RE: Laboratory Eating/Drinking Policy

["Jean-Francois, Stephane" <stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com>]

1. No eating or drinking in lab enclosure, desk in the lab or not.(We have
desks in the lab for temps or students).

2.If you are in the same room where any hazardous material can be handled,
you are not allowed to drink or eat.

3. Canadian regs.

William,

Since you are at the designing phase, why don`t you include rest areas ?  It
is much more hygienic then eating/drinking over your papers, encourages
communication (important in a research set-up...), relax employees and make
you health and safety life much more easier.

You probably know about human factor ? You are in a middle of an experiment
and see that interesting coffee mug sitting on the desk inside the lab...
and what the heck, you will keep your gloves for this one and have a sip,
just one, sooo good !... Can that be something possible ????


My opinion only...

Stephane Jean-Francois, Eng., CHP

Specialiste en radioprotection/Radiation Safety Specialist
Gestion des risques/Risk Management
Merck Frosst Canada & Co
TEL: 514.428.8695
FAX; 514.428.8541
email: stephane_jeanfrancois@merck.com 

-----Original Message-----
From: William Lorenzen [mailto:LORENZEN_W@A1.TCH.Harvard.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, March 29, 2000 4:57 PM
To: Multiple recipients of list
Subject: Laboratory Eating/Drinking Policy


          We are in the process of designing a new research building and in 
          recent meeting where the lab space was being discussed several
PI's 
          have mentioned the desire to allow eating/drinking at desk spaces 
          which would be located inside laboratories.  Their justification
is 
          weak, however they bring up the fact that Stanford University 
          allows it so why can't we do it (let's not get into that issue).  
          
          I have discussed this with the RSO at Stanford U and have all the 
          information about their policy, it's history and it's 
          conditions/limitations.  I wanted to know if anyone else has such 
          a policy.
          
          Here are my specific questions...
           
          1.Does your radiation safety program allow eating/drinking of any 
          kind within laboratory spaces which are designated for radioactive

          material use?
            
          2.If so, what are the specifics of your policy and do the other 
          EH&S programs support/conform to the radiation safety policy? 
          
          3.Do you operate in an NRC or Agreement State? 
          
          Please no responses about why we should NOT allow this or how the 
          regulators will not allow it.  This is simply a query of others 
          policies.
          
          Please e-mail me directly and I can summarize the responses for a 
          later posting to RADSAFE.
          
          William A. Lorenzen
          Children's Hospital
          Boston, MA 02115
          
          lorenzen_w@a1.tch.harvard.edu

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