Recently, an NIH student special volunteer was involved in a chemical incident which resulted in an explosion and fire. Fortunately, there were no injuries and damage was limited. No one was supervising the student in the lab when the incident occurred, although she was working with several hazardous materials. This accident conveys several important lessons:

1. You must supervise students directly at all times when they are working with any potentially hazardous materials.
2. All students should be appointed under a hiring, authority or properly executed special volunteer agreement that gives him or her insurance coverage under the Federal Employees Compensation Act and the Federal Tort Claims Act. Personal and professional services agreements are NOT appropriate mechanisms for students.
3. Parents must sign a consent for minors to work in a lab. The consent form must list any potentially hazardous materials the student may be working with.
4. All students must receive safety training courses relevant to the lab procedures they will be performing. The Division of Safety (6-3353) offers general lab safety training.
5. Supervisors must provide and document specific safety training related to the work the student will do.

All of us are responsible for giving these young people a safe and scientifically rewarding experience at the NIH. The first step is to set a good example with regard to safety. Laboratory/ branch chiefs and principal investigators are directly responsible for following these rules and assuring that students are appropriately hired, trained, and supervised.

Michael M. Gottesman, M.D.