Date: Fri, 15 Apr 2011 09:11:56 -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: Andrew Gross <gross.drew**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Subject: Re: 8 Re: [DCHAS-L] Yale student killed in chemistry laboratory
accident/ A Call for a broad perspective on safety
In-Reply-To: <C2199DAD-FCFD-452D-B5C5-4550462D7085**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG>

From the information I gather in the article the machine shop was dedicated to the laboratories, as far as I'm concerned it is a laboratory. As far as placing blame, this was not a graduate student, a phd or an employee, this was an undergrad and by the very definition someone taking their first steps towards becoming a scientist. These steps should never, under no circumstance, ever take place unsupervised especially with machining equipment (not to exclude methyl-ethyl-bad-stuff). With that being said, I do place blame, on the professor who authorized the student to have a key, the admin who gave the key and the EHS professional who allowed this to all take place under their watch, and this blame is criminal. AG On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 8:22 AM, Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety wrote: > From: fred.simmons**At_Symbol_Here**srs.gov > Date: April 15, 2011 7:25:16 AM EDT > Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 8 Re: [DCHAS-L] Yale student killed in chemistry > laboratory accident/ A Call for a broad perspective on safety > > > When I was in school I had the lathe, drill press and other machine shop > tools in my laboratory along with all of the traditional chemistry lab > equipment. I fail to see the difference here. Whether you call this a > lab or a machine shop it was a part of here "Chemistry Lab" environment and > the distinction is surely irrelevant to her friends and family. > > Fred Simmons > Savannah River Nuclear Solutions > > > > >

From the information I gather in the article the machine shop was dedicated to the laboratories, as far as I'm concerned it is a laboratory.=A0 As far as placing blame, this was not a graduate student, a phd or an employe e, this was an undergrad and by the very definition someone taking their fi rst steps towards becoming a scientist.=A0 These steps should never, under no circumstance, ever take place unsupervised especially with machining equ ipment (not to exclude methyl-ethyl-bad-stuff).=A0 With that being said, I do place blame, on the professor who authorized the student to have a key, the admin who gave the key and the EHS professional who allowed this to all take place under their watch, and this blame is criminal.

AG



On Fri, Apr 15, 2011 at 8: 22 AM, Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <secretary**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org>< /span> wrote:
Date: April 15, 2011 7:25:16 AM EDT
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 8 Re: [DCHAS-L] Yale student killed in chemistry laboratory accident/ A Call for a broad perspective on safety


When I was in sch ool I had the lathe, drill press and other machine shop tools in my laborat ory along with all of the traditional chemistry lab equipment.=A0 I fail to see the difference here.=A0 Whether you call thi s a lab or a machine shop it was a part of here "Chemistry Lab" e nvironment and the distinction is surely irrelevant to her friends and fami ly.=A0

Fred Simmons=A0
Savannah Ri ver Nuclear Solutions=A0





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