This is very similar to what we do.
Sammye

All,

My experience in similar situations is that the student services office will ask for recommendations for an appropriate student aid, ideally a student who has taken the course previously so they are versed in the course content, as well as safety aspects. Once an aid has been assigned, the aid meets with the instructor who goes over various aspects of the lab, safety policies, etc. as those apply to anyone who enters the lab space, irrespective of role. Again, this has just been my experience and different institutions and departments may have different policies.

As far as "responsibility to train", I would errå on the side of caution and at minimum have a meeting with the aid and whomever does the assignment and make it clear to both what safety rules apply in the lab and that they must comply like any other student so there is consistency in the course and bottomline everyone is aware of and paying attention.

Denise

On Mon, Oct 8, 2018 at 12:32 PM DCHAS Membership Chair <membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org> wrote:

From: Gmurczyk, Marta
Sent: Thursday, October 4, 2018 3:35 PM
Subject: FW: Assistance in the classroom

Dear All:
I would appreciate very much you reading the question below and sharing your perspective. ACS does not have any guidelines related to the situation described in the message, but I promised to ask the safety community in case you may have any wisdom to share. I will compile your responseså (but will make sure to remove the names) and forward them to correspondent.

Very many thanks for any help you might be able to provide.

Marta Gmurczyk


Dear Dr. Gmurczyk,

I received the ACS document "Undergraduate Professional Education in Chemistry" yesterday.å I truly appreciate you sending this.

Granted that in the short time I have it, I have only taken a cursory look, but I am wondering if you can more directly put me in the direction of guidelines/laws/ regulations/ best practices with regard to having students in the chemistry classroom/laboratory who can not read or write.å I am very concerned for a situation in which I am presently involved as the instructor.

There is an aid (a student not enrolled in the class) in the lab to assist this student "read the lab sheets" but I believe that there is a safety concern in that if the aid does not read all, or at least the pertinent safety components, other students, in addition to the disabled student, will be at risk.å I have specifically read section 4.5, as you recommended, and I am wondering if my institution (or me) has an obligation to "train" the aid I mentioned above.å Any additional guidance you can provide would be so greatly appreciated.

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org

Membership chair

American Chemicalå Societyå

Division ofå Chemical Health andå Safetyå

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

--

Denise Beautreau

General Chemistry Laboratory Manager

Lehigh Universityå

Department of Chemistry

Seeley G. Mudd Building

6 E Packer Ave

Bethlehem, PA 18015

Phone: 610-758-1585

--- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

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