Safety Framework for Educational 3D Printing

Ernest N. Morial New Orleans Convention Center 

Desktop 3D printers are increasingly used in middle and high school classrooms, yet many of these environments were not originally designed to manage industrial-style health and safety hazards. This student poster examines how airborne emissions, thermal contact risks, electrical hazards, and spatial factors associated with desktop 3D printing can be amplified in small, enclosed, and poorly ventilated educational spaces.

Using OSHA's Hierarchy of Controls as an analytical framework, this literature-based study reframes classroom 3D printing safety as a design and engineering challenge rather than a matter of individual caution or rule compliance. By synthesizing peer-reviewed research and public health guidance, the poster emphasizes the importance of engineering controls-such as printer enclosures, local exhaust ventilation, and thoughtful equipment placement-as the most effective and sustainable strategies for risk reduction in educational settings.

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Education and training

Hazard Communication

Indoor air quality

Risk assessment and management

Ventilation