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Previous by Date: Subject: Re: [DCHAS-L] "Read the SDS" Date: Tuesday, April 10, 2018 at 12:25:10 PM Author: Barbara Foster <bfoster**At_Symbol_Here**WVU.EDU>

Next by Date: Subject: [DCHAS-L] ACS Safety Summit creates a culture of safety Date: Tue, 10 Apr 2018 12:52:43 -0400 Author: DCHAS Membership Chair

Ralph:
I appreciate your frustration. The issue you raise has been
the bane of chemical safety for decades. Your statement

" While I recognize that a complete documented risk
assessment is necessary for many lab situations, I wonder if
anyone has developed guidance for how one can convert "read
the SDS" to decisions about how much ventilation is needed,
personal protective equipment requirements, etc. for fairly
simple chemistries being offered to beginning chemists?"

is parallel to the problem with "Read the label". There is
nothing in either statement to provide an instruction for
accomplishing the objective of the statement, which is to
provide information to work safely.

Fifty years ago, we addressed the "Read the Label" conundrum
by adding "Look for the signal word and warnings. If you do
not understand what they mean, then refer to the MSDS to
find out how the chemical can harm you." This was mantra in
the Baker Chemical Safety workshop and in the DuPont Safety
program.

The frustration you express will be part of the burden for
chemists and chemical safety professionals into the
foreseeable future. In the teaching lab setting, the
student can justifiably assume that the institution has
addressed adequate safety controls. This does not relieve
either student or instructor from learning/knowing how to
evaluate such controls. Indeed, the purpose of introducing
RAMP into the educational process is to create a chemist who
knows how to do chemistry safely by including risk
assessment and control.

So, for you, and others in this bind, work with your faculty
to improve the educational value/content of the lab write-up
and bite your tongue. You will be repeating the message ad
nauseum; such is our career choice.

Neal

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ACSafety has a new address:
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-----Original Message-----
From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety
On Behalf Of Stuart, Ralph
Sent: Tuesday, April 10, 2018 8:51 AM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**PRINCETON.EDU
Subject: [DCHAS-L] "Read the SDS"

I'm a little frustrated after reviewing yet another teaching
lab procedure that barely mentions any safety aspects of the
work being described, but include the equivalent of "of
course, everyone who does this should read the SDS". Advice
this generic feels like a CYA disclaimer rather than
anything designed to be helpful for the reader.

While I recognize that a complete documented risk assessment
is necessary for many lab situations, I wonder if anyone has
developed guidance for how one can convert "read the SDS" to
decisions about how much ventilation is needed, personal
protective equipment requirements, etc. for fairly simple
chemistries being offered to beginning chemists?

Thanks for any thoughts on this.

- Ralph

Ralph Stuart, CIH, CCHO
Environmental Safety Manager
Keene State College
603 358-2859

ralph.stuart**At_Symbol_Here**keene.edu

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