Good morning and Happy New Year!

 

When I taught community college microbiology (students were pre-clinical nursing majors), I impressed that all of the safety requirements of a chemistry lab (especially with PPE) apply to this lab, and a few the chemists never thought of.  With microscopes, I can’t see anything in the lens through goggles either, so I had the students disinfect the eyepiece with an alcohol prep after use.  My “day job” is science supervisor of a K-12 school district, and I’ve advised teachers not to do microscope work during hybrid learning during covid.  For that age group, the experience can be replicated with micrographs from the internet, and it’s very difficult to help a student focus a microscope while maintaining appropriate distancing.  The risks outweigh the educational benefits at the moment.

 

Regarding the question, when should I wear goggles (in all of our classes, we use ANSI Z87.1 D3 chemical splash goggles), I think of one of our 7^th grade classes going over safety protocols.  The classroom was lecture seats in one half and lab in the other half.  One student pointed to the lab and asked, “wouldn’t be easier to just say, if we’re working there, we have to wear the goggles?” I hope the kid got extra credit!

 

 

 

 

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