I will not let students wear skin tight pants of any kind.  The whole reason for long pants is to keep dripped or spilled chemicals off the skin, and skin tight pants hold them against the skin, absolutely insuring that it will cause a problem if it is a dangerous corrosive substance.  So in our lab, they are prohibited, just as open shoes, and holes in the pants, and any other attire that leaves the skin likely to be injured from a spill or splash.  Likewise I require crew necklines, and long sleeves for corrosives, and tied hair, lab coats, goggles, gloves, and the whole nine yards.  I start the semester with a couple of graphic demos of what strong acid can do, (for example: acid in the eye using petri dishes with eyes drawn on them and egg white in them, add strong acid, watch result) and they donŐt fight more than once.  The  one time they show up inappropriately dressed and arenŐt allowed to stay for the experiment, is the last time it happens in that section.  I also insist they show up on time, since the safety reminders each week are given at the start of the lab period, so if they are late, they arenŐt safe, and cannot stay.  Enforcing it once is all it takes.  (They write on their lab evals that they donŐt feel scared because they know Meg is keeping them safe.)

 

Meg

 

Meg Osterby

Lead Chemistry Instructor

Western Technical College

400 7th St. N.

LaCrosse, WI 54601

osterbym@westerntc.edu

608-789-4714

 

"It's  better to be careful 100 times, than to be killed once." 

                                                    Mark Twain

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L@PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Tambasco, Aniello
Sent: Thursday, September 29, 2016 8:48 AM
To: DCHAS-L@PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Lab PPE Question

 

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