EDITORIAL Train and train some more I f there is one thing that my col- leagues will never accuse me of it is a lack of sensitivity to training. I don’t think that one can ever have too much training. I am rarely maudlin regarding my experience as a chemical and radiation safety officer in the United States nuclear navy. (Whenever I get too sen- timental, Marci, my wife, always reminds me of the 18-hour days spent in the engineering section, and three- section duty rotation while in port!) However, there is one thing the Navy always did right – training. Whether it was emergency response or leadership skill building, both officers and enlisted were always training. Granted, three or four hours per work week may be too much for the corporate world; still, there is something to be said about continuing to build one’s skills. If you supervise others, you have an inherent obligation to ensure your employees are working safely. Part of meeting that obligation is to ensure that you have properly communi- cated the workplace hazards. Simply put, your employees need to know and understand the hazards of the materials with which they work and the hazards inherent to the operation that they perform. Furthermore, if you’re not going to inform them (or caused them to be informed), who will? Every spring season brings with it new training opportunities offered by organizations such as the AIHA and ACGIH at their semiannual confer- ences. This spring, the AICHE will be held in Chicago, Illinois during the week of May 13th and will be offering many ‘‘Professional Develop- ment Courses’’ or PDCs that are very applicable to the chemical safety professional. Their fall conference, PCIH will be held in San Jose, California during the week of September 16th. More information can be found at www.aiha.org/Content/CE/aihce/ aihce.htm. Organizations such as the Labora- tory Safety Institute (LSI) is continually offering courses that interesting and topically important to chemical safety professionals. See www.labsafety.org for more information. Your division always offers a number of professional development pro- grams at national meetings. DivCHAS is also starting to offer specific pro- grams at regional meetings, and, in 2006, is sponsoring programming at a number of these regional meetings. Check out the DivCHAS webpage at http://membership.acs.org/c/chas/ for more information. From my perspective, if you’re ‘‘stuck in the 90s’’ in terms of your chemical safety information, it’s time to refresh your knowledge and get onboard with the current best prac- tices. I encourage everyone to take a professional development course this year. Harry J. Elston 1871-5532/$32.00 ß Division of Chemical Health and Safety of the American Chemical Society 3 doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2006.01.001 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

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EDITORIAL

Train and trainsome more

I f there is one thing that my col-leagues will never accuse me of itis a lack of sensitivity to training. I

don’t think that one can ever have toomuch training.

I am rarely maudlin regarding myexperience as a chemical and radiationsafety officer in the United Statesnuclear navy. (Whenever I get too sen-timental, Marci, my wife, alwaysreminds me of the 18-hour days spentin the engineering section, and three-section duty rotation while in port!)However, there is one thing the Navyalways did right – training. Whether itwas emergency response or leadershipskill building, both officers andenlisted were always training. Granted,three or four hours per work week maybe too much for the corporate world;still, there is something to be said aboutcontinuing to build one’s skills.

If you supervise others, you have aninherent obligation to ensure youremployees are working safely. Part

1871-5532/$32.00

doi:10.1016/j.jchas.2006.01.001

of meeting that obligation is to ensurethat you have properly communi-cated the workplace hazards. Simplyput, your employees need to knowand understand the hazards of thematerials with which they work andthe hazards inherent to the operationthat they perform. Furthermore, ifyou’re not going to inform them (orcaused them to be informed), whowill?

Every spring season brings with itnew training opportunities offered byorganizations such as the AIHA andACGIH at their semiannual confer-ences. This spring, the AICHE willbe held in Chicago, Illinois duringthe week of May 13th and will beoffering many ‘‘Professional Develop-ment Courses’’ or PDCs that are veryapplicable to the chemical safety pro-fessional. Their fall conference, PCIHwill be held in San Jose, Californiaduring the week of September 16th.More information can be foundat www.aiha.org/Content/CE/aihce/aihce.htm.

Organizations such as the Labora-tory Safety Institute (LSI) is continuallyoffering courses that interesting and

� Division of Chemical Health

topically important to chemical safetyprofessionals. See www.labsafety.orgfor more information.

Your division always offers a num-ber of professional development pro-grams at national meetings. DivCHASis also starting to offer specific pro-grams at regional meetings, and, in2006, is sponsoring programming ata number of these regional meetings.Check out the DivCHAS webpageat http://membership.acs.org/c/chas/for more information.

From my perspective, if you’re‘‘stuck in the 90s’’ in terms of yourchemical safety information, it’s timeto refresh your knowledge and getonboard with the current best prac-tices. I encourage everyone to take aprofessional development course thisyear.

Harry J. Elston

http://www.aiha.org/Content/CE/aihce/aihce.htm

http://www.labsafety.org/

http://membership.acs.org/c/chas/