Skilled, Safe, and Trailblazing

Jessica A. Martin, Ph.D.
  • 5.0 (2)
  • How To
  • Updated Monthly

Welcome to Skilled, Safe, and Trailblazing—dedicated to getting lab training right. Whether you’re mentoring students, onboarding new hires, supercharging seasoned professionals, or leveling up your own expertise, you’re shaping the future of lab work. In each episode we bring practical insights, fresh strategies, and expert advice to develop lab professionals who are not just skilled and safe, but trailblazers. From safety protocols to technical training and problem-solving, we tackle the challenges defining the labs of tomorrow. Let’s build a workforce that's skilled, safe, and trailblazing!

  1. 19h ago

    Episode 17. A Little HF and a Lot of Questions

    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Matsuoka, K. (2026) Hokkaido University student dies following hydrofluoric acid exposure. https://cen.acs.org/safety/lab-safety/hokkaido-student-dies-hydrofluoric-hf/104/web/2026/08 Sigma Aldrich (2025) Safety Data Sheet – Hydrofluoric acid. https://www.sigmaaldrich.com/US/en/sds/sigald/695068?userType=anonymous Fang, H.; Wang, G.-Y.; Wang, X.; He, F.; Su, J.-D. (2019) Potentially fatal electrolyte imbalance caused by severe hydrofluoric acid burns combined with inhalation injury: A case report. https://www.wjgnet.com/2307-8960/full/v7/i20/3341.htm Qureshi, R.; House, R.; Uhlig, E.; Genesove, L.; Linn Holness, D. (2002) Hydrofluoric acid burn: a case report. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17608996/ Caliskan Tur, F.; Aksay, E. (2014) Hydrofluoric Acid Exposure. https://d1wqtxts1xzle7.cloudfront.net/72431330/Hydrofluoric_Acid_Exposure20211013-21674-snc8tp-libre.pdf?1634162960=&response-content-disposition=inline%3B+filename%3DHydrofluoric_Acid_Exposure.pdf&Expires=1790031673&Signature=XO348X6Cio1pPFvk9Ec~lbLQ5Tg7ygCPNOCMPyQfvvRBkbW8p31zMIHDsggFwiSX~UAEVs0Sy4QOLBenlfbiuyHN~PDLHn~zqxzvTxRYX31zQAjgZnAWHvqMCysPHz9hVItvj7n36y5JpNykikw25XxMOLu9AZpgnoYNl~I5eUm9SXoEivig-jz8U6UfmW8ELgZEnlO3F-eiHnwJWIptjX5MevZWB0EVEEVFWY3SM8AqmWGVg3B9v-cnsKM2oKXoM80fN4zTJ4XnTYDjihn0ya19eGZS4hVyV2zYcAwi2-s9xks5cSLeIdwd74F5kwa0IwweWpI7Xn1aoPJGr-5MRg__&Key-Pair-Id=APKAJLOHF5GGSLRBV4ZA Hoffmann, S.; Parikh, P.; Bohnenberger, K. (2021) Dermal Hydrofluoric Acid Toxicity Case Review: Looks Can Be Deceiving. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0099176720302889?casa_token=ragE16MfxokAAAAA:i4g1Iic-aZ_S8SSc1nahjtA2HIjsAzaObdgDloV0Y1a0ezSpWUE7Mnphd5YyMy4M1_m8x6ci Cheong, H.; Kim J. (2023) Fatal hydrofluoric acid poisoning: histologic findings and review of the literature. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s12024-022-00552-8 LET US KNOW! If someone in your laboratory got HF on their hand today, what would actually happen next? HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: SkilledSafeAndTrailblazing@gmail.com o   Follow the podcast community on LinkedIn at⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing⁠ o  Leave a comment on this episode ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voice in the Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visit https://elevenlabs.io/app/home

  2. Aug 31

    Episode 16. ISO 45001 and How Academia Is Not Bad Industry

    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Huising, R.; Silbey, S..S. (2013) Constructing Consequences for Noncompliance: The Case of Academic Laboratories. https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/0002716213492633 ISO 45001:2018: Occupational health and safety management systems – Requirements with guidance for use. https://www.iso.org/standard/63787.html LET US KNOW! I’d love to hear from you all some initial reflections, not just on the day-to-day differences, but also on authority, responsibility,scope, and money when it comes to maintaining safe laboratory environments. HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: SkilledSafeAndTrailblazing@gmail.com o   Follow the podcast community on LinkedIn at⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing⁠ o  Leave a comment on this episode ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voice in the Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visit https://elevenlabs.io/app/home

