For colleges and universities, the Committee on Professional Training of the American Chemical Society states in the 2008 Guidelines that =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"The number of students supervised by a faculty member or a by a teaching assistant should not exceed 25.=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD This is non-regulatory, but could be considered =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"good practice=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD.
The same limit (24 students) is recommended in this 2012 ACS booklet on page 14:
The only caveat worth noting about =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"good practice=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD parallels the idea of =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"standard of care=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD in the medical field. If something goes wrong, and a lawsuit ensues, one would not like to defend why =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"we were not following =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=CB=9Cgood practice=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=E2=84=A2 as defined in the field.=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD Perhaps this can used to help convince those with the authority to adjust lab sizes to consider the possible future effects (risks) of >24 students. Likely, financial concerns drive these decisions that allow >24, but as with so many decisions one must weigh the cost of =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"large labs=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD with the possible cost of some future lawsuit. (This ignores the =C3=A2=E2=82=AC=C5"cost=C3=A2=E2=82=AC=EF=BF=BD to injured persons, of course =C3=A2=E2=82=AC" which could be permanent damage or death.)
I am unaware of any state or national regulations about lab size; perhaps others will know better.
Dave
David C. Finster
Professor, Department of Chemistry
University Chemical Hygiene Officer
Wittenberg University
937-327-6441
http://userpages.wittenberg.edu/dfinster/index.html
Last year or so there was discussion about class sizes for chemistry lab classes. Are those sizes mandated by a regulatory agency or suggested by a non regulating organization. The specific problem I need to address is potential overcrowding in high school labs designed for 24 students. Current attitudes in education are financily driven not safety driven.
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