Chemical Forums
Chemistry Forums for Students => Organic Chemistry Forum => Organic Chemistry Forum for Graduate Students and Professionals => Topic started by: Brilla on December 04, 2009, 09:21:18 AM
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Sorry if this is a very simple question for postgrad / professional forum, but I have some confusion regarding a possible safety issue. I'm wondering if organic chemists normally wear protective gloves when working with solvents such as dichloromethane and methanol? In my experience, very few people do so, but I have no idea if that's the norm or the exception.
I'm trying to figure out the safest way to conduct my research, without introducing a lot of contamination into my samples. Most people I've asked say that wearing gloves may introduce contamination, and thus they opt not to wear them. Or else they just don't bother to wear gloves, because it's a hassle. The MSDS says to wear gloves, but I'm starting to realize that in the real world things are not always done according to the MSDS.
I'm not talking about spilling huge amounts of DCM or methanol on my hands, just a few drops every now and then (can't seem to avoid it). But I suppose the harmful effects do add up. Is it something folks are generally concerned about? Or am I better off just ignoring the occasional drop or three and concentrating on keeping my work clean? I know no-one can make my decisions for me, but it would help if I could get an idea of whether or not this is even considered a safety issue.
Thanks for any input!
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I always wear nitrile gloves when I work in the chemistry lab. They protect well against a few drops of methanol. But even a few drops of dichloromethane will go through the gloves. The vapors get trapped in there and start to burn your hands. Still I think wearing them helps... just remove your gloves immediately after you spill something on them.
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Thanks for your reply!
"But even a few drops of dichloromethane will go through the gloves. The vapors get trapped in there and start to burn your hands."
Do you actually feel a burning sensation? Whenever I get DCM on my gloves, I sort of feel it going through the gloves, but I don't feel burning or anything like that. Same as when I spill DCM and MeOH on my bare hands, I just feel the coolness as the solvent evaporates and nothing more. Maybe that's why a few drops every now and then easy to ignore, and seems to me like many do ignore it. If I may be curious, do others in your lab wear gloves to protect against organic solvents?
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I work in a total synthesis lab. We all wear nitrile gloves anytime we are doing chemistry. We use them when using solvents, when weighing out reagents, when running columns, whatever. I don't see any good reason to not wear them.
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Oh, and yes I feel my hands tingle/burn when I get DCM on them too.
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"I don't see any good reason to not wear them."
When I've asked why people don't wear gloves, I've been given several reasons. Such as:
-"Gloves are a possible source of contamination."
-"Gloves make you careless with chemicals; it's better not to wear them and stay alert."
-"You'd need to take the gloves off and on all the time and it's just too much trouble."
-"We're not really dealing with anything that dangerous." (Referring to DCM, MeOH etc.)
I'm starting to think these may not be good reasons, however. Except maybe the contamination one, if it's true, and if the occasional exposure is not too severe a health risk. I wouldn't want to risk my health for the sake of good science, though!
Sorry to bother you guys with something that seems to be trivial to many... It is probably apparent I'm rather new to lab work.
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I have to agree 100% with stewie griffin. I wear gloves just about any time I plan to work with a chemical or touch a flask or chemical bottle. In response to some of the concerns, I have never had a problem with gloves contaminating my product, nor do I know anyone who has in the entire department. I don't think wearing gloves will make you careless with chemicals, quite the opposite, I think. Wearing gloves means you're taking some of the proper safety precautions. There are days when I wear the same pair of gloves for 4-5 hours, and sometimes only 4-5 minutes. But really, are you that busy that you can't take 10 seconds to put on or take off gloves? Sure, a drop of methanol or a drop of methylene chloride may not seem like much, but do you really want to get into that mindset of "its only a little bit of some chemical, I can take it"...
