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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Flame Resistance & Lab Coats Date: January 28, 2013 12:25:04 PM EST Author: "Smith, George S."

Next by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Flame Resistance & Lab Coats Date: January 28, 2013 2:50:02 PM EST Author: Ralph B Stuart

This may also help with the discussion

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=quTegBMio6U

We here at NU put this short video together on how FR coats stack up against other types of fabrics and the "typical" polyester/cotton blend. Our Chemistry department has started to make the switch to only FR coats, and other departments are following. We found a supplier that charges about $38 per coat for a Bulwark FR coat. We found that typical 100% (without any treatment) was about $25, so the cost was not that much more.

nick

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Slawomir Janicki
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 11:21 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Flame Resistance & Lab Coats

Russ, Robin,

Could you comment on how severe is the threat from burning lab coats? Using pyrophoric chemicals would seem one reason to use FR lab coats, but using these lab coats every day seems like excess cost and unnecessary exposure to FR chemicals.

Shouldn't engineering controls (glove box under N2, vessel containment, fire suppression system etc.) be used before additional PPE is used? In the specific case of fuming nitric acid (my own experience) using acid and oxidizer resistant long gloves, apron, and face shield should be standard practice, and questions about resistance of FR lab coats to fuming nitric acid complicates the assessment.

At one of my previous employers (org synthesis lab, mg to kg scale, pyrophorics used rarely in mg/mL amounts) we looked at FR lab coats after we discontinued cotton lab coat service. We decided to go with the Tyvek lab coats because the occurrence of fires was nil (>15 years) and we increased training and review of chemistry performed in the labs.

Just curious,
Slawomir Janicki

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Robin M. Izzo
Sent: Monday, January 28, 2013 11:49 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Flame Resistance & Lab Coats

Russ,

I will look for the literature on this, but to quickly answer about the treated coats vs. Nomex, the companies that sell the treated coats say that the fire resistance begins to fail after two years. The Nomex is more expensive, but the fire resistance does not fade.

I have seen some literature on all but the human toxicity of the treated FR coats.

Thanks,
Robin

Robin M. Izzo, M.S.
Associate Director, EHS
Princeton University
609-258-6259 (office)

Get your facts first, then you can distort them as you please.
~ Mark Twain

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Russell Vernon
Sent: Sunday, January 27, 2013 1:01 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Flame Resistance & Lab Coats

So the discussion in the UC Lab Safety world now includes flame retardant lab coats and human/environmental potential consequences.

I would greatly appreciate being pointed toward information that would help us more intelligently discuss these concerns:

How good are FR coats in a real flammable liquid fire? How does that compare to non-FR lab coats?
Are the treated cloth lab coats inferior to the "Nomex" type?
Do the modern treated FR coats demonstrate any human toxicity or environmental adverse effects?

Literature that may help us in answering these kinds of questions is what I am asking you to help me find.

Sincerely,
-Russ

Russell Vernon, Ph.D.

Director

Environmental Health & Safety

University of California Riverside

900 University Ave

EH&S
Riverside, CA 92521

www.ehs.ucr.edu

russell.vernon**At_Symbol_Here**ucr.edu

direct 951.827.5119

admin 951.827.5528

fax 951.827.5122

after hours emergency contact UCPD 951.827.5222

________________________________________
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] on behalf of Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [secretary**At_Symbol_Here**DCHAS.ORG]
Sent: Friday, January 25, 2013 10:50 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (12 articles)

From: Melissa Charlton-Smith
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] Chemical Safety headlines from Google (12 articles)
Date: January 25, 2013 1:33:49 PM EST

Nitric acid is aqueous, so how can it be flammable (in the Tripoli
story)

Possibly someone who KNOWS told the reporter that it's an oxidizer and at certain concentrations can cause combustion in contact with combustible materials....and the reporter took the short root to "it's flammable".

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