DCHAS-L Archives Jun 21 2006 - Re: DCHAS-L Digest - 16 Jun 2006 to 20 Jun 2006 (#2006-85)

Date: Wed, 21 Jun 2006 07:08:30 -0400
Reply-To: "Hill, Robert H" <HillR**At_Symbol_Here**BATTELLE.ORG>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: "Hill, Robert H" <HillR**At_Symbol_Here**BATTELLE.ORG>
Subject: Re: DCHAS-L Digest - 16 Jun 2006 to 20 Jun 2006 (#2006-85)
In-Reply-To: <DCHAS-L%200606210000286401.1267**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>

I am a great believer in using stories of accidents to illustrate important lessons to students and fellow chemists. I used them whenever I have an opportunity. If we can learn from these lessons, perhaps we will not suffer the safe errors. The Journal of Chemical Education used to have routine articles on chemical safety. JCE compiled those articles and published them as volumes. There were at least four volumes (orange paperback volumes). These volumes contained something like a compilation of accidents. I think JCE stopped publishing routine articles and went to intermittent publishing of safety articles, but I have not subscribed in a long time and I may not be informed. At any rate there is nothing like a routine reporting mechanism for chemical or laboratory accidents. The ones we learn about are usually the more serious ones that have gotten into the news media because they caused severe injury, death, or significant damage to facilities. It seems to me that many are not going to be reported because of concerns about liability and public relations damage/embarrassment to individuals, institutions or companies. Obtaining accidents systematically for a routine publication may be a challenge for those reasons and other reasons. Nevertheless, these would certainly be welcome tools in teaching chemical and laboratory safety. Robert H. Hill, Jr., Ph.D. Public Health Program Manager Battelle, Atlanta Analytical Services 2971 Flowers Road S., Suite 240 Atlanta, Ga 30341 Tel. 770-451-0882, Ext 32 Cell 678-362-3040 Fax 770-451-6612 hillr**At_Symbol_Here**battelle.org Get The Safety Ethic: I value safety, work safely, prevent at-risk behavior, promote safety, and accept responsibility for safety -----Original Message----- From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of DCHAS-L automatic digest system Sent: Wednesday, June 21, 2006 12:00 AM To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: DCHAS-L Digest - 16 Jun 2006 to 20 Jun 2006 (#2006-85) There are 4 messages totalling 213 lines in this issue. Topics of the day: 1. Accidents in Chemistry (2) 2. A. Garfeld's comments 3. 5 Re: [DCHAS-L] Accidents in Chemistry ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:37:42 -0400 From: List Moderator Subject: Accidents in Chemistry An e-mail from a non-CHAS member that I thought CHAS people might be interested in and/or have useful responses to... - Ralph From: glasfeld**At_Symbol_Here**reed.edu Subject: Accidents in Chemistry Date: June 18, 2006 2:34:22 PM EDT I hope the following suggestion isn't from too far out in left field. I just read a short article in Nature discussing chemical safety, with a particular mention to the relatively greater hazards associated with academic research (Nature vol. 441, p. 560). Alongside that article were a few dramatic and cautionary tales. It struck me that there should be some way (and there may already be) to distribute these stories, particularly to undergraduates just getting started. As a sometime mountaineer, I'm reminded of a (fortunately) slim publication by the American Alpine Club called "Accidents in North American Mountaineering", which provides a summary of accidents reported to the club in a given calendar year, along with analyses. These make great reading. They attract a certain morbid fascination, but also carry some important take-home lessons about safety. I would be great if there were a similar resource on chemical safety, especially one that would attract the attention of younger chemists (and their teachers) - perhaps something like "Accidents in North American Academic Chemistry". Does something like this exist? If not, I hope your division would consider some sort of publication that might serve that purpose. Thanks in advance for your consideration - again, I hope I'm not too far out on this idea, Sincerely, Arthur Glasfeld Department of Chemistry Reed College 3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. Portland, OR 97202 USA ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:49:48 -0400 From: ILPI Subject: Re: Accidents in Chemistry http://www2.umdnj.edu/eohssweb/aiha/accidents/ >An e-mail from a non-CHAS member that I thought CHAS people might