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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] teaching STOP! DROP! ROLL! Date: Thursday, July 12, 2018 at 4:27:27 PM Author: Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**rochester.rr.com> |
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When I started 5 years ago as Safety Coordinator, I instituted the "take care of yourself first" approach to emergency training with students. All students can sometimes be confused about what to do, who to ask, who they need to report the incident to, and the result is that they focus on getting someone to help them rather than taking action.
I now explain to our students through several example scenarios about the value of action. Example 1: A concentrated acid spill on clothing. Person A tried to find help and ends up with acid burns because of delayed treatment. Person B goes to the shower immediately and is okay. Example 2: Chemicals in the eye. Person A yells and doesn't know what to do and ends up damaging their eye due to a several minute delay in water flushing. Person B immediately goes to the face wash and upon examination is found to be fine. Unfortunately, I have personally witnessed both types of people and these examples over the years.
The chemical in the eye scenario happened during the summer two years ago and fortunately, the graduate student responded like person B. They later told me they panicked but knew what to do because of our training. The student told me she took care of herself first. In fact, no one else was around who could have helped her at the moment, so while flushing her eyes, she started yelling. She did not leave the eyewash and eventually, someone heard her. The physician who inspected her eyes found no damaged and was amazed because the chemicals were TFA and acetonitrile.
"It's not what happens but what you do in response that matters most"
Tammy Rechtin
Chemical Engineering Safety Coordinator
Univ. of Arkansas
tlutzrec**At_Symbol_Here**uark.edu
-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Stuart, Ralph
Sent: Thursday, July 12, 2018 1:36 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] teaching STOP! DROP! ROLL!
> >I recently realized this instruction is more useful to those nearby than to the person on fire.
Not to distract from Sheila's question, but this reminds me of a story related at this week's CSHEMA conference. A student in a teaching ended up with sulfuric acid on their face. They and the TA didn't start washing their face for 10 minutes because they weren't sure:
1) whether the liquid was water or acid (that question answered itself) and
2) whether they had "permission" to use the safety shower if it was acid.
This was a good reminder to me that in addition to training everyone how to respond, it's valuable to empower them to respond on their own.
- Ralph
Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Environmental Safety Manager
Keene State College
603 358-2859
ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu
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