Risking your health needlessly in lab is kind of silly (as you note), so I'd suggest just put on a pair of gloves. As you're new to lab, now if probably the best time to start good habits. :)
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Don't feel embarrassed at all. Safety is much more important than most people make it out to be. You should know full well the potential hazards from exposure to various chemicals. DCM is a carcinogen, so I'd really like to not get any drops on my hands, though at times I do get a few drops on my gloves. I have never put on gloves and then had my attitude change to a "careless" one. In fact, when I don my gloves and safety glasses, I'm reminded of the hazards of working in a chem lab. When I work with nasty chemicals I put on my safety coat, and then I really become aware of what I'm doing and feel more focused on the task at hand.
It can become annoying to take the gloves on and off... but is it really that hard to do??
Lastly, it's interesting that people have said the gloves can be a source of contamination. One reason I wear gloves is that I don't want the oils from my hands getting on my materials or glassware. For example, if I tare a vial, then put my product in there and vac it down to get my % yield, I don't want the oils from my hands affecting the result (and when you are working on a few milligrams scale, this becomes important). So I wear gloves so as to not contaminate my materials.
In the end... do yourself a favor and wear gloves ;D
BTW, I think "We're not really dealing with anything that dangerous" may be the famous last words of some chemists ;)
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tmartin:
"But really, are you that busy that you can't take 10 seconds to put on or take off gloves?"
No, I'm not that busy. It's just that I'm sort of frowned upon when I do wear gloves in the lab, mainly because of the (possible) contamination issue. It doesn't matter as such, I'm an adult and I will do as I deem best. It's just that I haven't really had any outsider perspective on this issue before. And when I see almost no-one wearing gloves in the daily lab work, it just starts to seem like a non-issue, something I should not even be concerned about. But I am concerned about my health, and don't want to risk it.
"Sure, a drop of methanol or a drop of methylene chloride may not seem like much, but do you really want to get into that mindset of "its only a little bit of some chemical, I can take it"..."
I guess it depends on the chemical. I wish I had more chemical safety knowledge, so that I could make informed choices as to which chemicals and in amounts constitute a health risk. At the moment I don't really have that knowledge. But I don't have the "bring it on, I can take it" sort of attitude at all, I can assure you. I'm trying to protect myself as well as I can. And if contamination from lab gloves is not a real problem, then I see no reason not to wear gloves all the time. It doesn't matter if I'm the only one doing so.
"Risking your health needlessly in lab is kind of silly (as you note), so I'd suggest just put on a pair of gloves."
I think I will do that! Thanks for your advice!
Um. should I worry about the fact that I have been getting DCM and MeOH on my hands for some months now...? I guess it's too late to do anything about that anyway...
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stewie griffin:
"You should know full well the potential hazards from exposure to various chemicals. DCM is a carcinogen, so I'd really like to not get any drops on my hands, though at times I do get a few drops on my gloves."
Well, that's the thing - I don't really know the potential hazards of the chemicals I'm working with. I wish I'd had more safety training. I know MSDS for DCM says: "Possibly carcinogenic in humans. Possible mutagen." I don't really know how serious a threat that constitutes. I don't want to quibble here, because I fully agree with everyone here that unnecessary risks are stupid in any case! What I mean is, when I've discussed this issue with a colleague, they've just shrugged and said: "Well, it may or may not be a carsinogen, who knows. Don't drink it." So, it's often not obvious to me which information I should base my lab routine on.
Thanks again for the input and good advice!
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"For example, if I tare a vial, then put my product in there and vac it down to get my % yield, I don't want the oils from my hands affecting the result (and when you are working on a few milligrams scale, this becomes important). So I wear gloves so as to not contaminate my materials."
Oh, I forgot to comment this. Whenever I do this, I handle the vial with pincers, so as not to get oils from my hand onto the vial. It can really affect the result, I agree.
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Well it can be tough to be safety conscious when those around you are cavalier about it. Just stick to guns and do what you know is right. Use the MSDS as you said, and when you want more info ask your professor, ask other labs in the department, or come on here and ask :) We'll help.
