Hi Sammye,

You could forward him to Fire Protection to get a hot work permit.  Just kidding although ours would not issue since this would not pass the common sense test and fire marshals are pretty serious about their jobs.   Perhaps more helpful .. this surely falls into the category of an experiment that could make an interesting point but is not appropriate for demonstration on state property.  If he was motivated, he could perform it at home in his backyard (with absolutely no request from the university to do so - (he's on his own)  and video it, then show it to the class.  Lots of demonstrations done by video these days.

Thanks for keeping things interesting..

Ken

 

Ken Kretchman, CIH, CSP   Director, Environmental Health and Safety

Campus Box 8007 / 2620 Wolf Village Way / Raleigh North Carolina 27695-8007

Email: Ken_Kretchman**At_Symbol_Here**ncsu.edu / Phone: (919).515.6860 /Fax: (919).515.6307

On Thu, Jan 24, 2013 at 3:08 PM, Samuella B. Sigmann <sigmannsb**At_Symbol_Here**appstate.edu> wrote:

All - Please let me know if anyone out there has had any any experience with this situation.

I have a PI who has a full beard (we are talking ZZ Top style beard here).  He is insistent on doing demos with flames - including fire eating.  Don't ask me what chemical principal that is demonstrating.  Yesterday he asked me what I thought about doing the classic "money burning" demo where you dip a  dollar in a 50/50 isopropanol/water mixture that shows how evaporation cools the money and prevents the alcohol from burning it,  only he wants to use his beard instead of the money.  I am not sure if he was serious or just trying to get a response out of me. 

Anyone have any suggestions on how to prevent this fellow from burning his face off?  In general, I would like to tell him that if the beard stays, he cannot work with flames.  Is that an option?  It is so long that he can actually tie it up and fold it in on itself, but it is still hanging pretty low and could easily catch on fire with a Bunsen burner.

Sammye

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***************************************************************************************

Don't always believe what you think.

Samuella B. Sigmann, NRCC-CHO

Lecturer/Safety Committee Chair

A. R. Smith Department of Chemistry

Appalachian State University

525 Rivers Street

Boone, NC   28608

Phone: 828 262 2755

Fax: 828 262 6558

Email: sigmannsb**At_Symbol_Here**appstate.edu