Hi Listserv members,
Here is something for the list serve, I
think it is simple and straight forward, but it has become
complicated.
I just want to hear the opinion of some of
my colleagues who may be able to express what is right more
elegant than I.
So it is the first day of classes in the
organic chemistry lab sequence I, I am hanging around to show
students where to put their bags, how to use the hoods, and in
general think about the risks and incorporate safety into
their technique. The students check into a locker drawer
filled with intricate glassware. While students are checking
in, the instructor (a graduate student) is walking around and
the lab technician is in the prep room. A student comes up to
the prep room window and asks for a beaker that is missing and
to have a broken distillation head replaced. It is cracked in
a jagged fashion at one of the ground glass joints, but might
still work without leaking. Perhaps it would work in a still
apparatus, but the jagged edges are a greater risk for the
novice who is new to the hood, PPE, organic chem and the
intricate glassware.
The lab technician provides the missing
beaker and tells the student that the distillation, while
cracked, will still work, the department does not have any
money and she cannot replace it. I come to find that the
technician has 2 dozen new distillation heads on the shelf,
but insists on worrying about the department budget. The
arguments she uses are invalid, this or that has not been
fixed, a chemical order was canceled without her knowledge,
the provost is to blame because they took the money.
Of course I could replace the still head
myself, but what have I really done to change things. I am
trying to educate her and change her culture. I am trying not
to kick this up to a higher level. Before I do, I wanted to
see what the list thinks about this.
Be Well,
James Saccardo, CHMM
james.saccardo**At_Symbol_Here**csi.cuny.edu
Confidentiality
Note: The information contained in this Email and/or
document(s) attached is for the exclusive use of the
individual named above and may contain confidential,
privileged and non-disclosable information. This
communication may also contain data subject to U.S. export
laws, not releasable to Foreign Persons unless authorized by
22 CFR 120-130 or 15.CFR 730-774. If so, that data subject
to the International Traffic in Arms Regulation cannot be
disseminated, distributed or copied to foreign nationals,
residing in the U.S. or abroad, absent the express prior
approval of the U.S. Department of State. If you are not the
intended recipient, you are hereby notified that you are
strictly prohibited from reading, photocopying, distributing
or otherwise using this Email or its contents in any way. If
you have received this communication in error, please notify
the sender by reply e-mail and destroy the e-mail message
and any physical copies made of the communication.