BTW, what kind of research lab are you in (if I may ask). In my experience, the analytical/physical students are usually super crazy about safety b/c they don't usually know if an organic chemical is toxic or not so they play is safe with everything. And the organic/inorganic folks are more aware of what's dangerous and take precautions when needed, though gloves/eyewear is a minimum.
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"Just stick to guns and do what you know is right."
I will, but I need to find out what is right first. :-) Wearing gloves seems to be the smart thing, so I will do that. I'm sure I'll come across other questions at some point. It's good to know I can get help somewhere!
"...when you want more info ask your professor, ask other labs in the department..."
Well, this part is tricky. If the safety culture in the lab is not brilliant, then it can probably be assumed the professors are not super keen on safety themselves. In the lab where I am now, the professor seems actively averse to wearing gloves. And going to another lab in the department and asking them can feel somehow sneaky. It's kind of sending the message: "We're doing things wrong in our lab, don't you guys think so too?" I fear doing that may brand one as disloyal. That's why it's brilliant to have a forum like this!
"In my experience, the analytical/physical students are usually super crazy about safety b/c they don't usually know if an organic chemical is toxic or not so they play is safe with everything. And the organic/inorganic folks are more aware of what's dangerous and take precautions when needed, though gloves/eyewear is a minimum."
I'm doing organic chemistry. I've worked in two labs, and I wouldn't say eyewear and gloves are widely used in both of them.
In one lab, one person wore gloves occasionally. Everyone who didn't have glasses wore eye protection. Those people, who had glasses anyway, usually didn't wear extra eye protection. Everyone wore a lab coat.
In the other lab, no-one wears either eye protection or gloves. Some people wear a lab coat. I'm not sure if people are always aware of the health risks of the chemicals they're handling (and I'm very unsure of those myself, so I can't really pass judgment).
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I must admit that I am quite surprised that there seems to be a "culture" of not wearing gloves in your lab (I don't mean to sound judgmental, I've just never encountered anyone with that mentality). I've heard from some people I know that "in the old days" they would not wear gloves or goggles/glasses, pipet by mouth, those sorts of things, but mostly now the consensus I see is wearing the typical personal protective equipment. I find it interesting people would wear lab coats but not gloves, just my point of view, but if I don't want a chemical on my clothing, I probably don't want it on my hands :P.
One way to look at it, if you are wearing gloves and running a reaction... when you purify it, get a nice clean NMR/IR/MS/etc. and you can use that as evidence that "hey, my gloves didn't mess up my reaction, and I felt safer wearing them". On the flip side, if somehow your gloves contaminate your product, I am extremely sorry for telling you it is highly unlikely :-\ (I would still bet that its a very slim chance of happening). At any rate, like stewie said, just do what you think you need to do to be safe, if the MSDS says wear gloves and a lab coat, and you feel that's how best to be safe, then do it, and hopefully people will recognize you're following proper safety procedures and not give you a hard time.
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I want to comment on two topics here.
I generally didn't wear gloves unless I knew I was working with something I did not want to have contact with. I usually wore the heavy neoprene gloves.
There are days when I wear the same pair of gloves for 4-5 hours, and sometimes only 4-5 minutes.
I never liked working with anyone who wore gloves. The quote explains why. If the people wearing gloves discarded them every 5 minutes I might feel differently. I really don't like touching chemicals. I really really really don't like touching your chemicals. Take those gloves off and throw them away when you complete your transfers please. That little bit that you don't mind getting on your gloves, I do.
I like the feedback of knowing that I may have inadvertently contacted something. I wash my hands. We are not talking about the conc sulfuric here, I have my gloves on for that one.
It is a pet peeve of mine to see student touch their chemicals with their gloved fingers. I make them throw the gloves away and tell them to not touch anything. You know when they touch something, they are just going to spread it around. I am a forceps and spatula (and funnel) person. Let's keep those chemical away.
Re: MSDS
I am okay with some form of warning labels, but if I were a manufacturer and wanted to avoid a law suit, I would take extreme measures to warn you about the hazards of the chemical, even if it were an item commonly found in foods. Any of you chemophobes had any alcohol or mind altering drugs?
