By Dan Scungio In the 1964 classic movie Mothra vs. Godzilla, released in the US as Godzilla vs. the Thing, a giant egg is washed ashore after a hurricane in Japan. Godzilla finds the egg and tries … [Read more...]
Lab Safety
Asking the wrong safety questions
November 24, 2021
By Dan Scungio Many years ago, I was hired to perform a safety audit for a laboratory. As I walked through one department, an employee asked what I was doing. When I remarked that I was finding … [Read more...]
Lab Safety
How to keep the safety reaction sharp in the lab
November 9, 2021
By Dan Scungio The toddler’s father let her hand go so he could pay for their dinner at the busy airport. The little girl quickly wandered away and suddenly found herself at the top of a long … [Read more...]
Lab Safety
Super villain origin stories in the lab
October 6, 2021
In the latest Marvel superhero movie, Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings, a new villain is introduced to fans not familiar with the comic books. Older readers know, however, that Shang-Chi’s … [Read more...]
WORKPLACE SAFETY
Is it worth the risk assessment?
September 8, 2021
By Dan Scungio As safety professionals, we know performing risk assessments is worth it—it is an integral piece of managing a safety program. Assessing risks and identifying … [Read more...]
Compliance Alert
OSHA Orders Inspectors to Use the Hammer to Enforce New COVID-19 Protocols
September 2, 2021
On June 21, OSHA issued a new Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requiring labs, hospitals and other providers to take extensive measures to protect frontline workers against risk of COVID-19 … [Read more...]
Lab Safety
Four Motivators Every Lab Safety Professional Should Know
August 15, 2021
By Dan Scungio If you search for top motivational movie speeches, you will see things that might work in real life. The President’s speech from Independence Day (1996), for example, might influence … [Read more...]
Lab Safety
3 unwritten safety rules every lab should follow
July 18, 2021
By Dan Scungio Many years ago, a woman purchased a cup of coffee in a restaurant drive-through. Not having a cup holder available in her car, she placed the cup between her legs to hold the coffee … [Read more...]
TOOL
Tool: Model COVID-19 Workplace Hazard Assessment Policy
June 30, 2021
Among other things, the new OSHA Emergency Temporary Standard (ETS) requires labs and other covered employers to conduct a workplace hazard assessment to identify COVID-19 hazards. Here’s a Model … [Read more...]
Compliance Alert
Take 15 Steps to Comply with New OSHA Emergency Health Care Worker Protection Requirements
June 28, 2021
During the Trump administration, the federal Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) came under heavy criticism for not doing enough to protect health care and other essential workers … [Read more...]
