John, Those are exactly the PBS lectures I was thinking about when I wrote that rant. Now they are interesting and they cite safety over and over, but someone needs to go over the scripts first. In one show of his, he and another demonstrator climbed up from a chair to stand on the bench top for an experiment. There was even a comment that this was not advisable, but they did it anyway. And there are other gaffs I've seen watching this series. But let looks just at the xmas show link you sent.
1. Some of the liquids used were Category 1, 2 and 2A eye hazards. Where was the eye wash? I think this is the place to have a portable unit and to explain it's purpose and reinforce the "don't do this at home" message.
2. No one wears chemical gloves and most don't have lab coats.
3. One demo generated massive amounts of dry ice fog spilling over the edge of the stage and well into the audience. In my training I do calculations for dry ice in fog rooms with ASHRAE ventilation rates and pre-existing CO2 levels to show how one experiment like this can result in levels way above the ASHRAE 62 standard. But the fog is REALLY dangerous in smaller rooms where it is commonly used for Halloween parties and the like. There have been a number of incidents, but I now show my classes the video of idiots dumping about that same amount of dry ice used in this lecture into an indoor pool at a party. Three people died. Dry ice fog should not be generated without warnings.
And that's for starters. So here are some of the ideas for a curriculum for the certification of chemical demonstrators:
VENTILATION: It should start with a short course on ventilation so demonstrators would be able, with maybe some help from the buildings Facilities manager, to estimate the air exchange rate in the room in which the demonstration is to be held. Any gas release, fog, particulate, vapor, etc. needs to be looked at in terms also of air quality alterations.
FIRE SUPPRESSION SYSTEMS. The venues fire suppression system also should be completely understood. This Xmas demo was in the Union Theater. Most theaters have smoke detectors that activate on detection of a particulate. In my biz, fog and haze effects where these systems are used, requires a fire department permit to deactivate the system temporarily. If the experiments could set off such systems, this needs to be known before the demo is done.
THE BUILDINGS FIRE AND EVACUATION PLAN. All buildings are supposed to have these plans under both local and OSHA regulations. The plans should be required reading before putting on a demo just in case you actually need to know where to evacuate, what number to call for fire, medical help, etc. And announcements about exits and protocol now are common even in well-run theaters. Before the demos start, the exits and general protocol in an emergency announced to the audience.
SAFETY EQUIPMENT. All the same safety equipment necessary for lab use of the demo chemicals should be present in the lecture room. Explanation of it's use can be brief, but should be part of the presentation script.
PROPER PPE and CLOTHING. Determining the exact clothing and PPE required for doing the demos in the lab should be done. And that same clothing and PPE should be worn.
CALCULATING FOR EACH DEMO. Next there should be rough estimates of the heat, light, generation of gases, vapors or particulate, and other physical hazards for each demo if it is done right and if something is done wrong. Etc.
And so on. Dang, it's a show. Act like Producers and Tech Directors because that's what you are in this case.
Monona
-----Original Message-----
From: John Callen <jbcallen**At_Symbol_Here**gmail.com>
To: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Cc: Monona Rossol <actsnyc**At_Symbol_Here**cs.com>; peter.reinhardt**At_Symbol_Here**yale.edu
Sent: Sun, Jun 14, 2020 2:14 am
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] pumpkin fire and other demos
Monona,
You bring back vivid memories of the thermite and other reactions which I had "safely" seen over the years of my chemistry training, initially first demonstrated by Alfred E. Crispin (Chemistry) and Louis Wagner (General Science & Physics) at Lake View High School (Chicago, IL) and then by Professors Robert W. Parry (General & Inorganic Chemistry) and Edgar F. Westrum, Jr. (Thermodynamics & Physical Chemistry) at The University of Michigan at Ann Arbor.
When I was a Freshman Chemistry Teaching Assistant at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, I had the esteemed honor and privilege of working together with Professor Gilbert P. Haight, Jr. and his Postdoc / Junior Faculty Member, Bassam Z. Shakhashiri, Ph.D., do the same and other reactions many times. Professor "Gil" was very dedicated to teaching chemistry to freshman students and pioneered the blending of multimedia and TV into his lectures, labs and demonstrations. He was especially known for his famous Christmas Lectures which blended humor and explosive demonstrations. Professor Bassam Z. Shakhashiri took that "Christmas Lecture" with him to the University of Wisconsin - Madison, when he accepted a position there in 1970. I have attached below the link to Professor Shakhashiri's 49th "Once Upon Christmas Cheery in the Lab of Shakhashiri" (PBS Wisconsin Originals). I hope that you and especially all members of DCHAS will watch it to see how demonstrations can be controlled and safely be done. In particular, please note how Professor Shakhashiri safely demonstrates the metal colors in the flame of a Bunsen Burner.
As you may know, Michael Faraday at the Royal Institution of Great Britain in 1825 initiated the concept of "Christmas Lectures" and they have occurred on an annual basis except during the World War II (1939 - 1942). Both Professors Haight and Shakhashiri patterned their lectures and demonstrations in an informative and entertaining manner after Michael Faraday.
And speaking about pyrotechnics, a variation of the thermite reaction which most people witness on July 4th in the USA is the sparkler. That's a discussion for another time.
If you have any questions or comments about the above, please let me know. Thanks!
Be Safe & Well!
All My Best,
John B. Callen, Ph.D.
3M Personal Safety Division - Retired
DCHAS Founding Member
(312) 632-0195
From: Monona Rossol <
actsnyc**At_Symbol_Here**cs.com>
Re: pumpkin fire and other demos
Someone just sent that old 2018 Duluth GA pumpkin explosion video and some other horrendous experimental fluffs. And I had a thought, well at least I think I did. You'll tell me.
We are never going to get rid of the explosive demonstration in the science class. It is just part of the culture and no matter how we rail against it, it is a fixed star in the firmament. I watch the program from the U of Wisconsin most weekends and have seen there that shouldn't have been done as well. And I still remember Aaron J. Idhe's experiments at the same University in the 1950s. Don't tell me you haven't got some stored away you your memory banks as well.
Perhaps we need an ACS certification program for teachers who have been trained to do safe demos. Such a program might at least take the option away from the rookies and unqualified. Schools probably would be happy to send their teachers for this kind of certification to help protect liability. It would work sort of like the licensing of pyrotechnic operators which I deal with all the time..
And check lists for each experiment could be worked out which would then make an investigation of any accident easier. They'd be limited to doing the experiments for which they were certified which would get people back into training when some new and attractive atrocity was developed. And so on.
OK. my head is on the chopping block. Have at it.
Monona
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