From: Lisa Phillips <bognar.6**At_Symbol_Here**ND.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Academic Medical Policy Question
Date: April 12, 2012 1:47:08 PM EDT
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: <CE82A091FC41F7488B2C2E8F0FFF6BC81B4E93CEF7**At_Symbol_Here**FS2.baylor.edu>


Unless life threatening, chemical exposures (whether lab personnel or service personnel) are seen at the Health Services.  Our Health Services has access to our MSDS online and can they can reach our office if they are uncertain about what is the correct MSDS or questions about it.  (They can get a hold of someone in RM&S 24/7 if necessary.)

We do have our own Fire Department with EMT's/Paramedics, but minor exposures such as acid on hand=97 (first remove and rinse then go to Health Services).  NDFD is not called out.  

Lisa

Lisa Bognar Phillips,CHMM, CHO
Laboratory Safety Compliance Manager
University Biosafety Officer
Risk Management and Safety
University of Notre Dame
Notre Dame, IN 46556
phone: 574-631-5037
fax:   574-631-8794
email: bognar.6**At_Symbol_Here**nd.edu
http://riskmanagement.nd.edu 


From: "Humphrey, Karalyn J." <Karalyn_Humphrey**At_Symbol_Here**BAYLOR.EDU>
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Date: Thu, 12 Apr 2012 12:34:30 -0400
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU" <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Academic Medical Policy Question

Hello,

 

My university is currently involved in discussions concerning how to medically respond to chemical exposures.  Our health center is currently only for routine illness and injury among students.  On one hand we have the opinion that the best course of action is to do what we can (remove and rinse if appropriate) and call the EMTs.  On the other hand, we have the opinion that the health center should become more robust or that we should either hire trained emergency personnel or train all our personnel to be emergency personnel.

 

I wanted to poll the academic members and see (1)  what role does your campus health center play; (2) what role do your lab personnel play; and (3) who are your emergency responders?

 

What I have been able to find online all seems to point to a policy of lab people rendering basic first aid and calling the EMTs.

 

Right now our policy has become to bypass the student health center, since they are not equipped to handle chemical exposures, and call the EMTs.  This is raising concern among our lab personnel, who consistently have the question of what is minor that we can deal with ourselves and what is major enough to call an ambulance.  The university stance is "when in doubt, call", but the personnel seem to want more guidance.  The problem is that every chemical exposure is different because every chemical is different, so we really can't provide hard and fast guidelines.

 

Thanks in advance,

 

Dr. Karalyn (Karen) Humphrey

 

Laboratory Coordinator, Department Safety Officer & Part-Time Lecturer

Baylor University Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry

Office: BSB E.111

Phone:  254-710-2002

"Vast worlds lie within the hollows of each atom, multifarious as the motes in a sunbeam."  ~Yoga Vasishtha

 

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