  3. Season 2, Episode 15 Trailer

    Episode 15. Season 2 Trailer

    LET US KNOW! What topic are you hoping gets discussed in Season 2? HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: SkilledSafeAndTrailblazing@gmail.com o   Follow the podcast community on LinkedIn at⁠ ⁠⁠https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing⁠ o  Leave a comment on this episode

  4. Aug 3

    Episode 14. What Season 1 Taught Us About Learning and Systems

    LET US KNOW! What was your favorite episode in Season 1? HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: SkilledSafeAndTrailblazing@gmail.com o   Follow the podcast communityon LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing o  Leave a comment on this episode ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voice in the Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visit https://elevenlabs.io/app/home

  5. Jul 6

    Episode 13. Hazard Ambiguity and the Signals We Dismiss

    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE Curie, Eve (1937) Madame Curie, A Biography. https://www.amazon.com/Madame-Curie-Biography-Eve/dp/0306810387 Moore, Kate (2017) The Radium Girls: The Dark Story of America’s Shining Women. https://www.amazon.com/Radium-Girls-Story-Americas-Shining/dp/149264935X  McKnelly, K.J.; Sokol, W.; Nowick, J.S. (2019) Anaphylaxis Induced by Peptide Coupling Agents: Lessons Learned from Repeated Exposure to HATU, HBTU, and HCTU. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.joc.9b03280 Graham, J.C.; Trejo-Martin, A.; Chilton, M.L.; Kostal, J.; Bercu, J.; Beutner, G.L.; Bruen, U.S.; Dolan, D.G.; Gomez, S.; Hillegass, J.; Nicolette, J.; Schmitz, M. (2022) An Evaluation of the Occupational Health Hazards of Peptide Couplers. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00031 ACS Webinar (2025): Bonding with Caution: Understanding the Hazards of Peptide Couplers https://www.acs.org/acs-webinars/library/hazards-of-peptide-couplers.html LET US KNOW! Have you ever dismissed signals that you later discovered were critical? HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: skilledsafeandtrailblazing@gmail.com o   Follow the podcast community on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing o  Leave a comment on this episode   ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voices used to quote passages from Eve Curie’s biography on Marie Curie and in the Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visit https://elevenlabs.io/app/home

  6. Jun 2

    Episode 12. The Chemical Sensitizer Wake-Up Call

    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE McKnelly, K.J.; Sokol, W.; Nowick, J.S. (2019) Anaphylaxis Induced by Peptide Coupling Agents: Lessons Learned from Repeated Exposure to HATU, HBTU, and HCTU. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/abs/10.1021/acs.joc.9b03280 Graham, J.C.; Trejo-Martin, A.; Chilton, M.L.; Kostal, J.; Bercu, J.; Beutner, G.L.; Bruen, U.S.; Dolan, D.G.; Gomez, S.; Hillegass, J.; Nicolette, J.; Schmitz, M. (2022) An Evaluation of the Occupational Health Hazards of Peptide Couplers. https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.chemrestox.2c00031 Miralles, J. C., Negro, J. M., Alonso, J. M., García, M., Sánchez-Gascón, F., & Soriano, J. (2003). Occupational rhinitis and bronchial asthma due to TBTU and HBTU sensitization. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/12968399/ Hannu, T., Alanko, K., & Keskinen, H. (2006). Anaphylaxis and allergic contact urticaria from occupational airborne exposure to HBTU. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16861336/ OSHA HazComm (29 CFR 1910.1200) https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1200 OSHA Laboratory Standard (29 CFR 1910.1450) https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.1450 OSHA Permissible Exposure Limits - Annotated Tables https://www.osha.gov/annotated-pels OSHA Respiratory Protection Standard (29 CFR 1910.134) https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/regulations/standardnumber/1910/1910.134 OSHA General Duty Clause (OSH Act of 1970 Section 5) https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/oshact/section5-duties ACS Webinar: Bonding with Caution: Understanding the Hazards of Peptide Couplers https://www.acs.org/acs-webinars/library/hazards-of-peptide-couplers.html LET US KNOW! Have you worked through challenges of working with chemical sensitizers with a lab group?  If not, has this episode inspired you to start asking more questions about chemical sensitizer use in your labs? HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: skilledsafeandtrailblazing@gmail.com o   Follow the podcast community on LinkedIn at https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing o  Leave a comment on this episode   ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voice in the Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visit https://elevenlabs.io/app/home

