While agree with the judicial based prudence that Don's comments suggest, I question how realistic these endeavors are. If we teach the students how to read and understand a MSDS once (and maybe test them), do we have the time to do this every week? If we only supply reagent bottles with original labels to the students, do we purchase 100 mL bottles of acid rather than 2.5L bottles? Do we stop making 3M acid solutions because we cannot purchase them from a supplier and cannot provide a bottle with an original label? Based on the training I received at the LSI safety training, you cannot eliminate jury awards for incidents which lead to judicial litigation. However, if you can show a pattern of following the accepted practices, such as those found in the ACS Safety in Academic Laboratories and Prudent Practices, you may be able to reduce the amount of such an award. What do ya'll think? How much time can anyone spend covering their collective hides at the expense of their primary mission? Should we spend the time working on any of the accepted practices that have not been examined an implemented? Paul Weller Science Laboratory Manager-Chemistry Elon University
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