Laboratory, weighing hazardous substances, with or without gloves?
Hi,
The question concerns occupational safety when handling hazardous substances, especially heavy metal sulfates (solid [crystalline]) in analytical/preparative handling.
Personally, I am of the opinion that it is not necessary to wear gloves when handling substances in small quantities, in a clean environment and with which you do not have direct skin contact.
An additional criterion is that the substances cannot be absorbed directly through the skin.
However, in the case of skin injuries (cuts, open wounds or skin irritations), I also consider wearing gloves to be essential, as the skin then no longer provides reliable protection.
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The problem with the gloves (nitrile) in this case is that electrostatic charging causes the substances to spread into the environment, thus also contaminating the work surface/scale.
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I'm curious to hear your opinion on this.
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that is not relevant, but clearly regulated in local security measures.
In principle, it can be assumed that wearing gloves is the rule for various reasons. Those who do more than just a few days of internship should get reasonable matching gloves in the right size, or different glove types, depending on the work material (breakdown times).
In the end, you can also have electrostatic charging without gloves if the workplace is not properly secured, so there is a danger here too.
The wearing of gloves, however, is also indispensable and that they are also slipped over the sleeves at the end, so that the fabrics can be deposited on the arms and can later be absorbed by the food.
Even in careful handling, the risk of rubbing your eyes out of the eye without gloves before washing is much higher than the risk of making it with gloves.
Let's ask how much laboratory experience you have and how would you weigh?
I've never thought I've come into the situation in my approach that something has stuck to my hand / wrist or shiny on my sleeve.
Strolling around in the lab with your hands on your face before you wash thoroughly, even with gloves is an absolute no-go, as you can also contaminate your hands when you pull out the gloves.
I therefore think that there is no good argument.
But still thank you for your contribution.
In the laboratory I have no experience directly but have made a course in dealing with hazardous substances where it was ultimately just argued that gloves are necessary even if the substances are not skin-accessible.
Gloves are necessary. My experience? Chemistry and 10+ years in an analytical laboratory.
Don't forget the coat and safety glasses.
I wrote that.
Coat and safety glasses are of course also mandatory.
In principle, self-protection against the protection of the objects with which one works applies. Even if this was really something with the electrostatic charge and the working surface, which does not affect the cement sleeves, I would ignore that.
Besides, even if a fabric is not skin-accessible and I don't think I have any wounds on my hands, I find it easier to clean up when I wear gloves. Just when a misfortune happens. Then counts: First protect yourself, then the objects around. An analytical balance can replace the liability, my health in heavy metal poisoning or a tumor triggered by it cannot.
But, fair, I have more experience with biological hazardous substances (E.g. bacterial colonies, plasma of HIV-positive people…) than with chemical hazardous substances. Maybe that's why I'm working in a medical lab and that's why I'm more concerned about health than worktops, another wire to work safety than you.
There are certain regulations in your laboratory today:-(
In this respect, it is uninteresting what is meaningful or -less.
I would not have come to the idea of using gloves in these fabrics. Refilling of hydrofluoric acid is different:-(
You can't answer that on a flat-rate basis. When working with beryllium compounds or cisplatin, I have always worked with gloves. For gold or uranium compounds rather not. This also depends on local regulations.
Everyone who knows about hazardous substances knows that each hazardous substance requires a different approach. These are also prescribed and should not be disregarded. It's about health.
I handle it just like you, for about 50 years.