. CHAS has two workshop tracks, aimed at either specific stakeholders or chemistry professionals who need specific chemical safety education to complete their expertise, either in the lab or in business settings. The stakeholder workshops are taught by people from that group with safety experience (e.g. grad students teaching grad students), whereas the professional development workshops are taught by full time Environmental Health and Safety professionals.

To register for any of these workshops, click on the the workshop description for that workshop.

We can also help arrange presentations of these workshops in other venues. If you are interested in arranging any of these trainings for your company or local section meetings, contact us at membership@dchas.org

Also known as the Lab Safety Teams workshop, taught by chemistry graduate students with experience with implementing and maintaining laboratory safety programs at their home institution. This workshop will next be offered Sunday, October 17, 2021; you can register for it here.
Conducting risk assessments in the research lab requires special considerations. This workshop will explore using the RAMP paradigm to meet this need and will be offered this November. You can register for this workshop here.




The ACS Youtube channel hosts chemical safety related videos on a variety of topics and styles for specific audiences. They are all available for Creative Commons use in classes with attribution.
This extensive 15 hour course on chemical safety in the laboratory is designed for undergraduate STEM students and others with a need to review the fundamentals of chemical safety in the laboratory. Register at https://institute.acs.org/courses/foundations-chemical-safety.html
ACS Essentials of Lab Safety for General Chemistry
On line, registration fee required.

If you have any questions about these workshops, contact us at membership@dchas.org or complete the workshop below.

CHAS 2021 Award Winners Announced!

The ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety is pleased to recognize our 2021 Award Winners in the following categories:


CHAS Lifetime Achievement Award

Robert H. Hill, Jr.

CHAS Graduate Student
Safety Leadership Award         

2021 given in honor of Sheharbano “Sheri” Sangji          

Graduate Student Team Recipients:

Laboratory Safety Institute Graduate Research Faculty Award

Ian Albert Tonks, Ph.D., University of Minnesota

SafetyStratus College and University Health and Safety Award

 C. Eugene Bennett Department of Chemistry, West Virginia University 

Howard Fawcett Award

Robert Toreki, Ph.D., Interactive Learning Paradigms, Incorporated (ILPI)

Report on National Meeting DEIR Networking Event

Diversity Equality Inclusiveness Respect

Diversity and inclusion in the workforce brings significant value to the employer[1]. Diversity in society broadens perspective, improves person to person socializing and creates a culture of openness and growth[2]. ACS has pledged to advance and embrace inclusion in chemistry, which includes promoting our core value of DEIR, identifying and dismantling barriers to success, and creating a welcoming environment so that all ACS members, employees, and volunteers can thrive.

A group met to discuss the DEIR challenges in Chemistry and Environmental Health and Safety in April, 2021. The slides used to lead the discussion are shown here.

The event was co-hosted by:

  • Division of Chemical Health and Safety (CHAS)
  • Division of Business Development and Management (BMGT)
  • Division of Small Chemical Businesses (SCHB)
  • ACS Committee on Chemical Safety (CCS)
  • Board Committee on Corporation Associates (CA)
  • ACS Committee on Meetings & Expositions
  • ACS Department of Diversity Programs
  1. https://www.forbes.com/sites/rsmdiscovery/2018/08/22/why-workplace-diversity-is-so-important-and-why-its-so-hard-to-achieve/?sh=1e0b284b3096
  2. https://www.uopeople.edu/blog/what-is-cultural-diversity/

CHAS at a Glance, Spring 2021

The CHAS at Glance handout for the Spring 2021 ACS National Meeting is now available

Highlights of the program for this meeting are:

  • 3 Chemical Health and Safety Symposia on Thursday, April 8
    • Systems Thinking in Chemical Health and Safety
    • 2020 Chemical Health and Safety Awards
    • Safety Across the Scientific Disciplines: Where are the Successes, and What Needs Improvements
  • 4 Cannabis Chemistry Symposia on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, April 5-7
    • Advancements in Cannabis Analytical Methods 
    • Women in Cannabis: Shaping an Emerging Industry
    • The 2021 ElSohly Award Symposium Sponsored by Heidolph North America
    • Cannabis Derived Treatments for Specific Medical Conditions: Macromolecular Interactions and Justifications
  • 3 SCI-MIX papers on Friday, April 9
  • The CHAS EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE MEETING on Thursday, April 15. 9:00 to 10:00 a.m. PDT.
  • CHAS DISCUSSIONS and NETWORKING EVENTS
    • DCHAS Networking, April 8
    • Getting the most out of professional events, April 12
    • Preparing your NSF GRFP application, April 14
    • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion in health and safety, April 21
    • Writing safety statements for publication, April 22

Please join us for any of these events that interest you!

