Sammye,

Is coverage under ADA relevant in this case?  She had already had multiple failed pregnancies while performing general chemistry work.  My point was to clarify,has she been trained on basic SDS (and toxicology) terminology?  What is a teratogen?  How is that defined (and limited) within an SDS.  I'm retired now, but professionally held the same credentials, along with CHMM.  But the point being, how well are we training to recognize, evaluate and control those hazards.  

Hopefully, beyond the SDS, the evaluation includes recognizing proper laboratory ventilation AND control from all routes of exposure.  I have run into fume hoods that actually exhausting contaminated air BACK into a lab, and completely permeable PPE being used in certain situations!  

Government regulations establish the minimum control limitations, not those necessary for sensitive (or pregnant) personnel.  One of the biggest regrets I had in my career is learning that a young women also lost several pregnancies and upon detailed questioning, learned that she did not know how to APPLY those terms - we meant to mean things!  The elementary information was included on the SDS, but she did not recognize the priorities of what to discuss with her physician.  Yes, she was trained.  

But did she really know how to interpret the word's definitions or how to apply them?    I know now that after our discussion, she did and became pregnant, to full term a short time later.  Note, this was after several years of trying, and losing.  

Hence our mission as professionals.  A detailed chemical inventory would help.  But how many simply list ,manufacturer's name and product name?  

On Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 3:41 PM Samuella Sigmann <00001d2fb4580b5b-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu> wrote:

To the best of my knowledge, pregnancy is not covered under the ADA.
Sammye

On 9/11/2025 12:55 PM, James Keating wrote:

David,

Government regulations regarding this issue can help mitigate hazards to pregnant women and the fetus that are exposed to chemical, biological and radiological hazards in laboratories and elsewhere in industry.

Sometimes the government is the solution. I am a board certified safety professional with previous employment in the nuclear industry serving in the health physics and radiation protection discipline as RSO (Radiation Safety Officer).

The USNRC regulations 10 CFR 20 limit the radiation exposure to a pregnant woman during the term of the pregnancy. Other US Government agencies including OSHA have established exposure limits for chemical and biological exposure.

There are opportunities for alternative work assignments that provide accommodation for pregnant women so that they can continue to work while pregnant. BTH accommodation is the law - American with Disabilities Act.

Jim Keating

On Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 12:11 PM David EldrEdge <Dave.EldrEdge**At_Symbol_Here**naltic.com> wrote:

Thank you everyone for these excellent comments!

Emerging Consensus (Cross-Cutting Themes)

- SDS literacy is essential but insufficient → must supplement with PubChem LCSS, curated lists, hazard assessments

- Chemical lists/inventories must be provided to make physician consultation meaningful.

- Disclosure is voluntary (Title IX, Pregnancy Discrimination Act).

- Accommodations are common: modified roles, alternative assignments, deferment with no penalty.

- Ventilation/containment is under-discussed but critical: odors = exposure (Jon ASU).

- Legal backbone: Johnson Controls (1991) → institutions must protect both mother and unborn, cannot exclude, cannot offload responsibility.

Again, thank you all so very much. This input is extremely valuable.

We have some work to do. Just 40 minutes south of our campus, Utah Valley University has 12 mini fume hoods in every O-chem lab. That allows every pair of students to handle reagents and materials fully in the hood.

Thank you all again!

- Bruce Van Scoy emphasized that SDS literacy is essential, but this is insufficient on its own and must be supplemented with resources such as PubChem LCSS, curated lists, and hazard assessments (Sammye).

- Tessa Stewart and Rose Rakers showed that chemical lists and inventories must be provided in order to make physician consultation meaningful.

- Debbie Decker reminded us that disclosure is voluntary, reinforced by Title IX and the Pregnancy Discrimination Act.

- Tricia Hahn, Sammye, and others highlighted that accommodations are common: modified roles, alternative assignments, or deferment with no penalty.

- Jon Klane noted that ventilation and containment are under-discussed but critical; if you can smell it, exposure is occurring.

- Catherine Situma shared Auburn University’s comprehensive reproductive health policy, which may serve as a strong model.

- Harry Elston pointed us toward ACS CCS legacy guidance, while Marta Guron recommended the Lane et al. (2022) article as a scholarly baseline.

- Jim Kaufman reminded us of the legal backbone from Johnson Controls (1991), which makes clear that institutions must protect both mother and unborn, -- cannot exclude, and cannot offload responsibility to a PCP.

Warm regards,

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

On Thu, Sep 11, 2025 at 8:12 AM James Kaufman <jkaufman**At_Symbol_Here**labsafetyinstitute.org> wrote:

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

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Samuella B. Sigmann, MS, NRCC-CHO

ACS Committee on Chemical Safety, Chair 2022-2024

ACS Fellow, 2023

ACS Division of Chemical Health & Safety, Fellow & 2019 Chair,

Appalachian State University, Retired

Phone: 336 877 5147

Email: sigmannsb**At_Symbol_Here**retired.appstate.edu

 

 

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