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Date: Thu, 6 Nov 2008 06:53:18 -0500
Reply-To: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: Re: Shorts and Skirts in Labs
From: dave.nancy**At_Symbol_Here**roadrunner.com
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Shorts and Skirts in Labs
Date: November 5, 2008 6:22:24 PM EST (CA)
Hello,
If I may add to Ms. Osterby's comments, which are spot on........
I am the Laboratories Director at a USDOE cleanup site. Our
facilities consist of a Process Chemistry laboratory and an
Environmental Monitoring laboratory. The hazards are many and include
radioactive materials, chemical reagents, heat sources, cryogenics,
sharps, electrical energy, pinch points, and much more. We stress the
importance of proper PPE to all employees and mandate minimum dress
requirements that include long pants (no shorts or skirts but neat
blue jeans are acceptable), shirts with sleeves, sturdy safety-toe
footwear, and no dangling jewelry. Long hair must be tied back and out
of the way. Additionally, staff must use appropriate PPE commensurate
with the procedure and hazards being undertaken which can go well
beyond the classic lab coat to include full-body Tyvek suits, shoe
covers, forearm protection, two layers of gloves, face shields and
splash goggles, among other options. Safety requirements are written
into each analytical procedure as mandated by our Chemical Hygiene
Program Plan. We use drill scenarios to practice emergency response
procedures and, weekly, conduct documented inspections of safety
showers, eyewashes, spill kits, chemical inventory status, and so
forth. Training sessions and re-qualification activities for all staff
are a matter of routine. Furthermore, adherence to safety practices
is a line item score in our annual personnel evaluations, the outcome
of which can determine a worker's likelihood for advancement.
So, to the esteemed educators among our colleagues in this forum, at
every opportunity please re-enforce to your students that the
professional world's expectations regarding personal safety can be
very high. Just as students work hard to study their curriculum, they
should work equally hard to develop safe work habits. All the
education and advanced degrees in the world mean nothing if a person
suffers a loss of physical capacity (or worse), ending a promising
career. The root cause of many accidents is inattention to detail and/
or poor work practices.
Kindest Regards,
David M. Scalise
URS Laboratories Director
West Valley Demonstration Project
10282 Rock Springs Road
West Valley, NY 14171
tel: (716) 942-4160
FAX: (716) 942-2095
david_m_scalise**At_Symbol_Here**urscorp.com
A professional laboratory
On Nov 5, 2008, at 6:59 AM, List Moderator wrote:
From: "Osterby, Meg"
Date: November 4, 2008 5:19:12 PM EST (CA)
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Shorts and Skirts in Labs
Our technical college chemistry teaching labs follow the safety
guidelines of long pants and closed shoes with lab coat on top. We do
not allow students who are inappropriately dressed to participate in
that day's lab. It's amazing when you say they can't do the lab, how
many of them suddenly remember that they have long pants and closed
shoes in their gym locker or car. Very few students actually miss a
lab following this policy. We also do not allow midriff tops that do
not completely cover the abdomen and back, and of course, splash guard
safety goggles are a must whenever chemicals, heat, or glassware are
in use. The staff points out to the students who want to argue the
dress code that if their bosses stipulate a certain attire, they wear
it without complaint or lose their jobs, and we deserve more respect
than that dress code since we are enforcing it for their safety. Very
few persist in arguing after that.
Meg Osterby
Chemistry Instructor
Western Technical College
400 7th St. N.
LaCrosse, WI, 54601
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