Re: PPE in biomedical research

[Tye Morancy <tye_morancy@yahoo.com>]

--- Todd Maxwell <toddmax@scripps.edu> wrote:
> While teaching our radiation orientation course to some new
> employees I was
> confronted with the following question/statement.  The individual
> wanted to
> know if it was common practice to glove only one hand when working
> in the
> lab with radioactive materials.  He went on to tell me that it was
> becoming
> more common (standard practice) in Europe from where he had just
> come.
> 
> Essentially the logic goes as follows.  The hand touching the vial,
> pipette
> tips, potentially contaminated waste, etc. remains gloved whereas
> the hand
> that holds the pipetter, pencils and paper for note-taking, phones,
> instrument or door knobs, etc. remains gloveless to ensure that
> these
> objects never become contaminated.
> 
> My question is not whether or not you agree with the logic but
> whether
> anyone has ever heard of this practice and or uses it/allows it in
> their
> research laboratories and under what circumstances.



     We do not allow such a practice...we advocate both hands being
gloved.  We discuss and point out in the training safe practices to
avoid contaminating objects outside the work area (phone, door knobs,
etc...).  Those objects inside the work area (pipettes, pen,
necessary equipment, etc.) should remain there, be monitored, and
labeled as needed (should they become contaminated).  

     The only time I have heard of a "one glove" policy has been with
our radiation techs performing waste pick-up where they wheel a cart
in and out of doors and elevators.  The gloved hand for the cart and
non-gloved hand for elevator buttons, doorknobs, etc.  That's the
extent of our one-glove allowance.

    It seems a one glove mentality could lead to more accidental
contamination...  For instance, someone involved in an experiment
becoming distracted and reaching for a contaminated object with their
free, un-gloved hand.  Perhaps accidentally spilling/splattering
something one the un-gloved hand.  





=====
Tye Morancy
Dunbar Radiation Laboratory
Radiation Protection Office
Harvard Environmental Health & Safety
Cambridge, MA

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