Recognizing teachable moments and transforming them into occasions of learning can be a useful strategy in developing a culture of safety in an academic department. Responding with recognition of the vulnerability of those experiencing undesired outcomes can open communication and support the inquiry necessary to develop and sustain safety changes. In this vulnerable state of momentary failing, people can experience intense interest in specific information that they are prepared to apply immediately. They are hungry to learn and thus teachable, meaning ready to actively construct new understanding. In addition, we discovered that once a teachable moment is met with support, people tend to initiate other inquiries rather than wait for their safety shortcomings to be discovered. Therefore, learning how to recognize and respond to teachable moments is an essential skill for safety officers to develop in pursuit of a self-regulating environment of good safety norms. Here, we present four short teachable moment case studies in order to demonstrate what qualities they have, how to utilize the opportunities provided by a user-driven approach, and what benefits can be anticipated from a partnership between students and the safety organization within an academic department.

1. Supporting a
culture of safety
with teachable moments
Melinda Box, MEd, and
Maria Gallardo-Williams, PhD, NC State University
Kenneth Lyle, PhD, Duke University

2. Culture of Safety
Research Safety
Research
Safety

3. Recognizing

4. Temptations
 Gotcha
 Lecture
 Citation

5. Optimizing

6. Targets of Curiosity
 Procedure
 Material arrangement
 Systems

7. You splashed TFA*?!
 Objective: prevent recurrence and mitigate injury
 Recognition:
 awakened sense of vulnerability
 conflicting procedural priorities
 impulse to shame
 Optimization:
 interviewed responder
 checked out set-up
*TFA - Trifluoracetic acid

8. You splashed TFA?!
 Education
 TFA’s effects on nerves
 challenges of face rinsing
 use innocuous liquid for hands-on training
 Solutions
 support for dispensing bottles
 distribution of timely video
 inform department
“Why I wear a lab coat”
TFA burn
TFA scar,
4 years later
YouTube post by
ChemUCSD,
Jan 8, 2015

9. You splashed TFA?!
 Outcomes – increases in
 engagement
 inquisitiveness
 inter-group cooperation

10. Other Benefits and Changes
• Involvement
• Commitment
• Agency
• Initiative
• Transparency
• Trust
• Awareness
From fear and cover-up to understanding and openness

11. Thanks to ...
 those who shared their confusions, concerns, incidents,
& experiences
 NC State Chemistry Department
 NCSU Environmental Health & Safety Department