A new on-line chemical safety course has just gone live at the ACS Learning Center entitled “Foundations of Chemical Safety and Risk Management for Chemistry Students.” The intended audience is students who have completed at least two semesters of General Chemistry with lab and one semester of Organic Chemistry with lab. The course is being offered at no charge to the community. 

The course can be found at https://institute.acs.org/foundations-chemical-safety.html

Some usage notes about the course:

1. What is the approximate length of time needed to complete the course?

The time to complete the course is estimated to be about 15 hours. Each of the 17 units are designed to be completed in under an hour. If a student chooses to access the advanced enrichment material, the time to complete the unit may be a bit longer 

2. Can I assign specific units to a class?

No. Each unit builds on the previous unit. A student must successfully complete the unit material and a unit assessment before proceeding to the next one.

3. Do I have to have an ACS log in ID?

Yes, registration on the ACS web site is necessary to access the course. However, you do not need to be an ACS member in order to create a log in ID at this site.

The Topics Covered are:

• Introduction
• UNIT 1: From Rules to Risk
• UNIT 2: OSHA and EPA Regulations for Laboratories
• UNIT 3: Communicating Hazards – GHS and the SDS
• UNIT 4: Communicating Hazards – NFPA
• UNIT 5: Recognizing Hazards – Toxicity
• UNIT 6: Recognizing Hazards – Flammability
• UNIT 7: Recognizing Hazards – Corrosivity
• UNIT 8: Recognizing Hazards – Reactivity
• UNIT 9: Recognizing Hazards – Physical and Biological Hazards
• UNIT 10: Assessing Risk – Laboratory Operations
• UNIT 11: Assessing risk – Hazard and Risk Assessments
• UNIT 12: Minimizing risk – Chemical Storage
• UNIT 13: Minimizing risk – Hazardous waste
• UNIT 14: Minimizing risk – Elimination, Administrative, and Engineering Controls
• UNIT 15: Minimizing risk – Personal Protective Equipment
• UNIT 16: Preparing for and Responding to Emergencies
• UNIT 17: Risk Management – Capstone RAMP Assessment

Questions and Comments about the course can be submitted to safety@acs.org