UNIVERSITY PARK, Pa. — The second annual Materials Safety Olympics fielded 18 teams from seven different departments across Penn State's University Park campus for an afternoon of intense competition, food and fun, all to highlight the importance of laboratory safety.
The Materials Safety Olympics was the culmination of Safety Week, in which students learned from industry experts that their future employment opportunities depend on a thorough knowledge of safety procedures. That could include answering interview questions or taking tests before being hired. Failure to follow safety procedures is also grounds for swift termination, they learned.
Four-member teams rotated through a variety of settings – chemical sorting, speed gowning, safety Taboo, scavenger lab hunt, safety trivia — testing their knowledge of lab safety. The winning team, "Team Das" from Engineering Science and Mechanics, won the right to display the Corning Trophy, provided by Corning Inc. The department with the highest total score, Chemistry, took home the PPG Trophy, provided by PPG. Other major industry sponsors include Dow Chemical and AirGas. Thirteen local businesses generously provided prizes.
To learn more about establishing a safety culture at Penn State, visit the Materials Research Institute’s Safety site at mri.psu.edu/mri/safety.