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Date: Mon, 8 Mar 2010 16:13:59 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: ILPI <info**At_Symbol_Here**ILPI.COM>
Subject: Re: GLOVES IN STUDENT LABS
In-Reply-To: <2317fc9b1003081224r7711847bgc8523165fffa5e08**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>
Don't forget the classic
tiny puddle of water on the desktop that is not really water but the
deliquesced remains of an NaOH pellet from yesterday's experiment.
"My, this feels warm and soapy, ow, ow , ow,
gaaaaaahhhhh!"
There are plenty of reasons to
wear PPE when you "aren't doing anything" in the laboratory. While
in my experience it is less of an issue with gloves, it is an absolute
must for eye protection - if you are in the lab, you wear eye protection
(correctly), period even when you aren't doing
anything.
I point to the student mentioned in
paragraph 3 of this incident,:
http://www.ilpi.com/saf
ety/explosion.html He was my student in the previous semester
and he made sure to thank me for training him properly. I have
plenty of other serious examples I won't elaborate on here.
Suffice it to say that safety culture is what PPE enforcement is
all about. That means a hazard assessment of the entire
laboratory, not just the particular experiment that
day.
That said, as long as gloves, like eye
protection or any form of PPE, are *required* under a clear and defined
set of circumstances, how they are paid for is No Big Deal. Just
be sure that no student forgoes PPE because of cost concerns by the
student, the department, or the
administration.
The final comment/scenario I'll
add here is the 'ole run it by the lawyers one. If Something
Happened in the lab (even something that didn't involve gloves, but
called into question the overall safety program/attitude) and the
plaintiff's attorney were to ask "Why weren't gloves available?
What? But, a pair of gloves costs 10 cents, and you wouldn't
even pay 10 cents to protect the students?", how do you think that kind
of grandstanding would fly with a jury regardless of whether they were
"really" necessary?
Rob
Toreki
On Mar 8, 2010, at 3:24 PM,
Andrew Gross wrote:
(snip)I
started to pass out. Turns out the label on the chloroform
squirt
bottle wore off and and someone removed it from the fume hood
making
it appear like DI water. THAT IS THE HAZARD BEHIND ONE
DROP OF
WATER!!!! Accidents happen and incorrect lableing is one of
them. I
should have been wearing gloves but I said...what is
the hazard. I am
an experienced chemist, I can make my own
calls on safety in those
regards...and even I made the wrong call.
Students should be taught
what I disregarded, once they have
their own lab they can disregard
safety on their own discression and
experience.
(snip)
________________________
From: DCHAS-L
Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On
Behalf Of
Kennedy,
Sheila
Sent: Friday, March 05,
2010 6:32 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] GLOVES IN STUDENT
LABS
As the staff of
the Chemistry & Biochemistry Teaching Labs, we have
been
asked to propose ideas
for saving money, as budgets are only getting
tighter
over the next few
years. One idea proposed is that we stop providing
gloves
ad lib. to students,
but have them buy & bring their own. We
currently
supply either
nitrile or PVC examination (thin, single-use) gloves in
our
labs.
Do you
provide/require gloves for student labs?
Sheila
--
Sheila M.
Kennedy, CHO
Safety
Coordinator
Chemistry &
Biochemistry Teaching Laboratories
University of California, San
Diego
(858)
534-0221