ISBN 978-0-8412-2817-7

database analysis is particularly important since corrective actionsare either not taken or are only partially implemented, and afollow up may prevent future incidents. Safety committees or EHSpersonnel can use the database to call up incident investigationreports to assess the status of corrective actions or determine whereweaknesses are in the safety program.Incidents will neverbe eliminated but in astrong safety culture,serious incidents arerare.Hearing stories about incidents usually peaks students’ interest, asthey are likely to remember these stories. The stories of incidentscan be useful for teaching about safety generally, as well as a particular area of safety. Studentscan learn safety from examining these incidents. The ACS Division of Chemical Health andSafety maintains, as a service to its members, a listserv that provides weekly reports of chemicalincidents. 48 A number of publications and Websites describe laboratory incidents, some of whichprovide a lessons learned analysis of each incident. 23,49,50,51,52,53,54,55Recommendations Concerning Learning from Incidents10. Establish and maintain an Incident Reporting System, an Incident Investigation System,and an Incident Database that should include, not only employees, but also graduatestudents, postdoctoral scholars, and other nonemployees.11. Establish an internal review process of incidents and corrective actions with theDepartmental Safety Committee (faculty, staff, students, graduate students, andpostdoctoral scholars), and provide periodic safety seminars on lessons learned fromincidents.12. Publish or share the stories of incidents and the lessons learned (case studies) to yourinstitution’s Web site, a public Web site, or an appropriate journal where students andcolleagues from other institutions may also use these as case studies for learning moreabout safety.33