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From: Ralph Stuart <ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] OSHA materials on Karen Wetterhahn's mercury exposure
Date: Tue, 22 Mar 2022 10:03:53 -0400
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID: C34DE724-0AFC-451E-AADB-0B83CB59AB50**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org
In-Reply-To

Demystify: 

>And wondering about Karen's gloves, were they standard dry-box gloves or did she double glove them inside of the glove-box with another type of glove, as we sometimes double glove with our disposable tactile gloves.

I believe that Dr. Wetterhahn was working in a fume hood rather than a glove box on the occasion of her mercury exposure. I assume that she was using the fume hood to control the fire hazard associated with the dimethyl mercury (flashpoint = 5 degrees C), but the fume hood does not add value with regard to dermal toxicity hazards; and latex gloves add minimial protective value as well. OSHA reports that the dexterity value of the latex gloves led to that choice. I believe that the OSHA presentation on this event suggested that Silvershield gloves were the only appropriate choice at that time.

One of the learning points I take from this story is the challenge of working with chemicals that present multiple hazards while balancing chemical and human factors.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
ralph**At_Symbol_Here**rstuartcih.org

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