Maybe the legal landscape is different in Canada, but at McMaster we make a point of taking students and parents through the undergraduate labs during specific events like Open Houses. Of course, everything is prepared to ensure safety. Our administrators ensure us that insurance covers everyone on campus anywhere at any time (although only registered students are allowed into operating undergraduate labs, it turns out that everyone is insured, we checked because we were worried about students who withdraw from a course but keep doing the lab component so that they do not have to re-do all the labs in their next attempt!).

The positive side to this open view policy is that we are complimented by parents, and they tell us they are really relieved to see that their children will be operating in labs where everything can be done in hoods, there is plenty of space for 2 students per hood (currently down to 1 in covid!), where everyone wears goggles and lab coats, where there is no apparent chemical odour... and so on.

To me at least, I feel that the benefits outweigh the really low level of risks. But if looking through a glass window works for you, then I am sure there is much less effort involved.

Best

Paul

Paul Harrison, B.A. Hons. (Oxon), Ph.D.

Associate Professor and Associate Chair (Undergraduate)

Chemistry & Chemical Biology

Dept. of Chemistry & Chemical Biology ABB-156 McMaster University 1280 Main St. West. Hamilton, ON L8S 4M1

=E2=80=82location: ABB-418 =E2=80=82phone: (905) 525-9140 x 27290 =E2=80=82email: pharriso**At_Symbol_Here**mcmaster.ca

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From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> on behalf of Yaritza Brinker <YBrinker**At_Symbol_Here**FELE.COM>
Sent: Thursday, February 4, 2021 11:37 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Admissions Tours in the Laboratories

I'm not currently in academia, but I know I was not allowed to enter the labs when I toured. Not even the gen chem one that was obviously empty at the time.

Thank you,

Yaritza Brinker

260.827.5402

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