A Graduate Course in Chemical Safety: Retrospective Analysis and Lessons Learned

Training first-year chemistry graduate students in chemical safety is vital to ensure that they can handle reagents and research equipment safely. This training enables them to supervise undergraduates effectively and prepares them for future roles as researchers and faculty members. To date, few articles have detailed the design and assessment of graduate-level chemical safety courses. This article describes the creation, implementation, and evaluation of a graduate course on chemical safety for first-year doctoral students at a private research university. The course design was informed by peer-reviewed literature on chemical safety, and involved local experts and resources to connect students directly to these sources. Students participated in in-class activities and online components, including case studies, discussion boards, quizzes, and student-led assignments to complement classroom learning. Work conducted both inside and outside the classroom revealed that many first-year graduate students are unfamiliar with RAMP, risks and hazards, GHS pictograms, and chemical spill management. In other words, faculty should not assume that first-year doctoral students already possess safety knowledge or experience. The final course evaluation showed that students valued both in-class and out-of-class activities. Based on student feedback and the instructor’s experience teaching this course, a proposal for a two-semester graduate laboratory safety course is presented herein.