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Date: Thu, 11 Nov 2010 08:33:41 -0500
Reply-To: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
Sender: DCHAS-L Discussion List <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**LIST.UVM.EDU>
From: List Moderator <ecgrants**At_Symbol_Here**UVM.EDU>
Subject: 3 RE: [DCHAS-L] flammable cabinet question
From: "Bradley, Shelly"
Date: November 10, 2010 2:10:40 PM EST
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] flammable cabinet question
Excellent information Rob, please send me the information when you get
it.
Thanks so much,
Shelly
Shelly Bradley=E2=80=A8Instrumentation Specialist=E2=80=A8Laboratory
Development Assistant=E2=80=A8
Campus Chemical Compliance Director=E2=80=A8
Chemistry Department
=E2=80=A8Hendrix College=E2=80=A8Conway, AR 72032=E2=80=A8(501)
450-3812=E2=80=A8bradley**At_Symbol_Here**hendrix.edu
===
From: "Norwood, Brad"
Date: November 10, 2010 2:01:19 PM EST
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] flammable cabinet question
With all due respect, that=E2=80=99s bullcrap, and on several fronts.
1) We have a flammables cabinet with self-closing doors manufactured by
Eagle. Neither door can be held open by the manufacturer-provided
fusible link, because on the left door, the hook slips off of the door.
On the right, the chain doesn=E2=80=99t even reach.
2) To charge $185 dollars for two 6=" chains with a hook from
Ace Hardware and a fusible link inserted in it is ludicrous.
3) As a testing lab highly oriented to the regulatory environment, I
recognize the severe conflict of interest inherent in your claim that
every state that requires self-closing flammable cabinet doors should
also require the hooks and fusible links to hold them open.
Once again, the main lesson here is that increased regulation is not
always the best response to complex issues. In this case, I suspect a
knee-jerk response to a fire that got worse because a flammable cabinet
door was left open. Someone said "We ought to make it so that
the door can=E2=80=99t be left open.=" That got implemented.
Then the Law of Unintended Consequences kicked in, and someone started
recognizing a significant increase in spills of flammable solvents
because self-closing doors started whacking people in the midst or
removing or restoring bottles to the cabinet. That necessitated yet
another =E2=80=98one size fits all=E2=80=99 response of a fusible link
chain to hold the door open (no guarantee that there wasn=E2=80=99t a
iteration in the middle there that omitted the fusible link=E2=80=A6)
Does it sound like I=E2=80=99m cynical? Yes. I simply do not like it
when The Government dictates minutiae (like dictating that incandescent
lights will no longer be produced and instead everyone must use CFLs.
Idiotic, and it won=E2=80=99t save the planet, it will pollute it even
worse. Stupid regulation).
Brad
Dr. Bradley K. Norwood
Laboratory Director
Arista Laboratories
1941 Reymet Road
Richmond, VA 23237
(804) 271-5572 ext. 307
(804) 641-4641 (cell)
brad.norwood**At_Symbol_Here**aristalabs.com
===
From: "Jean & Ken Smith"
Date: November 11, 2010 3:19:54 AM EST
Subject: RE: [DCHAS-L] flammable cabinet question
I am not sure that ignoring some laws is the correct way to do things.
Cal/OSHA and the State Fire Marshall do require the self closing doors
in California. Fed OSHA may also require it.
In the string of responses there were stated ways to use them safely.
There are cabinets with the fusible links that can be propped open to
move the bottles/containers safely. The fusible links were added a few
years ago to protect the contents from fire by having the links melt and
automatically shut the doors that were inadvertently or purposefully
left open.
I worked for Cal/OSHA for many years and this problem would be a magnet
for citations. In general, I found that universities were very prone to
have multiple problems =E2=80=93 some very serious =E2=80=93 during my
inspections and subsequently received many citations. Many private labs
had similar situations that had to be fixed, but the majority was quite
good.
Retired Chemist and CIH
KEN
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