Let us know how it all works out in the end! That’s what’s great about this group - we have such a deep and diverse set of experiences and backgrounds, that when we start brainstorming we get a wide range of thoughts and possible solutions. All
free thanks to ACS!
Speaking of diversity, my apologies to anyone I may have offended or made uncomfortable with my use of a pejorative term (which I need not repeat) referencing how folks sometimes see safety professionals when we are forced into dropping the hammer in a recalcitrant/defiant situation. While it’s unfortunately still part of the vernacular in some corners of the safety universe, if I had been more circumspect or had taken more time to do my usual careful woodcrafting/proofing (with a dash of trademark cheekiness) I likely would have written “safety (insert favorite pejorative descriptor here)”, highlighting just how many other negative descriptors we’ve all heard over the years and avoiding an unnecessarily charged term.
One of our colleagues was kind enough to mention the slip to me, for which I am thankful. If there’s one pedagogical lesson I’ve learned from teaching a 300+ person chemistry lecture, it’s that if one person has a question or concern, it’s likely there are others that do to, they just didn’t speak up. That certainly applies here, hence my note above.
The challenge, of course, is not to make folks use a less-pejorative term, but to finish shifting the structural and cultural attitudes in our client communities to see safety as an integral part of everything done in the lab/workplace and to see us as partners rather than barriers. We’ll get there. Someday. And it will be because of the collective efforts of the like-minded individuals in this and other communities.
Best wishes for a safe and wonderful July Fourth!
Rob Toreki
On Jun 28, 2024, at 4:31 PM, Alex Hagen <fischera**At_Symbol_Here**UW.EDU> wrote:
Thank you all for your helpful suggestions and information. My response to the lab fell somewhere in the middle of all the responses received here. We do try to partner with our labs, but unfortunately we do not have the resources to provide any funding for this.
I hope you all have a great weekend!
Regards,
ALEX HAGEN
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.
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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.
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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
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Larry Unger
Wellington, FL 33414-7785
