Poor Laboratory Practices Depicted on Child Weltare Stamp Stamps depicting chemistry topin have been issued by several countries in the past six years, including British series on Nobel Prize winners and the familiar U S . "Chemistry" stamp. The specimen reproduced herewith is from the island nation of Msuritus, famous for its colorful, revenue-producing stamps. This design is unusual because the main theme of the stamn is not chemistry but the International year of the Child, the year of special concern for global child welfare, celebrated in 1979. The art work for the stamp was based on a photograph of an actual laboratory situation, according to the Postmaster General of Mauritius, K. Ramtohul? and thesubjectwas chosen because more science classes are now open to women in his country, with chemistry being quite popular. Examination of the scene deoicted shows clearly that two mlesof laboratory safety are being violated: oneschoolgirl is pipetting by mouth, and neither the girls nor their instructor are wearing safety glasses or goggles. Green and Turk, in their book "Safety in Working with Chemicals,"3 begin thesection ~
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on pipetting by stating. "The mmt important rule is 'never by mouth'." The same rule is stated in the A.C.S. Division of Chemical Education publication "Safety in the Chemical Laboratory."' Despite such warnings, the practice of mouth-pipetting persists, particularly in life-science and medical lab-
oratories, where it is a major contributor t o the total number of accidents.5 Students in the US. are protected by state laws requiring eye protection in hazardous situations, but these laws are not always strictly obeyed or enforced in chemistry laboratories. Indeed, those who examined the Mauritius stamo easilv identified the hazard of mouth pipetting but often failed to notice the lark uf eye pnwction. The phutcqaph of the scene in the laboratory on the island of Mauritius could well have been taken in any number of places. Certainly the welfare of students in the laboratory should be of mncern to everyone. With the proper tone set, and with violations politely pointed out, laboratory safety rules. need not be a burden t o either student or instructor. Curent addreso: GECR. Ine.. 2693 Commerce Road. Rapid City. SD 57701. on a oneyear leave from Maorehead State University. Maorehead MN 56560 P m m I mmmlcatlon to lhe a h , Apll 1980. m e n . M. E.. and Twk. A,. "Safety in Wming with ChBrnicaIS." MBcmillan Pvbliahlng Company. New Y h . 1078. p. 11. Steere. N. V.. ad.. "Safety in me Chsmical V O I Y ~3. . Dlvislon of Chamical E d u Lab~~atcq." catton. A.C.S.. Easton. PA. 1974, p. 26. Ibid. p. 45.
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Mavitius' 1979 Internalbanal Year of Uw Child Stamp showing a student mouthpipening a solution horn a beaker. Neimet sndenlr wx i n s m r t a are wearing safety glasses a gaggles.
Volume 58
Robert F. Drake Colorado School of Mines Golden. CO 80401
Number 10
October 1981
A293
