<P><BR>Dear Amos and "All" <BR>
<P>I need to clarify a little here I think. The hospital I worked in had just renovated this particular lab. Our Grossing, processing and specimen entry area are in a separate room all together. It was only in processing that we utilized xylene or any of the other hazardous materials mentioned in the previous message. In routine H&E Richard Allen substitutes were used with a Leica autostainer. Our number of special stains was small and our immuno was done on a Nexes so we were very controlled in in this particular area. While I realize that not all (actually not many) labs have this luxury when renovating this should be considered. These mats were used for the cutting area only! With only 4 microtomes, it isn't that difficult to control the paraffin waste IF all the techs cooperate and keep up with things <BR>
<P>As to other labs having to deal with any of the hazardous waste clean up after a spill of formalin, xylene, or common/uncommon hazards that is outlined in the never ending safety manual each lab is to have according to OSHA/NIOSH/and any other agency that has their finger in the pudding. Each facility has to have any type of carpeting, protective gear, chemicals all approved by someone in charge of safety. When we wanted to get these mats we had to go through all sorts forms and get more approvals from Administration (alias "Administradium" ) and it took almost 3 months from start to the actual arrival of the mats.In renovating in the grossing and processing areas mats were not utilized but we did follow a very strict policy of putting floor protection down when changing a processor and even when changing the stainer. In my four years there I can say we never had a major "spill". I don't credit my former supervisor with much, but I do credit her with that. <BR>
<P>Architects or planners don't really understand what is being done in the lab and it can be difficult to get it across to them that the cutting, embedding, processing and grossing areas have to be separate. Space in Histo has been a major stumbling block for so many labs in CAP inspections and the reasons always come down to safety for all involved in the lab, but very little has really been done to correct it. Possibly I misunderstood the original message, but we can't truly rely on someone who is non Histologist to really help at times. So it's up to those in the lab to sort of do continuous KP. That's how I've seen in it in the labs I've been in. We didn't always like it, but we had to do it. </P>
<P>I don't mean to offend or put off anyone, truly I don't. </P>
<P>Sincerely,</P>
<P>Vikki Baker</P>
<P>American Health Foundation</P>
<P>Valhalla, New York</P>
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