| About This Archive | | DCHAS-L 2016 Index | | DCHAS-L Yearly Index | |
Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.
|
Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] A mid-winter Lab Safety koan Date: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 10:29:26 AM Author: "Reinhardt, Peter" <peter.reinhardt**At_Symbol_Here**YALE.EDU> |
Next by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Updated glove video Date: Wed, 17 Feb 2016 11:56:52 -0500 Author: Alvaldenio**At_Symbol_Here**verizon.net |
In the mid-70s I was working for some unions in Massachusetts, long before the OSHA Hazcom standard or any recognized right of workers to know what they were exposed to. One employer was using a solvent that made everybody woozy. He refused to tell them what it was, so they smuggled out a vial. I took it to a long-time chemist working for the state and asked if he analyze it. He said: "No need," took off the cap, inhaled deeply, and announced: "50% MEK, 40% toluene, and about 10% methylene chloride." I asked him to do an analysis anyway, just to be sure. He shrugged and did so.
Damn if he wasn't right.
Mike Wright
Michael J. Wright
Director of Health, Safety and Environment
United Steelworkers
412-562-2580 office
412-370-0105 cell
See us on the web at www.usw.org
-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu] On Behalf Of Reinhardt, Peter
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 10:29 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] A mid-winter Lab Safety koan
Ralph,
Thanks for sharing. The statement is certainly written in a "Gone are the good old days..." sentiment. I would LOVE to see that photograph. Could not find it via Google images. Early editions of the Merk Index included taste notes. I think the book's comments mean we are still in a safety culture transition.
Pete Reinhardt, Yale EHS
-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU] On Behalf Of Stuart, Ralph
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2016 10:13 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] A mid-winter Lab Safety koan
I was stuck in the house last weekend due to frigid temperatures and a bad case of the flu, so I managed to catch up on some skimming of potentially interesting books I had brought home from the library. At the risk of revealing my inner nerd, one was "Modern Organic Synthesis in the Laboratory: A Collection of Standard Experimental Procedures", looking for safety advice being given to chemistry majors in 2007.
In section 1.1.2 on "Material Safety Data Sheets" (in Section 1.1, helpfully titled "Safety!"), the authors note:
"Gone are the days when a chemist could smoke a cigarette in the laboratory. Arthur J. Birch was photographed smoking a cigar while demonstrating an ether extraction, which is unthinkable today."
End of section; the next section is "Never Taste Chemicals".
The question that came to my mind while reading this was:
Why did the authors feel the need to note Mr. Birch's lab habits in this context?
Does this choice tell us something about the risk culture being established by the text?
(An interesting irony of this observation is that the introductory sentence of the MSDS section advises that caution is particularly warranted for "reactive chemicals, carcinogens and toxic reagents". However, the example they used to illustrate the point is presumably related to the flammability of ether, rather than those particular hazards of the situation)
Anyway, I've been thinking about this question long enough that I needed to write it out and share it before it will go away...
Comments and insights would be appreciated.
- Ralph
Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Chemical Hygiene Officer
Keene State College
ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu
Previous post | Top of Page | Next post