Luke, Don wrote:
>
> "Bare naked" hands in the cryostat?  Besides sounding like a topic for
> the "erotic histology" workshop, the practice of not using gloves for
> frozen sections sounds crazy to me.  However, the persons who choose not
> to glove up are adults and professionals and are, I hope, aware of the
> risks.  The administration, however, must be concerned about liability.
> Make sure there is a policy regarding the use of Personal Protective
> Equipment during the microtomy of fresh, frozen tissue.

In "Laboratory Medicine" a little over a year ago (I can get
exact issue, if you are REALLY interested) there was a
"Question and Answer" question concerning safety issues.
The one answer I remember concerned an institution that had
a phlebotomist who was NOT wearing gloves while drawing
blood, right when OSHA came through.

When questioned, the phlebotomist assured the inspector that
the institution/lab had told her again and again that she HAD
to wear gloves and DID provide her with gloves, but that
SHE chose NOT to wear any gloves. The institution/lab DID have
a written policy that phlebotomists ARE supposed to be wearing
gloves while drawing blood. However, OSHA still FINED the
institution for NOT ENFORCING the policy, since they did not
do any correction action to make the phlebotomist wear the
gloves.

I would think the same "thinking" would apply to this
scenario.


> Regarding open flames, we have used an alcohol burner for years and have
> had a couple of flaming incidents.  My suggestion is to make sure there
> is a fire extinguisher located nearby.
>  Don Luke, HT (ASCP)
> SOUTH GEORGIA MEDICAL CENTER
> DEPARTMENT OF PATHOLOGY
> 2501 N. Patterson St
> VALDOSTA, GA 31603
> PHONE (912) 259-4830
>
> >----------
> >From:  sjrugby@juno.com[SMTP:sjrugby@juno.com]
> >Sent:  Monday, November 09, 1998 5:52 PM
> >To:    histonet@pathology.swmed.edu
> >Subject:       SAFETY ISSUES
> >
> >Histology comrades,
> >       I am "the new guy" to the lab and am concerned about the
> >following possible safety issues...
> >
> >-Open flame. (bunsen burner)  I personally haven't used an open flame for
> >embedding since       1984...  If find several forceps in the heated
> >wells quite adequate.  We've already had one          flaming garbage can
> >(that was hidden from the lab manager) and singed log sheets...
> >-Glove-less frozen sections - Currently one other tech (also new) and
> >myself are the only ones    to use gloves while cutting a frozen section.
> > The other 5 techs use their bare-naked hands.
> >-Glove-less coverslipping - Again the new tech and myself are the only
> >ones to use gloves.
> >
> >Don't want to be a "tattle-tale" to the lab manager and I have brought it
> >up to the "Team", but no one seems concerned except me.  Any
> >comments/suggestions?
> >
> >___________________________________________________________________
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> >
> >

--
Peggy A. Wenk, HTL (ASCP)
Anatomic Pathology
Wm. Beaumont Hospital
3601 W. 13 Mile Rd.
Royal Oak, MI 48073-6769