be >interested in and/or have useful responses to... > >- Ralph > > From: glasfeld**At_Symbol_Here**reed.edu > Subject: Accidents in Chemistry > Date: June 18, 2006 2:34:22 PM EDT > >I hope the following suggestion isn't from too far out in left >field. I just read a short article in Nature discussing chemical >safety, with a particular mention to the relatively greater hazards >associated with academic research (Nature vol. 441, p. 560). >Alongside that article were a few dramatic and cautionary tales. It >struck me that there should be some way (and there may already be) >to distribute these stories, particularly to undergraduates just >getting started. > >As a sometime mountaineer, I'm reminded of a (fortunately) slim >publication by the American Alpine Club called "Accidents in North >American Mountaineering", which provides a summary of accidents >reported to the club in a given calendar year, along with analyses. >These make great reading. They attract a certain morbid >fascination, but also carry some important take-home lessons about >safety. > >I would be great if there were a similar resource on chemical >safety, especially one that would attract the attention of younger >chemists (and their teachers) - perhaps something like "Accidents >in North American Academic Chemistry". Does something like this >exist? If not, I hope your division would consider some sort of >publication that might serve that purpose. > >Thanks in advance for your consideration - again, I hope I'm not too >far out on this idea, > >Sincerely, > >Arthur Glasfeld >Department of Chemistry >Reed College >3203 SE Woodstock Blvd. >Portland, OR 97202 >USA -- ===================================================== Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names you know and trust. Visit us at http://www.SafetyEmporium.com esales**At_Symbol_Here**safetyemporium.com or toll-free: (866) 326-5412 Fax: (859) 523-0606, 4905 Waynes Blvd, Lexington, KY 40513-1469 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 08:23:54 -0700 From: IJ Wilk Subject: A. Garfeld's comments A splendid idea. It should be approved in SF. I. J. Wilk, Ph. D. P.O. Box 18006 Stanford, CA 94309-8006 ------------------------------ Date: Tue, 20 Jun 2006 15:39:26 -0400 From: List Moderator Subject: 5 Re: [DCHAS-L] Accidents in Chemistry From: ILPI Date: June 20, 2006 8:49:48 AM EDT Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Accidents in Chemistry http://www2.umdnj.edu/eohssweb/aiha/accidents/ ===================================================== Safety Emporium - Lab & Safety Supplies featuring brand names you know and trust. Visit us at http://www.SafetyEmporium.com esales**At_Symbol_Here**safetyemporium.com or toll-free: (866) 326-5412 Fax: (859) 523-0606, 4905 Waynes Blvd, Lexington, KY 40513-1469 == From: Gordon Miller Date: June 20, 2006 10:40:59 AM EDT Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Accidents in Chemistry This is a great idea! Naval Aviation News, a magazine published by the USN for its aviation people, ran a regular column called "Grandpa Pettibone" where aviation accidents were analyzed by humorous Yosemite Sam-like person. "Leapin' horn toads, he should have checked his fuel!" The RAF air safety bulletin Tee Emm awarded people the MHDOIF, or "The Most Highly Derogatory Order of the Immovable Finger," in WW2. "He had set his compass on the reciprocal. He landed out of fuel. Thinking he was in occupied Europe, he set his Spitfire ablaze and went to surrender at the 'Pig and Lion' pub." They were fun and informative. == From: Richard Burger Date: June 20, 2006 11:20:54 AM EDT Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Accidents in Chemistry As a 1960's reader of Accidents...., I think a chemistry counterpart is a great idea. -- R. Burger -- Richard M. Burger, Ph.D. Public Health Research Institute 225 Warren Street Newark, NJ 07103-3535 973-854-3155 office 973-854-3101 fax == From: IJ Wilk Date: June 20, 2006 11:23:54 AM EDT To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU Subject: [DCHAS-L] A. Garfeld's comments A splendid idea. It should be approved in SF. I. J. Wilk, Ph. D. P.O. Box 18006 Stanford, CA 94309-8006 == From: "Linda Wraxall" Date: June 20, 2006 12:17:14 PM EDT To: "List Moderator" Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Accidents in Chemistry What a great idea - get them while they are young! Of course it would probably have to be online to have any impact these days. ------------------------------ End of DCHAS-L Digest - 16 Jun 2006 to 20 Jun 2006 (#2006-85) *************************************************************

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