Date: Wed, 12 Aug 2009 16:34:15 -0400
Reply-To: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
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From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: 3 more Re: [DCHAS-L] Glove use in academic teaching labs

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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