My preferred source for toxicity is the Merck Index. I like to learn about risks from actual studies. I want to know if I am in the possession of a chemical that can kill everyone in the lab or something that at worst has an unpleasant smell (that is any smell at all). I don't feel I know that kind of crucial information from reading the MSDS.
Lest everyone think I am a careless slob working in a chemistry lab, I have since retired from it. I worked in a synthesis lab for over 25 years. I kept everything in the hood. I know how to weigh out really noxious samples without your even being able to detect my having do so. I love those Luer-lock syringes.
So, check the toxicity data for dichloromethane. While you are at it, check chloroform as well. Also, while you are checking, how much are you breathing in (what I worried the most about) or do you have a gas mask on as well? (It is so ironic to see my chemophobic colleagues outside on a cigarette break.)
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I never liked working with anyone who wore gloves. The quote explains why. If the people wearing gloves discarded them every 5 minutes I might feel differently. I really don't like touching chemicals. I really really really don't like touching your chemicals. Take those gloves off and throw them away when you complete your transfers please. That little bit that you don't mind getting on your gloves, I do.
I like the feedback of knowing that I may have inadvertently contacted something. I wash my hands. We are not talking about the conc sulfuric here, I have my gloves on for that one.
I've had the same explanation given to me. The problem with it (as far as I understand) is that even when people don't use gloves and get something on their hands, don't they still transfer those chemicals just by their hands? I don't see everyone washing their hands all the time, whenever they get something on them. I agree that I don't like touching things in the lab, when I don't know who's been touching the same stuff with their hands (or gloves) that have unknown chemicals on them. It's just that if people don't wash hands all the time, the transfer still happens, right?
So far, I've kind of had the same approach as you (not wearing gloves, and washing my hands every time I get something on them). However, I've noticed that doing this is really hard on my hands, they get dry and the skin cracks. Wearing gloves would keep my hands in a better shape than washing my hands so much, in addition to protecting my hands from the chemicals themselves.
It is a pet peeve of mine to see student touch their chemicals with their gloved fingers. I make them throw the gloves away and tell them to not touch anything. You know when they touch something, they are just going to spread it around. I am a forceps and spatula (and funnel) person. Let's keep those chemical away.
I agree, I would discard the gloves after touching something I don't want to transfer (to my samples or to elsewhere in the lab). I use a spatula and pincers all the time. The problem is mainly getting solvents sprayed on my hands when pouring them from one container to another, or from a wash bottle or something like that. I don't think I'm going to do much damage spreading anything around the lab on my gloves, because the solvents evaporate off them anyway (except for the DCM, and I would change gloves after getting that sprayed on the gloves).
Any of you chemophobes had any alcohol or mind altering drugs?
Um, do you call me a chemophobe as well? Do I count as one? I certainly have alcohol sometimes, mind-altering drugs I would not touch. And I don't smoke. And yes, I'm worried about breathing in the solvent fumes as well, especially in the lab where I work now. We don't have a personal fume hood for everyone, and I don't like the way I feel after a long day in the lab amidst all the fumes. However, I can't order a fume hood for myself, so I can't really do much about the fumes. Gloves I can order for myself, so it's an easy sort of protection I can take.
I think the chemofobia issue you brought up is interesting. I've not been called a chemophobe to my face, but I've certainly been told I worry too much, even when I've simply been asking some basic questions (such as: how dangerous is this chemical?). I'm honestly just trying to find out what works best, and trying to develop good and sensible practices. I don't think asking about basic safety issues counts as phobic behaviour, though. Seems like this issue is somewhat polarized, and perhaps there's a lot of background there that I don't know about? If you'd like to tell me more, I'm happy to hear! And thanks for the Merck Index tip, I will check that out!
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Orgopete I don't understand your logic. If you really don't like touching your chemicals and other's chemicals, why wouldn't you wear gloves to protect your hands? You're free to dispose of as many gloves per minute as you want. So why not protect them??
