Re: PPE in biomedical research

[John Pickering <johnjp@email.sjsu.edu>]

Todd,

I have been asked that question once. After a (very) short reflection time,
I responded NO, they would have to glove both hands. When asked as to why, I
responded that all to often, the worker would require both hands performing
tasks in a laboratory environment. The pen, pencil, paper and other items
should be surveyed in the event the items may become contaminated. But with
both hands gloved, the individual was better protected from the
contamination. I told that people come first, then the environment followed
by the facility or experiment. With that being the sequence, they would have
to protect the hands before the pencil.

John Pickering
San Jose State University


At 02:25 PM 7/25/2000 -0500, you 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.
>
>Thank you in advance,
>
>
>
>
>
>With great power...
>+--------------------------------+
>| Todd Maxwell                   |
>| Safety Consultant, EH&S        |
>| The Scripps Research Institute |
>| 10550 North Torrey Pines Road  |
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>| toddmax@scripps.edu            |
>+--------------------------------+
>   ...comes great responsibility.
>                        -Stan Lee
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