Now that we have a searchable version of the DCHAS-L archives dating back to 2003, it is time to leverage the power of the 6,700+ accumulated bits of wisdom that this group has collected. Although the archives are searchable, the amount of information can be overwhelming when one is trying to determine a general consensus or examine the various sides of a topic.  Therefore, I am embarking on an effort to begin a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list for DCHAS.  As we've seen on the DCHAS-L traffic, certain topics come up time and time again, and having these succinctly summarized in one place will be a tremendous service and resource.

More importantly, the DCHAS FAQ will become an important component of an upcoming effort spearheaded by Ralph Stuart, who secured ACS funding for a "Lessons Learned" web site where stakeholders will be able to submit andreview laboratory safetyincidents and develop them as learning opportunities. That effort is currently in the planning and prototype stage and itself lays the groundwork for far more ambitious web resources. We will be soliciting input from members on that separate project later this year.

Given the wide variety of topics, opinions, and experiences that we've seen on DCHAS-L, it is obvious that one or two people can not author and maintain aDCHAS Health and Safety FAQ.  And they shouldn't - there are many experts on this list with the knowledge and experience to handle individual topics with ease and (non-absolute) authority.  By leveraging the expertise of our members and assigning specific topics to those volunteers, the FAQ will be crowd-sourced by experts.

The purpose of this post is to ask for your help in authoring one or more topics of your choosing. ***PLEASE RESPOND TO ME OFF-LIST*** if you wish to contribute. I will be drafting guidelines for authors this week. You do not need knowledge of HTML, just the topic you select.

I've listed some topical areas to get us started. These are in no particular order at the moment, and we have many more worthy ones to add. If you want to author and/or suggest a topic in any of these or other areas, please let me know. Each numbered item is a separate question/topic in an effort to compartmentalize the answers and reduce the length to no more than a couple of paragraphs for each one.

Eyewashes, drench hoses, and safety showers:

1. Water temperature definitions, requirements.[Volunteer: Rob Toreki]

2. Locations.

3. Testing and maintenance.

4. ANSI/OSHA requirements.

5. Floor drains.

6. Alarms.

7. Modesty curtains.

8. ADA compliance.

9. Models, styles, types.

10. Freeze protection requirements and hardware. [Volunteer: Rob Toreki]

11. Scald protectionrequirements and hardware.[Volunteer: Rob Toreki]

12. Flushing fluid.

HAZWOPER:

1. Regulation overview.

2. Refresher courses.

3. Training companies and resources.

Personal Electronic Device Policies

(iPods, stereos, coffermakers, etc.)

Hydrofluoric Acid:

1. First aid treatments

2. SOP's.

3. Spills/cleanup.

Cyanides

1. First aid treatments

2. SOP's.

3. Spills/cleanup.

Laboratory coats

1. Required or not.

2. Cleaning.

3. Flammability.

Eye protection

1. Splash protection.

2. Impact protection.

3. UV/other protection.

4. Policies.

Safety Culture

1. Definition.

2. Industrial.

3. Academic.

4. Implementation

Globally Harmonized System

1. Overview.

2. US implementation; changes to 29 CFR 1910.1200

3. Labeling.

4. MSDS's.

Microscale Chemistry

1. Resources.

2. Experiences, justifications, savings etc.

Green Chemistry

1. Resources.

2. Experiences, justifications, savings etc.

Chemical Inventory

1. Policies.

2. Software.

Fume Hoods

1. Types, comparison.

2. Ductless.

3. Testing and maintenance.

4. Regulations and requirements.

NMR and MRI

1. Magnetic safety.

2. Cryogenic safety.

3. Asphyxiation prevention.

4. Emergency procedures and egress.

Thanks in advance for your assistance on this ambitious effort!

Rob Toreki

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