DCHAS-L Archives, Jan 27 2021 - Re: [DCHAS-L] Glove Box Injury

Getting custom gloveboxes is expensive and can make reuse more difficult. In some (some) cases we found that building a fixed platform to raise the shorter worker safely helped. It is not, unfortunately a guaranteed solution.

Richard Palluzi

PE, CSP

Pilot plant and laboratory consulting, safety, design, reviews, and training

www.linkedin.com/in/richardppalluzillc/

Richard P Palluzi LLC

72 Summit Drive

Basking Ridge, NJ 07920

rpalluzi**At_Symbol_Here**verizon.net

908-285-3782

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of TILAK CHANDRA
Sent: Wednesday, January 27, 2021 8:57 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Glove Box Injury

Any extended segment of repetitive work like that can be problematic. I believe there is a need to emphasize problems with arm length, hand size, and box height. I will be concern about very tall people more; they have to premonition down. The chemistry done in the air (outside a Glove Box) can be useful for the industry and large-scale production.

I will suggest generating an ergonomic checklist and guidelines for gloveboxes that would be beneficial for the prevention and reduction of musculoskeletal disorders. I will also suggest approaching the American Glove Box Society for further information. They have one section devoted to Glove Box ergonomics. There is also a nice article in the JCHAS, which talks about Glove Box ergonomic hazards.

https://dchas.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/Rotator-cuff-strength-balance-in-glovebox-workers.pdf

The student can also try yoga to relax neck and shoulder muscles.

Tilak

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> on behalf of Debra M Decker <00001204b93f9a5e-dmarc-request**At_Symbol_Here**LISTS.PRINCETON.EDU>
Sent: Tuesday, January 26, 2021 5:11 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Glove Box Injury

Hi All:

I heard from a colleague the other day about a repetitive motion injury she has sustained, working in a glove box for extended periods of time – 9-10 hours in some cases, multiple times a week. Her PI, while he has high expectations, is supportive and empathetic to her.

Physical therapy has helped but that doesn’t solve the root cause: this glove box and most glove boxes are designed for the standard male – 5’10”-6’ tall with the attendant shoulder distance to be able to access the glove ports. She’s a very short woman with the attendant smaller distance across her shoulders. Injury was inevitable.

There are a couple of issues here:

She’s a graduate student and currently covered under student health insurance and not workers comp. This injury could result in life-altering health effects with no long term remedy. Once again, graduate students are excluded from the protections of workers comp.
Equipment designers ignore the fact that some 50% of the scientific work force are women. Bespoke design isn’t possible. What’s wrong with designing flexibility or adjustability into scientific equipment – particularly the big tickets?

I know I’m railing at the universe here but it’s just more examples of how women scientists (and small men, for that matter) are generally ignored and how graduate students, doing the heavy lifting of discovery research, continue to be exploited to the point of injury.

Thanks for listening.

Debbie

Debbie M. Decker, ACS Fellow

Programming Co-Chair

Chemistry Dept. Safety Manager (ret.)

dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu

(916)616-7548

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