ALL & Monona,

Monona makes a very solid point regarding a compendium of excuses.

Please bear in mind that you should have a solid response based on facts and not emotion for each excuse.  Also and before you hand it out, make sure you submit your institution's statement, which may be taken from Monona's below, to your legal and HR departments for their review and blessings.

Afterwards and in the first session of the class at the beginning of the school year or at another opportune time at a research institution, hand it out as part of a safety training session.  As you may know, the key to the proper use and wear of PPE is training, which in the case of use of NIOSH-approved respirators is mandatory.

In the meantime, regarding placing tape on a mask at the bridge of the nose to prevent fogging should be a "no-no."  It's like putting a bandage on top of a bandage but also it could be a  "can of worms."  It maybe that the wearer doesn't know how to don it properly according to the manufacturer's instructions and that is assuming that it is not a "home-made" mask.  If that fails, switch to another brand.  Bear in mind that if the wearer tries to use any consumer or industrial tape, the adhesive might cause skin sensitivity, irritation or worse -damage.  I remember witnessing a work trying to doff a full facepiece respirator which he had "duct-tapped" around his face.  The tape struck so firmly to his face that he had to be taken to the ER to have it surgically removed!  The solution, after-the-fact was to switch him in a different sized full facepiece respirator.  Surgical tape might be a solution.  Please bear in mind that, in the litigious world we live in today, placing tape on a mask, if the manufacturer's instructions do not state  it can be done, legally releases that manufacture from any liability if the wearer gets injured, sick or dies from using the taped mask or for that matter taped respirator.

Be Safe, Sound, Vigilant and Well!

All My Best,

John B. Callen, Ph.D.

3M Personal Safety Division - Retired

ACS/DCHAS Founding Member 

On Aug 1, 2020, at 9:27 AM, Monona Rossol <0000030664c37427-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU> wrote:

So many creative excuses have been submitted.  Don't lose them.  Instead, a compendium of all of these excuses should be made and printed up.  Then it should be handed to the students who object to wearing PPE with the statement that: 

"We've investigated all of these issues and found them non persuasive.  If you can find a new reason not to wear your PPE, we'll investigate your case.  Otherwise, wear it."

Monona

-----Original Message-----
From: davivid <davivid**At_Symbol_Here**WELL.COM>
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Sent: Fri, Jul 31, 2020 12:53 pm
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] PPE Excuses for Non-Compliance

I think one of the issues here is the disconnect between everyday
activities and labwork. How many of you have seen demos or experiments
that use essentially kitchen ingredients and methods where everyone had
to wear PPE? PPE is rarely used in the kitchen (OK, I've used goggles
when slicing onions) but as soon as you start calling what you're doing
"science" everyone has to suit up.

This disconnect tends to make people see these requirements as fussy
bureaucratic overkill when in everyday situations the hazards present
would be seen as minimal or non-existent. Emphasizing PPE use in such
cases can diminish the perception of the need for PPE use in more
hazardous situations.

My $0.02

Dave
Principal
Clavis Technology Development

On 7/30/20 11:25 AM, Tammy M. Lutz-Rechtin wrote:
> The easy answer is PPE is not only about what you are doing but minimum requirements for entry to the space you are working in.
>
> Excuses in addition to the ones listed by Jeff and Debbie:
>
>    *  "I have sunglasses on and they protect my eyes."  This really makes me crazy especially when used as PPE for a light source in the lab. No one ever thinks about infra-red dangers.
>    *  "Noise-canceling headphones should work for sonicators. Right?"
>    *  "My eyewear gives me headaches."
>    *  " I can't do computer work with my safety glasses on"
>    *  "I'll just wear two pairs of gloves. It's cheaper than buying those others."
>    *  " I have socks on but you just can't see them" while I can see skin between the bottom of their pants and shoes.
>    *  "Yoga pants are all I own"
>    *  "It takes too long and I'm just in here for a minute"
>
>
>
> Staying Safe,
>
> Tammy
>
>
> From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Jeffrey Lewin
> Sent: Thursday, July 30, 2020 11:57 AM
> To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
> Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] PPE Excuses for Non-Compliance
>
>
>    *  The activity I'm doing doesn't require eye protection (using a microscope in a biology lab)
>    *  The activity I'm doing isn't hazardous, nor are there any hazardous activities in the lab (using a computer with no "active" experiments running, i.e. no one else working in the lab, but there are unattended experiments running)
>    *  The activity I'm doing isn't hazardous and other hazardous activities are "far enough" away (putting tape on the floor to designate "office" activity areas - especially problematic where students regularly use, either by choice or assignment, office space in the lab as their primary working area)
>    *  "I'm wearing safety glasses" i.e. impact glasses when the hazard calls for splash goggles
>    *  "That noise isn't _that_ loud "
>    *  "I'm wearing my ear buds, doesn't that count as ear plugs?"
>    *  "I have a face shield on, why do I need safety glasses?
>    *  (In a shop) holding up your hand in front of your face instead of putting impact eye protection
>    *  "I have leather boots on, why do I need safety toes?"
>    *  We once had a student show up in lab who claimed he had a "right" not to wear shoes; needless to say he was denied entry to the lab...and he never came back...but honestly, we wanted to see how he was going to go barefoot when it was 10F outside with snow coming down...
> Jeff
>
> On Thu, Jul 30, 2020 at 10:59 AM Debra M Decker <00001204b93f9a5e-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu<mailto:00001204b93f9a5e-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**lists.princeton.edu>> wrote:
> Hi Pauline:
>
>
> I was hoping that you all could help me brainstorm additional excuses that you all have heard
>
> Eyewear:
> My glasses fog up.
> I have to wear prescription glasses and safety glasses don't fit over my prescription glasses.
> They hurt my ears.
> The lenses are scratched.
> I can't get close enough to my work (microscope use).
> I'm working in the biosafety cabinet,  fume hood, glove box and I have the sash/window in front of me.
>
> Lab coat:
> Too hot
> Too tight
> Too loose
> Too long
> Too short
> The sleeves drag in my work.
> Someone else wore it and it's not clean.
> It might get caught in the equipment.
> I don't care if my clothes get chemicals on them.
> I'm allergic.
>
> Fundamentally,  I think, it's ill-fitting PPE that people don't want to wear. If you go down this road, I hope the Institute is prepared to invest in a variety of sizes and shapes of PPE.
>
> Itll be interesting to see what others come up with.
>
> Best
> Debbie
>
> --- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org<mailto:membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org> Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
>
>
> --
> Jeff Lewin
> Director of Chemical Laboratory Operations
> Research Integrity Office
> Laboratory Operations
> 205 Lakeshore Center
> Michigan Technological University
>
> --- For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org<mailto:membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org> Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas

>
> ---
> For more information about the DCHAS-L e-mail list, contact the Divisional membership chair at membership**At_Symbol_Here**dchas.org
> Follow us on Twitter **At_Symbol_Here**acsdchas
>

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