  7. May 5

    Episode 11. Mapping Power, Pressure, and Protection with The Graduate Student Researcher

    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE ACS CHAS Peer-Led Workshops (accessed 2026-03-30): https://dchas.org/2023/08/22/history-of-the-chas-lst-workshop-2/  Hensley, M.S.; Martin, J.A.; Miller, K.A.; Hungwe, K.N. (2024) Laboratory Safety Teams as an Evolving Community of Practice: Exploring the How and Why https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.jchemed.4c00702 Feldon, D.F.; Litson, K.L.; Jeong, S.; Roksa, J. (2019) Postdocs’ lab engagement predicts trajectories of PhD students’ skill development https://www.pnas.org/doi/10.1073/pnas.1912488116 Miller, A.J.M.; Tonks, I.A. (2018) Let’s Talk About Safety: Open Communication for Safety Laboratories https://pubs.acs.org/doi/10.1021/acs.organomet.8b00627 Martin, J.A.; Miller, K.; Nyansa (now Hensley), M.; Zinn, S.; Stuart, R. (2021) Enhancing Research Productivity through Student-Led Laboratory Safety Teams https://www.acs.org/acs-webinars/library/student-led-safety.html LET US KNOW! To try to see things from the graduate student researcher perspective, consider how work inside of labs at your institution gets done. At this point, refrain from assigning blame or jumping directly into who should be responsible. Instead, just think about the situations that these early career people are walking into and what they are seeing. ● Are lab workers working around a mess that existed before them? ● Are they trying to find space in the lab for their own work by moving aside work that no longer belongs to anyone working in this lab? ● Are they trying to address inspection items that they know little about? ● Are they being required to engage with systems that don’t help them do their research better? For example, dysfunctional chemical inventory systems, poorly defined hazardous waste procedures, challenges with space. HOW TO LET US KNOW! Email address: SkilledSafeAndTrailblazing@gmail.com LinkedIn Community: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing Leave a comment on this episode! ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voice Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visithttps://elevenlabs.io/app/home

  8. Apr 7

    Episode 10. Drills With Experts

    RESOURCES FROM THIS EPISODE The Lab Safety Institute (accessed 2026-02-04) https://www.labsafety.org/ Provan, D.J.; Woods, D.D.; Dekker, S.W.A.,Rae, A.J. (2020) Safety II professionals: How resilience engineering can transform safety practice https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0951832018309864 LET US KNOW! Have you run drills with your experts? If you haven’t, what is stopping you from doing so? Have you incorporated the concept of Guided Adaptability into how you approach safety in labs? HOW TO LET US KNOW! o   Email address: skilledsafeandtrailblazing@gmail.com o   LinkedIn Community: https://www.linkedin.com/showcase/skilled-safe-and-trailblazing o  Leave a comment on this episode! ElevenLabs was used to create the AI-generated voices in the introductory story and the Disclaimer at the end of this episode. For more information, visit https://elevenlabs.io/app/home

See All (17)

Trailers

Ratings & Reviews

5
out of 5
2 Ratings

About

Welcome to Skilled, Safe, and Trailblazing—dedicated to getting lab training right. Whether you’re mentoring students, onboarding new hires, supercharging seasoned professionals, or leveling up your own expertise, you’re shaping the future of lab work. In each episode we bring practical insights, fresh strategies, and expert advice to develop lab professionals who are not just skilled and safe, but trailblazers. From safety protocols to technical training and problem-solving, we tackle the challenges defining the labs of tomorrow. Let’s build a workforce that's skilled, safe, and trailblazing!

Information

  • Creator
    Jessica A. Martin, Ph.D.
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    17
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Jessica A. Martin, Ph.D.
  • Show Website
    Skilled, Safe, and Trailblazing