Chemical Hazards: Risks Associated with Chemistry Laboratories & Processing Environments- Hawkins Forensic Investigation

Event Overview

Ben discusses some of the inherent chemical hazards found in chemistry laboratories and processing areas. He will focus on hazards associated with chemical compatibility and reactivity, the use of flammable solvents, and chemical exposure. These hazards can pose risk of fires, chemical spills, overpressure events and personal injury, sometimes with catastrophic outcomes. Ben will briefly explore the main contributing factors that exacerbate the frequency of such events and how these can be mitigated.

Speaker Bio

Dr Benedict Barron –Associate

Originally from London, Ben undertook a Master’s degree in Chemistry at the University of Bristol and was awarded first degree honours. This was followed by the completion of a PhD in Chemistry hosted internationally between Imperial College, London, and the University of Hong Kong. This work focussed on asymmetric Michael type reactions and methodologies in organic chemistry. On completion of his PhD, Ben joined a contract research organisation, Domainex, as a synthetic chemist and worked here for just under two years. After this, he moved to GSK and spent 4 years working as a process chemist. Here he worked on route optimisation and scale up activities for multiple pharmaceutical assets, supporting large scale (up to 70 kg) manufacturing campaigns.

Additionally, he took an interest in safety roles within the process chemistry department, gaining valuable insight into safety management, matrices and procedure in a pharmaceutical environment. This ranged from Gemba and Management Monitoring activities, conduction and review of genotoxic risk assessments and volunteering as a first responder to chemical incidences and emergencies.

Ben joined Hawkins in 2023 and is an A2 Certificate of Competence (A2CofC) certified drone pilot. He can assist clients with aerial surveys on cases relating to fires, explosions, and contamination failures. The use of drones in an investigation can be particularly beneficial in inspecting dangerous or hard-to-reach areas.

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