Thank you, Jim, for a productive discussion on this point during the DCHAS Executive Committee meeting this morning.

We came up with a couple of suggestions for folks at their institutions to respond to OSHA:

-       Suggest to OSHA that it adopt the 2010 version of the ANSI Z87.1 with an exception for the use the of spectacles with a face-shield; that this exception is written into the language of the standard.

-       Recommend to OSHA that it does NOT refer to the 2010 version, because of the concerns Jim stated below, and instead refer to the 2014 version when it is published.

If anyone has other suggestions, please speak up. We have until April 13^th to submit comments. Here’s the link again:

http://www.regulations.gov/#!documentDetail;D=OSHA-2014-0024-0001

Ellen

Ellen Sweet

Laboratory Ventilation Specialist

Department of Environmental Health and Safety

Cornell University

Government Relations Committee Chair, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety

315-730-8896

Please look very carefully at the proposed change to 29CFR1910.133. 

http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/FR-2015-03-13/html/2015-05521.htm

I hope you all will object strenuously to the adoption of the ANSI Z87.1-2010 version.  LSI is a member of the Z87.1 committee and was in the minority.

I have three major concerns:

1.     The selection chart says that safety glasses (without side shield) and face shield are sufficient protection for chemical splash.

2.     The splash test does not go further than 90 degrees from the front. 

3.     Wadding material into spaces between the device and the face as permitted in the splash test.

The next edition, 2014, has addressed the first issue. 

Please let me know if you need more information.   … Jim

James A. Kaufman, Ph.D.

President/CEO
The Laboratory Safety Institute (LSI)
A Nonprofit Educational Organization for

Safety in Science, Industry, and Education

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jim**At_Symbol_Here**labsafetyinstitute.org www.labsafetyinstitute.org

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International Council for Associations of Science Education

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