From:
Larry Unger <larryunger**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject:
Re: [DCHAS-L] Carpet in labs
Date:
Jun 26, 2024 17:15 UTC
Reply-To:
ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Message-ID:
<CA+ebjJBA=6ccAsDsKQWSjeG=vDPZSMWExiiQA+vnMzi42CFgCg**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com>
In-Reply-To:
<DM3PR08MB9587F7B99BCF87002C257BE1A3D52**At_Symbol_Here**DM3PR08MB9587.namprd08.prod.outlook.com>
Alex:
A few simple suggestions. Find out if your department has an actual safety committee. If it is non-functional, then get one started. The university should have a committee for campus safety and security. Try to find it and get it involved. If no committees are obvious, then find the campus fire marshall. The fire marshall should be coordinating almost all safety issues on campus. Many years ago, I served on the chem department safety committee and the chair of the department did not want to put "safety glasses required" signs on student labs. One call to the fire marshall and the signs were up. Your project is somewhat more expensive, but most universities have channes to employ, you just have to get to the right ones.
ᐧ
We have a lab in our radiology department that stores and uses chemicals in space with carpeting. They have also conducted lead soldering in that space in the past. We state in our laboratory safety manual that carpet is not allowed in
labs and we have noted this issue on all of their inspection reports, but they have said that they will not prioritize this unless there is a state or federal regulation that we can point to. We have explained that the manual is an institutional policy document,
but that doesn’t seem to mean much to them. Does anyone here know of a regulation that specifically addresses this issue?
ALEX HAGEN
fischera**At_Symbol_Here**uw.edu /
www.ehs.washington.edu

---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at
membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
-- Larry Unger
2490 Sandstone Court
Wellington, FL 33414-7785
+1-561-792-3338
---
For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at
membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org