About This Archive  | DCHAS-L 2015 Index   | DCHAS-L Yearly Index
person wearing a disposable face shield and surgical style mask

Check out Safety Emporium for your N95, N99, and face shield needs.

Previous by Date:
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earthquake Drills in the Lab
Date: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 4:48:15 PM
Author: Debbie M. Decker <dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**UCDAVIS.EDU> 		Next by Date:
Subject: [DCHAS-L] SafetyZone [New post] Chemical Safety Board releases information about DuPont fatal methyl mercaptan leak
Date: Thu, 15 Oct 2015 07:33:17 -0400
Author: "Secretary, ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety"

From: Lucy Dillman <lucydillman**At_Symbol_Here**COMCAST.NET>
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earthquake Drills in the Lab
Date: Wed, 14 Oct 2015 19:19:08 -0700
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU>
Message-ID: 24DE3BDCEBD14D1D9655B55E85B0DE37**At_Symbol_Here**LucyPC
In-Reply-To


In my experience, when it is a real earthquake, you get little if any warning so taking care of turning off electrical equipment, etc. just isn't going to happen.  Having a neat and orderly lab with as little on the bench as is needed for the immediate work, so as to minimize potential exposures, and securing equipment so it doesn't fall over easily, just good lab hygiene at all times is number one, but drop cover and hold until the shaking stops and hope for the best. 
 
Lucy Dillman
 
----- Original Message -----
From: Nail, John
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 4:56 AM
Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] Earthquake Drills in the Lab

Melissa,
When there is a lab disruption (fire/earthquake/tornado drill or a real event, whenever possible), students/faculty/researchers should immediately 'make the lab safe'. All containers of flammable solvents go into flammable cabinets or hoods, electrical equipment being used at lab stations (hot plates, stirrers, heating mantles, etc.) get unplugged.  Separate things that were being heated from the heat source - take beakers/flasks/baths off of heat plates, drop heating mantles away from round bottom flasks, etc.

Ensure that all gas valves are closed. Close the master gas valve in the lab if there is one. BTW- always check the valves before opening the master.

Only when the lab has been 'made safe' will I release students for the drill or event.

I know of an incident in which a hotplate was left on during an evacuation which resulted in a real fire starting while the building was empty.

John Nail
Professor of Chemistry
Oklahoma City University


From: DCHAS-L Discussion List <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu> on behalf of Melissa Anderson <mwanderson08**At_Symbol_Here**GMAIL.COM>
Reply-To: DCHAS-L <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu>
Date: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 5:19 PM
To: "DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**MED.CORNELL.EDU" <dchas-l**At_Symbol_Here**med.cornell.edu>
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Earthquake Drills in the Lab

Our campus is having an earthquake drill this week during my general chemistry laboratory. I'm a transplant to Southern California and, while I know the general principles of dropping down and getting under a desk, etc. I'd like hear if anyone has specific advice for laboratory students in the event of an earthquake.

Thanks,
-M
Chemistry Instructor
Pasadena City College
--
Melissa Anderson
Chair, Learning Assessment Committee
Pasadena City College

Previous post   |  Top of Page   |   Next post


The content of this page reflects the personal opinion(s) of the author(s) only, not the American Chemical Society, ILPI, Safety Emporium, or any other party. Use of any information on this page is at the reader's own risk. Unauthorized reproduction of these materials is prohibited. Send questions/comments about the archive to secretary@dchas.org.
The maintenance and hosting of the DCHAS-L archive is provided through the generous support of Safety Emporium.