I guess I should state that I'm lucky to work with other responsible people. In my department on other floors I have seen folks walk around the hallway with their purple gloves on. That angers me b/c I don't know what they are touching. Thankfully though I don't work on those floors so I can just pass on by and be done with it. However, in every lab that I have personally worked in, it has been clearly stated that once you are done with chemistry (not just for the day, say you want to eat a snack, check your email, go to the bathroom, even if it's just a 30s break) you take your gloves off first. So I feel comfortable knowing that my colleages have the same base level of hygiene I expect of myself. I wouldn't join a lab that didn't. In fact I personally know somebody who was employed at an isotope lab and he was so appalled at the safety issues that he quit 2-3 weeks after starting and went somewhere else for employment. Smart guy.
As far as the problem of using gloves for hours at a time... I'm assuming tmartin isn't actually wearing the gloves the entire 4-5 hours. I assume tmartin is not checking email, opening doors, etc with the gloves on (perhaps tmartin can clarify for us). So I don't see what's the problem with that?
Let me give you a personal example. If it's a day where I set up several reactions at a time, it's extremely rare that I have to actually use my hand to touch a chemical (even though my hand is gloved, I still don't use my hands to touch the chemicals like orgopete describes his students doing). I use spatulas and funnels to weigh out solids and put them in the flask. I uses syringes and cannulas to do liquid transfers. So if I'm not actually having to touch any chemical with my hands and I'm not getting solvent drips on them, I don't see where the problem is with using the same pair for a few hours of work. Now on the reverse side, one time I was transferring Br2 with a syringe to my flask. As I pulled the loaded syringe back out of the bromine bottle a small drop flicked onto my finger. Thankfully my hands were gloved. I immediately set the syringe down, removed the gloves, washed the hands, put on new gloves and continue on. That pair was probably on my hands for 3 minutes... and I'm really happy they were.
Orgopete you say you like the feedback on knowing that you may have inadvertently contacted something. So do I. The difference is that if I say "Hmm, I think there was something on that surface that I'd like not to be on me" I have the gloves for preliminary protection. Then, just like you can, I wash my hands.
Again I'm just amazed. Sure, if you work with people that wear gloves only to then physically use that gloved hand for scooping out solids and then ( while the holding solids in the palm of their hand) put it in the flask, then yes those people are idiots. That's not what I'm talking about though. I'm saying to take the exact same precautions as orgopete describes (spatulas, funnels, discarding gloves the moment you touch something on accident, etc), but in addition wear gloves.
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When I was working in a group for my graduation project, I found everybody there used gloves to protect themselves. Most members changed their gloves every few days but I did that every several minutes or hours thus being condemned that it's a waste of money and it was said that the boss would get angry if he knew this. (BTW, in the group every silica plate was cut into two pieces for thrift. Are folks around you doing this?) And also, I felt burning sensation every time DCM was spilled on my hands even with golves on for protection. (The chemical I have used that can cause the worst burning senation is BnBr. And you? ) And I don't quite understand why using gloves would contaminate the desired products. Why not use a new pair of golves when treating the reaction system?
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I never liked working with anyone who wore gloves. The quote explains why. If the people wearing gloves discarded them every 5 minutes I might feel differently. I really don't like touching chemicals. I really really really don't like touching your chemicals. Take those gloves off and throw them away when you complete your transfers please. That little bit that you don't mind getting on your gloves, I do.
