Bringing Safety to Chemistry for Life

In recent years, the chemistry enterprise as a whole has experienced a monumental shift in the way that it understands and approaches safety, both within society and as part of the science of chemistry. The American Chemical Society (ACS) has embraced this change and has committed to modelling it by incorporating “safety” into its core values. In early 2018, a Safety Summit involving stakeholders from across the chemistry enterprise was convened to consider strategies for “accelerating the adoption of an ethos of safety across the chemical enterprise”. The summit resulted in a better understanding of the factors influencing the implementation of safe chemical practices, programs in progress to effect change in this area, and gaps where additional effort is needed. Opportunities were identified where the ACS could make a meaningful impact on chemical safety and which aligned with the goals of the Society. In this paper, we will describe how the ACS strategic plan addresses the chemical safety challenges in relation to both historical influences and the current environment.