There’s a tendency to think that if someone is appointed safety coordinator, they have to do all the work for the rest of us. False! A coordinator is just that. Each person needs to be responsible for safety in general and for a specific part of the program in particular. Here’s a list of a number of different specific assignments:

• Lecture bottle gas cylinders
• Highly toxic compounds
• Emergency response
• Reference materials
• Alcohol inventory
• Fire equipment
• Flammables storage
• Specimen storage
• Accident records
• Chemical inventory
• Heavy metals
• Pyrophorics
• Oxidizers
• Acids and bases
• Refrigerators
• Showers and eye washes
• Electrical hazards
• In-service training

Take turns doing a monthly lab inspection. Take turns presenting a 5 to 10 minute safety topic at department meetings. Take turns telling the principal/superintendent about needed repairs (with the department head’s permission).

Who does your chemical hygiene plan review? The CHO, the safety committee? Give it to three, four, five members of your department and treat them to the CHP review luncheon.

The best safety programs are the ones that get everyone most involved. Safety is not a spectator sport!