I am a lab manager, and we have many students from labs faint or feel faint, especially during Ramadan which just occurred. We generally have the student call someone to escort them home or to student health. If that is not possible, we have also had students
from the lab volunteer to do so. We do not let the student go home or to student health by themselves. In four years, I have not had to leave my labs to escort a student myself.
We also have a university EMS team that comes out, and the local fire department is called out depending on the vitals discovered by the university EMS team. In the case where no one is available to escort the student, which I have not yet had happen, I plan
to call public safety for an escort to either the student's residence, if on campus, or the student health center, but there is no guarantee that they would be able to help where a student lives off campus. I do need to have a contingency plan in place. Something
I need to work out with resources from the university.
Patricia Leach
Lab Manager/Instructor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
The University of Texas at Dallas
SLC 3.513
Office: 972-883-6583
Cell: 469-891-6426
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU> on behalf of Melinda Box <melinda.box**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Sent: Wednesday, March 25, 2026 12:11 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Duty of care limits/boundaries
Hello, all,
I have a new inquiry. This question was brought to my attention recently when a student got a scalpel cut. That is where does the instructor's duty of care end?
Aspects of that I am thinking include delegation to fellow students to escort a student who has fainted or felt faint back to their residence. Similarly delegation for accompanying a student for injury to clinical services. The
challenge is often the balance of duty of care to the one in need medical attention and the ongoing health and wellbeing of the students still in lab. As a lab manager in these situations I have felt so torn between my obligation to be physically present and
available while labs are running and the need to be sure that the injured student gets the proper attention.
Any thoughts/experiences much appreciated,
Thanks as always for all your help with all of my questions,
Melinda Box, MEd, CCHO, ASP
Academic Affairs EHS Specialist
(336) 278-6225
