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Date: Tue, 20 Dec 2005 13:45:45 -0600
Reply-To: Diane Amell <Diane.Amell**At_Symbol_Here**STATE.MN.US>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Diane Amell <Diane.Amell**At_Symbol_Here**STATE.MN.US>
Subject: Re: Confusing risk message?
Comments: To: rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU
For what it is worth, here's my two cents:
While I realize that high school and college students are looking
"younger" all the time, I think the two girls in the photo aren't high
school age yet. (Note the adults and the little blond boy in the background
.)
As far as the lab coats and safety glasses go, I would be interested in
what they were told up front. I wonder if they weren't told that this is
what scientists and chemists wear when performing experiments in the lab.
(Lots of kids like to play Dress Up or wear costumes. After all, you often
see kids wear "helmets" when visiting the local station during National
Fire Prevention Week.) It certainly doesn't hurt to teach them the
importance of eye protection.
As far as goggles vs spectacles go, yes, if there was a serious splash
risk, then goggles should be worn. As the material in question looks
suspiciously like a slightly irritating Palmolive dish soap solution, and
there isn't much of it to splash in the face, goggles would have been
major overkill. My guess is that, since goggles are more expensive and
much more uncomfortable than the inexpensive glasses used, they decided to
go with the cheaper alternative for educational purposes.
I don't think young kids have the chemical/environmental paranoia that
many adults have; in fact that is one of the reasons National Chemistry
Week was started in the first place. (In fact, many are curious about
chemistry and "mixtures".) I don't think the get-up would instill the same
fear that adults get from reading "lawyerized" MSDSs or listening to
extreme environmentists screaming about the "evils" of chemicals and that
they all should be banned.
As far as college freshman attitude goes, I can't help you there. I would
hope that some of the kids being required to wear PPE in high school would
be conditioned to accept wearing it in college. (Similar to young children
and car safety seats.) It wouldn't hurt, however, to make sure that the
professors, TAs and grad students are all complying with proper practice
as well.
In regards to ANSI Z87.1-2003, while it doesn't say explicitly that "Thou
shalt wear goggles when exposed to chemical splash risk," it does:
1) State that "goggles provide more protection than spectacles from
impact, dust, liquid splash and optical radiation hazards" (paragraph
6.1.2);
2) Requires that a hazard assessment be conducted and identifies six
hazard categories to address, including chemical (liquid splash) (paragraph
6.2.2 (1)); and
3) Recommends that goggles be used to protect against chemical hazards
(Annex I * Selection Chart).
I'll shut up now.
- Diane Amell, MNOSHA
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>>> "Ralph Stuart" 12/19/2005 10:56:10 AM >>>
I received the December 12 issue of C&EN news today and found the
cover photo to be a rather confusing risk message. It shows two high
school girls participating in National Chemistry Week activities with
lab coats and safety glasses on. They are using straws to blow air
into liquid soap to form bubbles.
My gut reaction in looking at the picture was "oh my god, they're
mouth-pipetting; I thought we got rid of that last century". Looking
at the picture more closely, I realized what was going on and
understood why they wanted to use straws for better pressure control.
However, my question is "Are the lab coats and glasses appropriate in
this setting?"
By using these ppe in this situation, are the girls building good lab
habits, or perhaps, receiving a confusing risk message that says
liquid soap is as dangerous as any other chemical you might work
with? When they get to college chemistry lab are they less likely to
use ppe when working with a strong corrosive because they "too old"
for high school habits now?
I don't expect a clear answer, but I'd be interested in hearing CHAS
people's thoughts...
- Ralph
Ralph Stuart, CIH
Environmental Safety Manager
University of Vermont
Environmental Safety Facility
667 Spear St. Burlington, VT 05405
rstuart**At_Symbol_Here**uvm.edu
fax: (802)656-5407
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