Chemical Hygiene Officer Leadership Academy 0924

Build Safer Labs. Reduce Liability. Lead with Confidence.
Presented by Safer STEM and Rutgers University

Ready to lead your school or district as a Chemical Hygiene Officer (CHO)?

This 10-week intensive professional learning experience, co-presented by Safer STEM and Rutgers University, is designed to build leadership, compliance, and risk‑management expertise for anyone responsible for school science and STEM safety. Led by nationally recognized safety experts and experienced peers, this collaborative program delivers proven frameworks, practical strategies, and real‑world case studies to help you protect students, staff, and your institution while reducing legal and operational risk.

While this Academy is essential for current and aspiring Chemical Hygiene Officers, it is also highly valuable for Directors of Facilities, who oversee building safety systems; Principals and Administrators, who carry legal accountability for safety compliance; Science Supervisors and Educators, who design and implement lab‑based learning; and Environmental Hygiene Officers, who manage chemical safety across multiple programs. By understanding the CHO’s role, you gain the tools to coordinate effectively, close safety gaps, make informed decisions, and lead a proactive safety culture in your school or district.

Academy Model: Instructor-led + Self-paced

Upcoming Cohort Dates:
September 16, 2025, (10-week course)
January 6, 2026 (10-week course)
April 7, 2026 (10-week course)

Duration: Starts Sept, 17th, 2024. Meets weekly.  12 hours + self-guided tasks.  (Commences on Tuesday, Sept 17th, and Completes on Tuesday, December 10.  Scheduled for 10:00 am – 11:00 am -EST every Tuesday).

Intended Audience: Recommended for current Chemical Hygiene Officers, for those interested in moving into this role, and for those preparing for the NRCC Chemical Hygiene Officer exam.

Instructor: This program is led by an NRCC-credentialed instructor with 10+ years experience in K-12 school systems.

By attending this Academy, you will learn:

• Responsible chemical management, including chemical storage, chemical handling, chemical disposal, fire safety, emergency procedures, PPE, ventilation, safety documentation, and related safety criteria.
• How to build a school-wide and district-wide culture of safety awareness based on appropriate (grade and subject-area) safety training on an ongoing basis.
• Hazard and risk recognition and mitigation strategies for emergency procedures and proactive planning for safer demonstrations and laboratory activities.
• Lab safety rules based on legal safety standards including OSHA 1910.1450; 1910.1200; 1910.132; NFPA 101; NFPA 45; ANSI/ISEA Z87.1 D3 2020 and other accepted professional safety practices involving laboratory use.
• How to effectively manage a chemical spill, a fire, chemical combinations, waste management (chemical and biological), and the development of standard operating procedures (SOPs) in the Chemical Hygiene Plan (CHP).
• Safer prevention strategies to reduce potential legal liability under ‘Duty of Care’ obligations
• How other CHOs have handled various scenarios in their school jurisdictions over time and used these as ‘teachable’ moments to elevate the understanding of science educators in order to prevent a similar accident from occurring in the future.