[Histonet] Safety regs/Pathologists (males only)

[convmcm]

I can't reist.  THIS post is PRICELESSS!!!  Woooo-hoooo Terry!!!  thanks for 
the chuckle!

I know this is a very serious discussion, but the truth is... I've been 
laughing my head off 
at all of this.  Now I'm going to jump into the fray and spout of my piece.

OF COURSE we need to be safe.  Anyone who has worked in the pre-safety era, 
like me, 
remembers how it was to work in a small, hot, unventilated room filled with 
open tubs of 
formalin sitting on heating pads. Dipping our bare fingers into xylene while 
coverslipping 
our slides and many, many, many other things.   My husband and I both have 
some 
reallly wild tales to tell about how breaches in common sense & lack of 
written 
procedures caused mayhem and disaster.  When I first learned histology, it was 
my 
understanding that common sense was a necessary attribute for working in a lab 
of any 
kind.

But I also believe the bureaucrats who come up with these safetly rules have 
NO IDEA 
about the dynamics of living beings.  What is perfectly sensible in one lab is 
a disaster in 
another and yet we're all expected to live and work by standarized rules and 
regs.  ALL 
of us want to be safe.  All of us want to do the very best for our clients --- 
whether they're 
human or the animals humans care for.  Common sense is TRULY the heart and 
soul of 
safety.  And Common Sense is a product of a good mind coupled with knowledge.


Anyone -- doctor or tech -- who likes to live by the blanket rules and regs 
without being 
aware of the reality of the moment, is the most dangerous thing in the lab.

I am now donning all of the appropriate personal safety apparel in preparation 
for the 
incinerator blast that is sure to come my way ...

Connie McManus
Utah Veterinary Diagnostics Laboratory
Utah State Universtiy
950 East 1400 North
Logan, UT

phone 435/797-1891
fax: 465/797-2805



>===== Original Message From "Marshall Terry Dr,  Consultant Histopathologist" 
<
Terry.Marshall <@t> rothgen.nhs.uk> =====
>Bill says:
>
>"It makes more sense to wash ones hands BEFORE going to the john in a surg 
path 
lab."
>
>Absolutely. The "Now wash your hands" sign in a urinal has always seemed 
plain 
wrong to me.
>
>I get up and shower. I put on clean underpants. My penis is spotless.
>I go to work.
>After a couple of hours, I go get a pee and put my filthy hands over my nice 
clean penis.
>Now I'm told to wash my hands.
>Crazy - I should wash my penis.
>
>
>Dr Terry L Marshall, B.A.(Law), M.B.,Ch.B.,F.R.C.Path
> Consultant Pathologist
> Rotherham General Hospital
> South Yorkshire
> England
>        terry.marshall <@t> rothgen.nhs.uk
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: Bill Blank [mailto:bill501 <@t> mindspring.com]
>Sent: 14 May 2004 03:07
>To: histonet <@t> pathology.swmed.edu
>Subject: RE: [Histonet] Safety regs/Pathologists
>
>
>At 11:13 AM +1000 5/14/04, Tony Henwood wrote:
>>I can't give you some examples of reg violations because:
>>
>>1 	My pathologists (and scientific & Technical staff) aren't allowed to
>>break Regs.
>
>This sounds like a power trip to me.
>
>At 11:13 AM +1000 5/14/04, Tony Henwood wrote:
>>Can you give examples where the regs are ridiculous and are counter to
>>common sense?
>
>Wearing floppy gloves while trying to draw blood or start an IV. They
>provide NO protection and make the likelihood of a fingerstick
>greater.
>
>Refusing to give mouth to mouth cause one has not a mouthmask handy
>
>Docs and hospitals refusing to give me patient info necessary to
>interpret a surgical or cytology because of HIPPA craziness.
>
>Telling me to throw away my Coke when I walk into the tab on my way
>to the supervisor's office to review QC. (that'll get you a 1 finger
>ciao)
>
>Telling me my shoes or dress is inappropriate.
>
>Quoting some rule when I open a smell a specimen container to see if
>it is really in fixative
>
>PAP smear retrospective review on myself.
>
>Telling me I cant carpet or put a rug in my office
>
>Telling me to put one way valves on sinks which are physically
>impossible to draw grey water into water lines.
>
>Posting OSHA regs, hand washing rules... It makes more sense to wash
>ones hands BEFORE going to the john in a surg path lab.
>
>Being forced to sign out a medicaid placenta within 72 hours even if
>it means I have to gross it raw on Thursday.
>
>--
>_____________________________
>Bill Blank
>http://kernunnos.com (Celtic studies and numismatics)
>OBOD's Message board: http://www.druidry.org/board
>
>
>
>
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