I think that you MUST discourage roosting, that is if the health of
either the birds or the chemists is a concern.  The easiest way to do
this is to (1) turn down the end of the ehaust stack, and then (2) cover
it with stainless steel cloth.  Diong (1) or (2) alone will not do the
trick.

Phil

-----Original Message-----
From: DCHAS-L Discussion List [mailto:DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU] On Behalf Of
Debbie Decker
Sent: Tuesday, February 15, 2005 3:52 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] Pigeon Droppings and Perchloric Acid hood

Here's one for ya:

It seems that pigeons, a bird of very little brain, have taken to
roosting on the exhaust stack for the perchloric acid hood in the plant
sciences building.  They sometimes roost on other stacks but they seem
to prefer the perchloric hood.  This is a dedicated exhaust for the hood
and when the hood is washed down, well, you can guess what ends up
splattered into the fume "cupboard."

Do I need to worry about potentially explosive pigeon guano?  Should we
have users washdown the hood before use as well as after?  What about
exposure to pigeon diseases?  I don't think there's anything I can do to
discourage roosting but I'm open to those ideas, too.

Thanks for your help,
Debbie

Debbie M. Decker, Health and Safety Specialist
Environmental Health and Safety
University of California, Davis
1 Shields Ave.
Davis, CA  95616
(530)754-7964/(530)752-4527 (FAX)
dmdecker**At_Symbol_Here**ucdavis.edu
Co-Conspirator to Make the World A
Better Place -- Visit www.HeroicStories.com and join the conspiracy

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