Ralph,

 

I think that all of this has to be viewed within the context of a broader culture of legalism in our society. Institutions often aren't taking proactive steps to protect the health of workers who fall outside the "standard" because the law actively discourages them doing so, and they place the greater value on following the law and avoiding legal penalties. Unfortunately, this sends the (usually incorrect) signal to the grad students, faculty, and professional staff that the institution is only interested in doing the legal minimum, and is going to make you jump through every hoop possible beforehand. The end result, as you said, is a culture that isn't providing the best support to workers, but one that does provide institutions with the predictability that they need. I'm sure there are ways to meet both sets of needs, but beyond communications strategies designed to combat the perception that the institution doesn't care, it's not obvious to me what those are.

 

Chris

 

 

________________________________

Christopher M. Kolodziej, Ph.D.
Chemical Hygiene Officer

UCLA Environment, Health & Safety | Chemical Safety

 

Mobile: (310) 261-8611

 

 

-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Ralph Stuart
Sent: Saturday, February 12, 2022 10:01 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Nature Comment Pregnancy in Lab

 

> >That article is titled "Pregnancy in the lab" and has some nice personal stories.

> 

This is a fraught issue and I think that the article goes beyond providing nice personal stories to point to the need for a pro-actively supportive community for people who are involved in a newly pregnant relationship. From personal experience, I can attest that  there are a lot of adjustments required for all of the partners in a pregnancy beyond the risk assessment factors outlined by the UCLA documents Craig points to. I appreciate that the Nature article addresses this social dimension of the situation by pointing out that "community makes the difference." In the best cases, that community includes lab co-workers.

 

I believe that changes in the health and personal status of lab workers, whether due to pregnancy, long Covid, or a lab acquired allergy or infection are tests of the safety culture of a lab setting. Is the lab group able to adjust to changes in the health circumstances of its members as they evolve? The article notes that "It is key that the whole research ecosystem work collectively for positive change and a culture where taking time for your family is valued and respected."

 

I hope that the insights of this article are someday incorporated into lab cultures enough that lab workers are comfortable in sharing their health changes without feeling that they are putting their status in the lab at risk. I have seen too many cases where grad students, faculty, professional lab staff and others are afraid to disclose relevant health conditions. As Craig notes, this issue is complex and not well dealt with by the legal system and institutions' responses to the laws' ambiguities. The culture of a group needs to step up and address these concerns in a helpful way.

 

- Ralph

 

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO

ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org

 

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