ACS CP Professional Ethics & Safety Standards 2 — Questions and Answers
Question 1: A chemist discovers that a colleague has been falsifying spectroscopic data in published research. What is the most ethically appropriate first step?
- Ignore it to avoid workplace conflict
- Confront the colleague privately and urge self-reporting or correction (Correct answer)
- Immediately publish a rebuttal without notifying anyone
- Delete the falsified data files to prevent further harm
Correct answer: Confront the colleague privately and urge self-reporting or correction
Addressing the issue directly with the colleague first gives them the opportunity to self-correct before escalating to supervisors or journals.
Question 2: Under the OSHA Hazard Communication Standard (HazCom 2012), which section of a Safety Data Sheet (SDS) contains first-aid measures?
- Section 2
- Section 4 (Correct answer)
- Section 6
- Section 8
Correct answer: Section 4
Section 4 of the GHS-aligned SDS is specifically designated for first-aid measures.
Question 3: A researcher is offered co-authorship on a paper in exchange for providing lab equipment, but made no intellectual contribution. Accepting would violate which principle?
- Confidentiality
- Authorship integrity (Correct answer)
- Intellectual property licensing
- Peer review anonymity
Correct answer: Authorship integrity
Gift or honorary authorship violates authorship integrity, which requires substantive intellectual contribution to the work.
Question 4: Which federal agency sets permissible exposure limits (PELs) for chemical hazards in US workplaces?
- EPA
- NIOSH
- OSHA (Correct answer)
- CDC
Correct answer: OSHA
OSHA establishes and enforces legally binding PELs for occupational chemical exposures under 29 CFR 1910.
Question 5: A chemist working under a government contract discovers a significant safety risk in a product but is told by management to stay quiet. The ethical obligation is to:
- Comply with management to protect contractual relationships
- Resign immediately without reporting
- Report the hazard through appropriate internal or external channels (Correct answer)
- Wait until the contract ends to disclose the risk
Correct answer: Report the hazard through appropriate internal or external channels
Public safety obligations override employer directives; the chemist must report through proper channels, including whistleblower protections if needed.
Question 6: What does the term 'conflict of interest' mean in the context of chemical research ethics?
- Disagreement between two researchers on methodology
- A situation where personal interests could improperly influence professional judgment (Correct answer)
- Competing grant applications from the same lab
- Use of proprietary methods in academic research
Correct answer: A situation where personal interests could improperly influence professional judgment
A conflict of interest arises when personal, financial, or other interests have the potential to compromise objectivity or professional judgment.
Question 7: When transporting hazardous chemicals on public roads, US regulations require which document to accompany the shipment?
- Certificate of Analysis
- Material Safety Data Sheet only
- Shipping papers with proper DOT hazard class information (Correct answer)
- Manufacturer invoice with chemical name
Correct answer: Shipping papers with proper DOT hazard class information
DOT regulations (49 CFR) require shipping papers that include the proper shipping name, hazard class, UN number, and quantity for hazardous materials.
ACS CP Professional Ethics & Safety Standards 2
A chemist discovers that a colleague has been falsifying spectroscopic data in published research.
What is the most ethically appropriate first step?