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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Hats in lab

Date: Aug 31, 2022 15:03 UTC

Author: Jennifer Mattler Guzman <jmattler**At_Symbol_Here**STANFORD.EDU>

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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Hats in lab

Date: Aug 31, 2022 15:19 UTC

Author: Kirk Hunter <kirk.p.hunter**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>

From: Kirk Hunter <kirk.p.hunter**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>

Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Hats in lab

Date: Aug 31, 2022 15:17 UTC

Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>

Message-ID: <CAOEGPz43O58EU4q_w=_rSxfZpOPiOEHybeL__DxsH_JLhVV5NQ**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>

In-Reply-To: <1994456690.2306141.1661953859307**At_Symbol_Here**mail.yahoo.com>

Demystify: 
  Hi All,

Before I retired, I was teaching in a 2yr technical college. Most of the students came from rural areas and were looking for skills to land a great job in industry. We worked closely with industry to establish learning outcomes and appropriate workplace standards. The issue of wearing "cowboy hats" came up several times. Here we leaned on our industry partners. First, was the issue of wearing hats in the classroom. The problem is that their eyes are concealed and cheating is very likely. Also, we discovered that some enterprising students had taped a cheat sheet to the underside of the brim. So, we established a "No Hats" policy during tests.  For the lab, we modeled, as best we could, industry practices, including laboratory experiments and safety practices. Our Industry partners told us that "cowboy hats" were not permitted in their labs, but baseball caps were fine as long as they did not have offensive artwork or competitor's logos. When industry would visit campus and when we took students on field trips to industry sites, they would address the hat issue. We never had any issues afterwards! 

One reason for not allowing cowboy hats was the aggressive culture that sometimes accompanies them. The style of the hat, the crown decoration, the hat band tells a story about the wearer - bull rider, bronc rider. roper, etc. The era of the Urban Cowboy culture and lots of "wanna be cowboys" advanced this culture.

Suggestions to have a private conversation with the student may help, but not likely. The hat is his identity. He will need a bigger incentive to remove the hat.

On Wed, Aug 31, 2022 at 8:58 AM Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:
Let's hope he's not nearsighted.  If the brim is wide, he will need to be a good 7 inches away from thermometers and other instruments he needs to read, away from the fume hood sash, etc.  I'd observe this guy in action for a bit. There could be a nice camera moment in this somewhere.

Monona


-----Original Message-----
From: Gilman, Lisa <00001730fb194cb8-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Sent: Wed, Aug 31, 2022 8:45 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Hats in lab

Hi Nora:

 I agree with Richard. Peripheral vision is not likely to be blocked by a cowboy hat. Laboratory work with Hard Hats/Full Face shields/Baseball caps have never been an issue in our laboratory here in Montana. If students are in such close proximity that the hat is an issue, in my opinion, you have a class density that is more of a safety concern and much more important to address than a cowboy hat.

I would simply ask the student in a private conversation to remove his hat during the laboratory class. Keep it simple. Your concern about knocking over glassware or reagents is an appropriate reason if he asks for one.

Lisa Gilman
Silver Bow Montana
IND - Environment Rehabilitation
T (406) 782-1215


Mailing Address:
PO Box 3146
Butte MT 59702-3146

Physical Location:
119130 German Gulch Road
Silver Bow MT 59750-9732


On Wed, Aug 31, 2022 at 6:35 AM Richard Palluzi <000006c59248530b-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:
Hats, mostly baseball caps or knit caps, are very common in industry in my experience. Hard hats are also very common in plant labs both for visitors and often for folks who are in and about a lot. Cowboy hats are pretty rare. I have never heard of an accident. 

On Aug 30, 2022 2:09 PM, Nora Dunkel <noradunkel51**At_Symbol_Here**WEBSTER.EDU> wrote:
Does anyone have guidance on wearing hats in lab?  An instructor for sophomore organic chemistry at my institution reports that a student has repeatedly come to lab wearing a cowboy hat.  The student is otherwise appropriately dressed, but we wonder about visibility (will the student's peripheral vision be obstructed?), whether people might bump into the hat, and whether the hat might knock over glassware.  (It's a pretty crowded room when everybody is setting up their apparatus.)

Is this something others have encountered?  Are hats in lab acceptable from a safety perspective?   

Nora Dunkel, CHMM
Chemical Safety Officer--Webster University
ISB/Browning Hall 314
314-246-2244 (desk)
661-348-1445 (cell)
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