RE: Coverslipping without gloves

From:Mike Konopka

Charles, I'm with you all the way on this one, totally agree with your sentiments.
Mike

-----Original Message-----
From: Charles.Embrey [mailto:Charles.Embrey@carle.com]
Sent: Tuesday, 22 April 2003 11:57 PM
To: 'sue hacker (IAH-C)'; 'Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Subject: RE: Coverslipping without gloves

This "day and age" is full of misinformation and junk science.  Remember the
Alar scare about 10 years ago.  Everyone was scared to eat apples because
someone got the idea that Alar was extremely hazardous.  It seriously
damaged the apple industry and was later found to be totally untrue and Alar
was declared to be perfectly safe.  I do not find myself to be irresponsible
and consider your comments an insult.  I am a responsible supervisor, just
not a paranoid one.  Please, give us specific examples as to how the health
of your histotechs has improved since becoming "xylene free".  I have worked
in both xylene using labs and xylene free labs and the only difference I
could tell is that while working in the xylene free labs I didn't enjoy
eating oranges as much (they reminded me of work).  I am not so stupid as to
be oblivious as to my own person state of health.  Please, if you have all
this knowledge and information on xylene negatively affecting our health,
write it up for journal publication as I have yet to see proof myself.
Xylene processes my tissue better and I will continue to use it in spite of
your disbelief.  (You know, this was a good hearted conversation till you
started name calling)
Charles R. Embrey Jr. PA(AAPA), HT(ASCP)
Histology Manager
Carle Clinic, Urbana Illinois     

-----Original Message-----
From: sue hacker (IAH-C) [mailto:Sue.Hacker@bbsrc.ac.uk]
Sent: Tuesday, April 22, 2003 3:17 AM
To: 'Histonet@pathology.swmed.edu'
Subject: Coverslipping without gloves


Dear All,
I have read all the mail on this subject with disbelief. I cannot believe
that in this age of health and safety there are senior Histologists who are
condoning coverslipping without gloves and even sounding proud of the fact
that they are being so irresponsible.
They are setting a very bad example for junior staff. To say that they have
carried out this practice for many years without being ill is no excuse.They
are as bad as heavy smokers who are proud of the fact that they have not yet
succumbed to cancer.  My lab became a Xylene free environment some years ago
and believe me our health is much better for it. You may think you are not
suffering any ill effects from Xylene, but you probably are! Even with a
safer Xylene substitute we always coverslip with nitrile gloves and it is no
more difficult than without gloves.(I have done both as I have over 20 years
service).
Susan Hacker
IAH, Compton,
Berks.
 




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