Hi Russ,

            We’ve never met, but I feel like I’ve seen your name on this list so many times that it seems like we have.

            Anyway, per your request/suggestion for topic[s] in an upcoming CHAS workshop:

            Full disclosure: I have not followed workshop offerings at all well, so maybe I missed this area completely, but FWIMBW, when I used to give workshops on these topics, a) rather than give a formal lecture, I found that asking the participants [in the lab if at all possible] “What [bad thing] could happen?” seemed to be very effective.  While demanding of the presenter to ensure that nothing substantive was left uncovered, I found that the participants did seem to become much more involved.  Doing, e.g. the first lab of a course that way, I found that usually the most overlooked lethal hazard in the room was electrical.  While not a chemical hazard, such are certainly lab hazards.  From jury-rigged setups that should never have been allowed to stand, to lab renovations done under supervision of a licensed electrician, but ignoring applicable sections of the NEC, to sources of arcing or sparking, it is surprising to me that there are not more lab accidents involving such hazards.  I know of one explosion in industry caused by static in a room that “met all OSHA PELs.”  As you know, given such proof that the LFL or LEL had been exceeded, the concentrations in that room air must have been orders of magnitude greater than the PEL.  A carcinogen might take years to get you, but electrocution or an explosion is clearly in another class. 

            Sorry I can’t think of a more chemical example, but I have found this to be an overlooked area.

            Thanks very much for all you do for us, and for The Cause…

Steve Stepenuck

We are in the process of putting together a series of half-day workshops on various laboratory safety topics for early Fall, probably early September. In order to provide plenty of notice, we’d like to get the registration process up and running by mid-July.  If you have a topic you’d like to present, please let me know! If you have a suggestion for something you think we should be offering, please speak up!  I anticipate we will have some regular offerings but are always interested in new ideas from CHAS members.

Russ

Russ Phifer

WC Environmental, LLC

1085C Andrew Drive

West Chester, PA 19380

610-322-0657

rphifer**At_Symbol_Here**wcenvironmental.com

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