From: "Stuart, Ralph" <Ralph.Stuart**At_Symbol_Here**KEENE.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Draft lab risk assessment video comments requested
Date: Thu, 3 May 2018 18:15:36 +0000
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: 5BE200C0-4B74-4DB8-97F7-FD4548EF05FE**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu
In-Reply-To


> >Are the comments from the UK similar? Did they raise different concerns?

The concerns raised there were less detailed than the ones we've seen, but similar to those raised in this discussion. One different comment was that some people found the narrator's accent odd ;).

>But, ‰??a risk assessment‰?? in almost all labs I visit (we have more than 1000) is a formal, documented safety process for their work‰??and at this stage of maturity in our safety culture, not generally embraced or even welcome. We are working through this challenge as I write. So, I think brining that concept into the message may resonate with safety folks, but will send academic research labs running.

Interesting point. The current version of the video is about 2 minutes long; personally, I hate to use a video more than 1 minute long when I do training because the audience's attention is likely to wander if I'm "off stage" too long. So I usually use videos that I've shortened to make specific points and that opportunity might arise with this video.

I have also been known to critique some videos I use when I think that a specific point they make is important enough to override something else objectionable in the video. It does take planning and practice to take this approach with video content though.

>Doing that conflates the two steps of assessing risk and minimizing or mitigating the possible consequences‰??something that a seasoned safety professional could do with little effort, but the beginner would benefit from distinguishing the two steps.

This is an important point for everyone. As a seasoned safety professional, I often catch myself unconsciously mixing those two steps to the detriment of the clarity of my advice. Fortunately, the people I am consulting with usually ask enough questions for me to step back and think through the situation and explain my thinking better. Again, this could be a good topic for another video.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Environmental Safety Manager
Keene State College
603 358-2859

ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu

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