I'd like to respond to this. I'm really curious about your sentiment, perhaps I dont really understand your point or perhaps you didn't understand mine. I wear the same pair of gloves for long peroids of time when I am doing chemistry. Let's say I get into work and set up a reaction, while I'm doing that, I'm setting up for a column. I'd like to think that by now my lab technique is pretty decent, so I don't spill chemicals on my gloves, because like you "I am a forceps and spatula (and funnel) person", so I use those gloves for my column...again I'm pretty careful, so cross-contamination is not a problrm. I do NOT wear my gloves outside of lab, at my desk, or ANYWHERE that is not already contaminated by chemicals. So if you are working in the same lab with me, you're wearing gloves too, because you don't like chemicals and the entire lab (except for desks and food areas) is already contaminated with chemicals. I also don't think wearing gloves is complete protection, I compulsively wash my hands, as I think most people should. When I take off my gloves, before I go to a non chemical contaminated area, I wash my hands. Perhaps I took this understanding for granted, as I think from your post that we both agree we do not want chemical contamination where it should not be. To clarify my point: I'm working under the assumption that everyone understands you wear gloves only when doing lab work and immediately wash your hands after you're done. Also, I'm assuming there is no unneccessary contact with chemicals, i.e. no putting your hands in the chemical bottles! I think we all pretty much agree here in the principle just vary slightly in execution.
I agree with stewie, anyone who is just reaching into a chemical container with gloved (or even bare hands) perhaps needs to rethink a few things.
On the "chemophobe" issue...interesting topic to discuss really. I personally would not consider myself a chemophobe. I'm not afraid to use any chemical in the lab, so long as I know how to go about it in a safe manner. I even enjoy quenching my excess grignards quickly sometimes! (only on a small scale of course :) ) I do not have the attitude however, that my body can take in, chew up, and spit out any chemical I am working with and remain un-phased. I look at it this way: Why expose myself to any chemicals that I don't need/want to?
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Ah, I should have rethought my post. Two things, one is that I am much older than most (all?) of you. Nitrile gloves? When were they introduced? There were rubber, polyethylene, and neoprene gloves. When I started, no one wore gloves.
Secondly, as gloves become more commonly used, the people wearing gloves had the tattered and discolored lab coats. We knew why they wore gloves. Obviously, I overly generalized. For those replying, that description does not fit, therefore I apologize for any such implication.
To Brilla, I don't know you and certainly can't label you as chemophobic. My apology. I guess I had improperly thought of one of my former colleagues who wore gloves and a gas mask in lab, but had to leave the lab for smoking breaks. We all thought the greatest danger came from the smoking and not the chemicals. So my reply was along the lines of "penny wise and pound foolish". Please don't link that expression as my opinion of what you are doing. My opinion is that you are only as good as the worst thing you do. If you are pumping benzene laden gasoline into your car, then a weak exposure to a chemical that has a low level of toxicity probably is not as dangerous as it may seem. That is not for me to say, it is my opinion as to how one ought to decide. If you are working with something dangerous, use appropriate protection.
I cannot tell you how dangerous something is. My career included working in a lab in which natural product isolations were done with open lab chromatography with benzene to an industrial career in which you were not permitted to possess a bottle of benzene. I think dichloromethane paint remover is still sold in hardware stores? Chloroform used to be in cough medicines (I am not advocating ingesting it).
I have been through many safety meetings, safety inspections, and read accident reports. I have advocated that a good safety inspection would include talking to the person working in the lab. From my experience, it is my opinion that the most dangerous part of working there is an accident. In my opinion, the greatest danger of having an accident is not knowing the dangers and safe procedures in working there.
Is there more crow?
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Ah well thank you for your explanation orgopete. It makes more sense to me know. Yes I'm aware that it used to be common practice in chem labs to not wear gloves. My PhD advisor got his degree in the 70's and said that they never wore gloves or safety glasses, and that we'd be amazed at the things they did (like evaporating away benzene by boiling it away into the air... and it may or may not be in a fume hood when doing so). So in that case I can understand being very diligent with spatulas/funnels/etc. I also agree that if I saw a person with a lab coat that has junk splatter all over it, I wouldn't trust them to be safe or have good chemical hygiene. :)
I don't know when the nitrile gloves were introduced, but they've been out at least since my freshman year in college. I just took them for granted and assumed they had always been around. In my experience the nitrile gloves have become standard protection in academic labs.