CHAS Spring 2021 Professional Workshops, APril 1 – April 2

To register, scroll to the form at the bottom of this page

NEW for 2021: Half-day workshop on
Writing Safety Statements in Publications

Thursday, April 1, 1 PM Eastern Daylight Time, $150

The ACS now requires that authors include a statement of safety concerns in manuscripts submitted to ACS journals. The 2020 edition of the ACS Guide to Scholarly Communication, section 1.3 (Communicating Safety Information) provides guidelines to developing appropriate information for scholarly communication, but there are no complete examples provided, only excerpts. Furthermore, the chapter provides only information—it cannot impart the knowledge and skills necessary to carry out the instructions in the section. The purpose of this workshop is to put into practice the guidelines for writing effective safety statements based on the science and the intended audience using risk assessment.

Presented by: Sammye Sigmann, Leah McEwen, Daniel Kuespert

Laboratory Waste Management 2021, $300

Thursday, April 1, 11 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CHAS offers the Laboratory Waste Management workshop to assist participants with the various regulatory requirements that apply to laboratories which generate hazardous waste, as well as to provide insight into the options for on-site management and off-site disposal. Includes details on the Hazardous Waste Improvement Rule and how it impacts laboratories. Focus will include discussion on recycling/ reclamation techniques, economical handling of wastes and liability issues. There is extensive opportunity for questions both during the workshop with follow-up by phone and email.

taught by Russ Phifer, WC Environmental

How to be a more effective Chemical Hygiene Officer, $300

Friday, April 2, 11 AM Eastern Daylight Time

CHAS offers the How to be a more effective Chemical Hygiene Officer workshop to provide participants with a detailed analysis of the CHO position and to prepare for the NRCC Chemical Hygiene Officer Board Certification exam. Participants receive a clear perspective on safety issues in the laboratory, focusing on what the CHO does and how to do it better. OSHA, EPA & DOT regulations that impact laboratory operations are included in the discussion.

The workshop covers the content areas of the NRCC certification exam, including a sample test in the same format as the real one. Whether you are a new Chemical Hygiene Officer or an “old” one, you will find something to put to real use in this fast-paced presentation. There is extensive opportunity for questions during the workshop and with follow-up by phone and email.

taught by Russ Phifer, Jim Kaufman
(Note that the Chemical Hygiene Officer certification exams are offered online. These exams are managed by the National Registry of Certified Chemists. Visit their web site at http://www.nrcc6.org for further information.)

Registration Notes:

One person may register for multiple workshops on a single Registration form. If you have more than one person to register using the same credit card or billing method or if you need help with the registration process, please contact Russ Phifer at 610-322-0657 or rphifer@wcenvironmental.com 

You will receive a confirmation that your registration has been submitted immediately upon registering. You will be sent a confirmation of registration email as soon as your registration is reviewed. Please contact 610-322-0657 if you do not receive the confirmation within four working days.

[sform]10[/sform]

Note: Conditions and Cancellation/Refund Policy

Upon verified registration, information will be sent to each participant containing specific location information of the workshop. Companies may substitute registrants without prior notice or penalty.

Full refund available for cancellations up to three (3) weeks prior to workshop date. 50% refund up to one (1) week prior to workshop. Cancellations made less than seven (7) days prior to workshop start date will be charged, but an 80% credit may be applied toward a future program. No-shows receive no credit and will be billed.

In the event that the Division of Chemical Health and Safety is forced to cancel a workshop due to lack of registration or other causes, CHAS will notify participants at least ten (10) days in advance by email. We will notify you by email as soon as we know that the workshops will be held, i.e. we have sufficient registrants to present the workshop.

2021 Annual CHAS Business Meeting

The annual open membership meeting of the Division of Chemical Health and Safety will be held virtually this year. Traditionally this is held at one of the 2 ACS national meetings, but because it is not clear if there will be any in person ACS meetings this year, the CHAS Executive Committee has decided to hold it on April 15,  from noon – 2 PM, Eastern time. The meeting will be held on Zoom at https://princeton.zoom.us/j/92215412283

If you are curious about how the Division works, want to get caught up on the latest news (traditionally spring meeting includes the announcement of the CHAS award winners for the year!) or would like to get involved helping the Division do its work, please join us!