This unfortunately is contrary to the US Supreme Court decision in the United Autoworkers vs Johnson Controls 1991.

The employer must protect both the mother and unborn child.

The employer must understand the reproductive hazards of their chemicals.  They must train, inform and not hand it off to an employee's PCP (who may be totally clueless).

I had one related case that settled at 10 million.   ... Jim 

James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.
Founder, LSI
Serving Industry, Government, & Academia for 50 years
508-574-6264

On Wed, Sep 10, 2025, 11:05 AM Doug Cody <dsc1950**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com> wrote:

When I was a member of Farmingdale State's chemistry faculty, the college policy was to make available a list of all chemicals to any student if they requested it. The students were then informed that guidance in this matter should come from their physician.

Doug Cody

Douglas S. Cody, CSP(RET), CSHM Emeritus, AA, BA, BS, MS, MA

Assistant Professor

Health Careers & PE Department – Ammerman - Fire Protection & Life Safety Studies

Natural Sciences – Grant - Chemistry

Past President of the American Society of Safety Professionals, LI Chapter

Past Chair NYSUT Health & Safety Committee

codyd**At_Symbol_Here**sunysuffolk.edu 

 

On Wed, Sep 10, 2025 at 9:21 AM David EldrEdge <Dave.EldrEdge**At_Symbol_Here**naltic.com> wrote:

Dear DCHAS Colleagues,

I'm a part time adjunct lab instructor at a community college. I would appreciate your advice on a situation in my organic chemistry teaching lab today.

One of my students confided last semester (in general chemistry II) that she has experienced multiple early pregnancy losses over the years and how heartbreaking that was for her. Now today, a brand new semester, in organic chemistry, she shared the joyful news that she is expecting and asked if there are concerns with her working with or handling today's lab materials.

I reached out to a nearby more experienced colleague just down the hall but received little direction beyond the idea that she should avoid handling chemicals directly and instead contribute through documentation and observations while her partner does the manipulations.

Today’s experiment was a simple extraction using naphthalene and benzoic acid, but the naphthalene odor became more noticeable as the first hour progressed even with good ventilation and fume hood use. Out of caution, I excused her from the lab after reviewing information that indicates naphthalene fumes can be problematic during pregnancy.

I would like to know from this group:

• Do your institutions have written policies or guidelines for mothers-to-be in teaching labs?

• Are there specific substances (like naphthalene or common solvents) you flag as higher-risk during pregnancy?

• How do you balance protecting health while still supporting a student’s educational progress?

Given her personal history, I want to be proactive in safeguarding her well-being while keeping her on track academically. Any perspectives, examples, or resources would be very helpful.

David EldrEdge

Co-Owner

NALTIC Industrials, LLC

de**At_Symbol_Here**naltic.com

www.naltic.com

888.891.0077 Main

435.503.4972 Cell

435.767.7714 Google Voice & Text

435.654.2727 Fax

ᐧ

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