Well I think orgopete and I actually have similar attitudes towards chemicals and safety. I guess the generational difference has resulted in me being a gloves guy (since that's what I was taught from day 1 of my chemical journey) while orgopete is a no gloves guy. :)
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I'm definitely in the glove-wearing camp here too. We use disposable nitrile gloves too, and wearing them is technically mandatory according to the rules of the department's safety office. However, there are still people who don't wear them and there are times when it might not seem necessary, but given that everything in the lab is going to be contaminated to some extent I think it's better to glove-up. I've seen people who don't bother with gloves with TLC dip stains on their skin, and badly cracked and dry skin from continuous exposure to solvents. Not nice, and when you see hands like that you know they've been spreading it all over the place.
As far as contamination goes, I will change my gloves and wash my hands immediately if I spill something on them, with the exception of water and small quantities of solvents that don't degrade the glove (DCM gives me a burning sensation too). This means I'm not spreading things around the lab; the glove is just an extra, albeit thin, layer of protection.
For really nasty stuff like conc. sulfuric or liquid bromine I put on some marigolds, but always nitrile gloves minimum.
The only time I take the gloves off in the lab is if I have problems with static when weighing out samples. This can be extremely annoying, especially if that 10 mg that just flew across the balance was all you had, and your synthesis is 15 steps in. So I occasionally go commando at the balance, but otherwise gloves on.
Oh, someone mentioned cracked skin, I started getting bouts of very dry knuckles after about 2 or 3 years in the lab. It's probably the soap - get soap with added moisturiser, or just moisturise your hands at the end of the day and it'll go away.
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Thanks for all the comments, they've been really useful to me! And Orgopete, I did not mind your using the word chemophobe - I asked for clarification because I've encountered comments (IRL) that suggest it's not OK to be "scared" of the chemicals (at least scared enough to be wearing gloves all the time). So, it's a sentiment I've heard before, in situations where I didn't think I was actually being too scared, and I was just wondering if this a referral to a "two separate schools of thought" kind of thing rather than a comment directed specifically to me. And it seems to be, so thank you for the clarification! I'm sure there are people in both groups doing things as safely as they can, for themselves and for others. I'm trying to learn from both!
My mother studied chemistry in the university back in the 60's, and she's told me some rather grim stories about the safety procedures back then (or the lack thereof)...
I was also appalled to hear of people walking outside the lab with their lab gloves on. My idea of lab glove usage is to have the same pair of gloves on until I get DCM on them, or until I leave the lab, for whatever reason. I wouldn't think of not removing the gloves when I leave the lab! Throughout my normal day in the lab, I might not get DCM on my gloves more than maybe once or twice, so I think I might well go 4 hours without changing my gloves. However, I normally don't get anything else on my hands / gloves than the solvents (because of using the spatulas etc.).
Oh, someone mentioned cracked skin, I started getting bouts of very dry knuckles after about 2 or 3 years in the lab. It's probably the soap - get soap with added moisturiser, or just moisturise your hands at the end of the day and it'll go away.
I have dry skin to begin with, so I moisturize at the end of the day (usually several times), but obsessive hand-washing throughout the day still gives me cracked skin. Skin prone to dryness doesn't seem to be very compatible with working in chemistry lab... Hope the glove use will be able to help with that. (We also have swine flu going around the lab, so at the moment I wash my hands a lot even outside the laboratory room itself, which doesn't help.)
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Everyone talks about DCM burning - I've never had this feeling. Is it pretty intense? All I get is the cool feeling of the solvent evaporating.
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I think that a proper chemist should be cautious of chemicals. The ones that are willing to take a risk won't be chemists for long!
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All I get is the cool feeling of the solvent evaporating.
That's all I feel, too. Definitely no burning. And that's funny, because my skin is dry, so usually it gets irritated rather easily.
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Everyone should glance through the incidents on this page:
http://www2.umdnj.edu/eohssweb/aiha/accidents/explosion.htm
Also, everyone should wear gloves/goggles when working with chemicals. especially if you are unaware of the actual safety hazards of a compound. Ignorance is no excuse for carelessness. You can't make other people be safe, but you can and must protect yourself.