One More Argument for Safety Goggles-Contact
Lens Hazard
Some time ago in a. summer school chemistry class a t Cleveland Heights High School, an accident took place that may interest other chemistry teachers and their students. One of the final steps of the day's laboratory problem was the manufacture of severel esters from an organic acid, an alcohol, and several drops of concentrated sulfuric acid. The printed instructions in a commercially published laboratory manual directed the student to place the mixture ins, test tuhe and heat for thereaction to take place. It was a warm uncomfortable morning, as many summer school classes are, and the student had pushed her goggles up on her forehead just a s she began to heat the mixture. The contents of the tuhe heated unevenly and spurted out of the tube, and a. large portion of the hot acid liquid struck the student's face. The instructor was near and the student's face and eyes were flooded with water. I t wasn't until several minutes had elapsed that the instmetor learned the student. was wearing contact lenses. The lenses were removed and the flushing action continued until she was transferred to the emergency room of a local hospital. Later the medical report indicated that no tissue damase had taken d a c e exceDt around the lower edee of the cornea in the rieht eve. no permanent damage resulted. I t may be worthwhile a t the beginning of the term, when talking about laboratory safety in general, to include a reference to contact lenses and the special problems they create.
Volume 49, Number 7, July 1972
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