About This Archive  | DCHAS-L 2010 Index   | DCHAS-L Yearly Index
person wearing a disposable face shield and surgical style mask

Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.

Previous by Date:
Subject: Re: Earbud policy in Labs
Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 10:29:02 -0700
Author: Navneet 		Next by Date:
Subject: Chemical Safety headlines from Google
Date: Fri, 8 Oct 2010 07:37:15 -0400
Author: Ralph Stuart


Date: Thu, 7 Oct 2010 17:14:10 -0400
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**ROCHESTER.RR.COM>
Subject: Re: Earbud policy in Labs
In-Reply-To: <760940.36704.qm**At_Symbol_Here**web33002.mail.mud.yahoo.com>
I suspect we may still have a semantic issue.  Ear pugs are not used to bring programmed sound to the user, only to block ambient noise.  Ear buds are a miniaturized form of earphone, used to listen to programming without disturbing others nearby.
 
Both ear plugs and ear buds may look like they are fully inserted into the outer ear, but only ear plugs block ambient sound. 
 
Some people do mistake the insertion of a ear bud for a noise blocking mechanism and think this can be used in noisy areas for hearing protection.  Some merely use ear buds in noisy areas to mask annoying ambient sounds. In either case they mask or distract from the ambient noise by raising the volume of the sound provided by the ear bud, thus increasing the net sound energy reaching the ear drum.
 

Peter Zavon, CIH
Penfield, NY

PZAVON**At_Symbol_Here**Rochester.rr.com


From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Navneet
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 1:29 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs

You're right, Mark!  I have been thinking of ear plugs all along.  My apologies for sending out the information pertaining to misunderstood concept.
 
I have not come across anyone using earbuds (earphones, as I understand) while working in the lab, undergrad or research.
Navneet S.


--- On Thu, 10/7/10, Ellison, Mark <mellison**At_Symbol_Here**SACHSCO.COM> wrote:

From: Ellison, Mark <mellison**At_Symbol_Here**SACHSCO.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Date: Thursday, October 7, 2010, 1:11 PM

Perhaps we are having a semantics issue here.  As I read these, I interpret "earbud" to be a device that is plugged into an MP3 player (or similar device) to facilitate listening to music.  Navneet may be referring to "ear plugs" rather than the headphones.  Just a thought.  In any case, if the noise is loud enough that someone is trying to block it with whatever means necessary, then dosimetry is in order.
 
Mark Ellison
"Plan Safety - Work Safely"
P Please consider the environment before printing this email
 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Navneet
Sent: Thursday, October 07, 2010 7:42 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs

I have not used them personally but have seen other analysts use when working with loud equipment.  If they use it, I assume they provide some kind of sound barrier.  And these equipments are definitely not in use for an entire day; may be for couple mins during one sample prep or sort.
I was just providing a suggestion, as everyone else.

Thanks
Navneet S.


--- On Wed, 10/6/10, Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**ROCHESTER.RR.COM> wrote:

From: Peter Zavon <pzavon**At_Symbol_Here**ROCHESTER.RR.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 8:08 PM

In my opinion, Navneet is incorrect in asserting that ear buds can minimize the loud noise produced by equipment, even for a short time.  Ear buds are not ambient  noise blocking devices.  When used in a noisy environment, they will encourage the wearer to adjust the programmed sound to a louder level than would otherwise be used - so it can be heard over the background.  The net result is that the ear is presented with more intense sound than would be the case with the background alone.
 

Peter Zavon, CIH
Penfield, NY

PZAVON**At_Symbol_Here**Rochester.rr.com


From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Navneet
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2010 12:33 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs

In my experience, ear buds are allowed if working with loud equipment such as vacuum pump.  Constant loudness is a safety hazard in itself and can be minimized by use of ear buds for a short time of loud instrument/equipment usage.

Navneet S.


--- On Wed, 10/6/10, Peifer, Patricia <Patricia.Peifer**At_Symbol_Here**WESTPHARMA.COM> wrote:

From: Peifer, Patricia <Patricia.Peifer**At_Symbol_Here**WESTPHARMA.COM>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Date: Wednesday, October 6, 2010, 11:25 AM

I am not in a teaching or research lab either, but we ban them as well.  Not only for safety reasons but also because of the impression it makes when we have client or regulatory agency audits. 

From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**list.uvm.edu] On Behalf Of Long, Don
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2010 11:16 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs

We are neither a teaching or a research lab, but we do prohibit earbuds in our lab. Folks need to maintain awareness of what's going on around them...........

 

Don A. Long
STS, CAIH
Southwest Research Institute Laboratory
Pine Bluff Chemical Agent Disposal Facility
PO Box 20130
White Hall, AR  71612
870-541-4930

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU]On Behalf Of Wawzyniecki Jr, Stefan
Sent: Wednesday, October 06, 2010 9:51 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Earbud policy in Labs

How many of you have a policy banning earbuds in laboratories?

Does it apply only to Undergrad teaching labs, or does it extend into research labs?

-Stefan Wawzyniecki

University of Connecticut

The contents of this message are confidential and may be privileged. If you have received this message in error, please permanently delete it, along with any files that may be attached to this message, without reading, printing, copying, forwarding or otherwise distributing it. Please notify the sender of the error immediately so that we can prevent it from happening again.





This e-mail transmission, and any of its attachments, may contain information that is confidential and may be privileged. This e-mail is intended only for the addressee(s) named above. If you receive this e-mail in error, please do not read, copy or disseminate it in any manner. If you are not the intended recipient, any disclosure, copying, distribution or use of the contents of this information is prohibited and may be unlawful. If you have received this communication in error, please reply to the sender immediately by reply e-mail and/or by telephone, informing the sender that the message was misdirected. After replying, please erase it from your computer system. Thank you.

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post


The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.