Rick Viprino at St Joseph Medical Center in Reading, Pennsylviania asks:

>>Does anyone have any suggestions for complying with OSHA regulations 
concerning the sharps issue (scalpels and blades) in the pathology lab? Are 
there any safety scalpels that are recommended more than others for pathology 
labs?<<

Uh-oh - do the Herrn Inspektors now prescribe dull blades for pathologists? - 
Back to the old single-edge safety razor blades, I guess.

Indeed, there are blades with rounded ends made for pathologists. I've used 
them a time or two and they're an abomination. Next thing they'll want us 
using dull-ended kindergarten style scissors.

One of the biggest hazards of disposable blades is taking them off the blade 
handles when they get dull. Whatever Lipshaw is called this week used to have 
a $7 widget that greatly facilitated this process. I had one of them for a 
while but left it with a client in my travels.

Bob Richmond
Samurai Pathologist (still with a sharp blade)
Knoxville TN