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Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Fume Hood Testing ASHRAE 110 - NIH modified
Date: Thursday, February 1, 2018 at 7:06:29 PM
Author: Bruce Van Scoy <bvanscoy**At_Symbol_Here**TWC.COM> 		Next by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] 2018 CHAS Awards
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 18:48:00 -0800
Author: Robert Alaimo

From: Denise Beautreau <deb313**At_Symbol_Here**LEHIGH.EDU>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Safety Showers, Drains and ADA Compliance
Date: Thu, 1 Feb 2018 20:25:05 -0500
Reply-To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU>
Message-ID: CAG948wFggqELcJ7YPmMLLr79XAOv6Nz8inn-ZWz+rbw=UbZUmA**At_Symbol_Here**mail.gmail.com
In-Reply-To <011601d39b9b$17849f40$468dddc0$**At_Symbol_Here**bellsouth.net>


I think the best suggestion as mentioned in previous comments is to show the cost/benefit to management because they will certainly pay attention to dollars rather than sense at times in situations like this. I work in a building that I was not employed at the institution during the design and construction to give impute but one of the first things I noticed was no drains for the showers. I brought it up at a building safety meeting and noted the fact that if there was an incident in any of the labs and the showers had to be activated that thousands even hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of research equipment and material could lost. I pointed out one area where there were 4 chemistry labs on a floor above the floor where many geology samples, sand/clay simulation "beds" and other environmental samples are stored which would be a total disaster if a leak were to happen. Now there is at least chatter on whether or not drains can be installed after the fact.

Regards,
Denise Beautreau

On Thu, Feb 1, 2018 at 3:27 PM, Zack Mansdorf <mansdorfz**At_Symbol_Here**bellsouth.net> wrote:

Lots of good answers and comments on the benefits and downsides of installing drains (the ADA argument aside since it is BS). I suggest the collection of a few good stories for your management on what happens when you do not install drains.. Your management can decide if they want to take the risks (but you need to provide them with some assessment of the cost/benefit for your institution).

Let me start the ball rolling. I know of a case of a level 3 lab contaminated by a broken valve on a safety shower where there was no floor drain. Also important was the shower was not in the level 3 lab but the water drained there. Cost was in the hundreds of thousands to remediate.

Zack

S.Z. Mansdorf, PhD, CIH, CSP, QEP

Consultant in EHS and Sustainability

7184 Via Palomar

Boca Raton, FL 33433

561-212-7288

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU] On Behalf Of Melissa Anderson
Sent: Thursday, February 1, 2018 10:21 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Safety Showers, Drains and ADA Compliance

Greetings Everyone,

We're working with architects right now to plan out chem labs for a new science building. We've asked for drains under the safety showers and were told that wouldn't be possible because in order to be ADA compliant and have drains, the safety showers would take up too much space- has anyone encountered such an argument?

(Note, we're extremely constrained on space due to some very complicated politics I won't go into here, so making the labs bigger is not an option.)

Thanks,

Melissa Anderson

Instructor

Pasadena City College

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--
Denise Beautreau
General Chemistry Laboratory Manager
Lehigh University
Department of Chemistry
Seeley G. Mudd Building
6 E Packer Ave
Bethlehem, PA 18015
Phone: 610-758-1585
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