From: drsamples**At_Symbol_Here**comcast.net Date: August 12, 2009 2:00:42 PM EDT Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Glove use in academic teaching labs I have my students in first year inorganic chemistry wear gloves. Due to allergy issues, I allow them to pick their gloves, but most use the disposable nitrile gloves. Some do use thicker reusable gloves. Although I do not distribute a glove chart (maybe I should), I do carefully explain at the start of the semester the following items: 1) gloves are not impermeable, they just buy you time, so they should never be cavalier when working with chemicals, but treat them with the respect and care that they merit 2) that different gloves are good for different chemicals, and the thicker the better for chemical resistance (but worse for tactile sensation) 3) the pros and cons of different glove types 4) that glove use aids in proper lab hygiene as most people would not scratch their nose wearing gloves, but it can be very easy to do so if you are not wearing gloves 5) related to the above, I go over proper lab hygiene when wearing gloves (or not): not touching door knobs, no touching the face, etc. 6) disposable gloves are disposable, and not meant to be used the entire semester (since they buy their own gloves, students want to resuse the disposable gloves) 7) that their safety is my #1 concern in the lab, so that is why I mandate glove use For inorganic chem, the thinner disposable gloves seem to be fine, except for when they are pouring out the concentrated acids. The organic instructors at our school do not mandate glove use, although I wish that they would consider it. I was required to wear gloves at my undergraduate institution: thicker diswashing gloves for OChem, not the disposable latex ones. Of course, that was a LONG time ago! As an aside, my students have asked me whether I wear goggles and gloves when I clean at home, and I tell them that when I am scrubbing bathtubs/showers I sure do! I don't want bleach in my eyes! Sincerely, Marjorie Samples Folsom Lake College === From: jcrocket**At_Symbol_Here**BRIDGEWATER.EDU Re: 2 Re: [DCHAS-L] Glove use in academic teaching labs In my organic lab, the hazards of the chemicals are discussed and the students are told the hazards in the prelab and in the lab manual. We have gloves in the lab. With the chemicals we are using, we have had no trouble with simple latex gloves. We have some additional gloves for those with allergies. Joe Crockett Department of Chemistry Bridgewater College === From: "Russ Phifer"Date: August 12, 2009 4:05:03 PM EDT Subject: Glove use in academic teaching labs I don't know that I buy the cost argument. A box of 100 powder-free disposable nitrile gloves costs no more than $30. That's $0.60 a pair, and they=92re a lot cheaper than that in quantity. When little Suzy the freshman chemistry student gets chemical burns on her hands and needs plastic surgery, do you think that "well, the gloves were 60 cents a pair, and that was too much to spend" is going to be a valid argument in court? Russ Russ Phifer WC Environmental, LLC 1085C Andrew Drive West Chester, PA 19380 610-696-9220x12/ fax 610-344-7519 rphifer**At_Symbol_Here**wcenvironmental.com
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