Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2010 15:39:24 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: 7 More on Lab Coat Options

From: "Eric Clark" <erclark**At_Symbol_Here**ph.lacounty.gov>
Date: February 17, 2010 3:23:57 PM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options


Danielle, 
You're right, this is an HR thing.  We've all seen it before.  Some people in the workplace want to cause some kind of consternation, many times with this kind of passive-aggressive acting out with some "unsolvable problem" to watch other people to go through a lot of trouble to somehow figure out solutions for them - only so they can reject them all just to keep the drama going.  And you and our DCHAS colleagues certainly did due diligence and went through a lot of trouble to find reasonable solutions.  
This kind of situation can happen to any of us.  Please include the epilogue at the conclusion of this drama so that we know how HR finally chose to deal with this.  This should be interesting.  

Thanks,
Eric Clark, MS, CCHO, CHMM 
Safety & Compliance Officer 
LRN-C Chemical Terrorism Coordinator 
Los Angeles County Public Health Laboratory 

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From: "Lucy Dillman" <lucydillman**At_Symbol_Here**comcast.net>
Date: February 17, 2010 3:36:09 PM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options

I worked with one person who thought it was too hot if it were over 60 deg. F in the room, however he would wear his PPE, including lab coat and even his respirator when working.  Others I have worked with could always find some reason not to wear PPE:  too hot, couldn't see well with goggles on, safety glasses made them dizzy, only open toed shoes were comfortable, had no closed toed shoes that went with this particular outfit.  Similarly, a safer process to accomplish the same task was too laborious and boring. There's always a reason isn't there?  And I do not think signing a waiver is necessarily appropriate, because I believe you can not compel anyone to sign away their right to sue.  You may think someone would take responsibility for their own bad and unsafe actions, but when it comes down to an incident that results in harm, and there is money involved, don't count on that being the case.

 

That being said, don't be surprised if the non-compliant person (who seems to think he/she has cause) does not come back at you if you try to let them go or reassign them for this non-compliance, especially if this person has been doing it his way without incident for 10+ years.

 

Lucy Dillman


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From: "Anton Jones" <ajones**At_Symbol_Here**bwwsb.com>
Date: February 17, 2010 2:19:10 PM EST
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options


Also if the company doesn=92t want to take a stand on enforcing company safety policy, see if they would agree to have the employee sign a waiver, stating that he chooses not to wear any safety equipment (gloves, safety glasses, lab coat, etc) which would relieve the company from any liability if he was to be injured at work because he didn=92t have on the appropriate safety attire.

 

Thanks Anton Jones

 


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From: ILPI <info**At_Symbol_Here**ilpi.com>
Date: February 17, 2010 2:32:02 PM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options


If you want some fun, invite your the corporate attorney and insurance carrier representative to the meeting as well.

Rob Toreki


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From: <cavanaughmm**At_Symbol_Here**appstate.edu>< /font>
Date: February 17, 2010 2:45:17 PM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options


You're worried about a lab coat but you let them wear safety glasses in lieu of goggles??

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From: Douglas Cody <Douglas.Cody**At_Symbol_Here**ncc.edu>
Date: February 17, 2010 3:04:49 PM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options


This individual should not be allowed to continue to work if he wishes to be noncompliant. 


Douglas S. Cody, MS, MA, CSP, CSHM 
Past Chair NYSUT H&S Task Force 

Professor 
Chemistry Department 
Nassau Community College - S.U.N.Y. 
One Education Drive 
Garden City, New York 11530-6793 
Phone:(516) 572-7986 / Fax:(516) 572-7708 

Homepage: http://faculty2.ncc.edu/codyd

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From: Andrew Gross <gross.drew**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com>
Date: February 17, 2010 3:06:54 PM EST
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Lab Coat Options


I'm curious, what is the nature of his work?  I think a lot of us are
throwing out opinions (myself included) without actually knowing the
full story.

For all we know he can be sitting at a computer doing chemical
modeling and the request for PPE is absurd.  On the flipside, he can
be playing with HF and pyrophorics, where in that case perhaps he
should be allowed to work without PPE under the laws of survival of
the fittest.

===




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