I saw the other lab tech I work with, one afternoon when I went into the BSL 3 to do some work, working in the tissue culture hood w/o safety gear.
This is in the BSL 3 where we work with HIV and SIV, and another lab group was using it to work with Foamy Virus (I don’t know what it does but they can’t use it in their BSL 2+, they need a full 3 to work with it).
The coworker was wearing a mask and a single pair of latex gloves.
You should be wearing a gown and double gloved.
His excuse is, “Well I’m not splashing”.
I know I need to tell me boss this, but he’s on vacation for the next few weeks… The question is what should I try to do about this in the mean time. Experience has shown my that my coworker pays NO attention to how things should be done, or follows any sort of directions.
Problem 2)
I’ve been invited to a friend’s thanksgiving dinner. I asked what I should bring and she said, ANYTHING, apperently nobody in her family can cook.
Now, I know it wouldn’t be a good idea to make a thanksgiving type dish that someone else is already making and have mine end up being better. That would be impolite wouldn’t it?
I’m leaning twoards something non-traditional, fairly easy to make and would function as an appatizer. I’m thinking of making Gumbo. It’s easy to make, tastes good and works well as a starter.
Option A: Anything means anything, I wouldn’t bring turkey though.
Option B: As an alternative to the Gumbo (which seems like a good enough idea) you could bring dessert. Pies, tortes, icecream, and so on.
Option C: Can’t go wrong with booze.
If you take, a pie, make it something like a blueberry pie. Plenty of good recipes to be found, easy to make, fruity which is good, and it won’t be a duplicate.
If you want to take a side dish, my wife makes a seriously kick butt item that should fit in well with Turkey Day. It’s a variation of dressing, but different enough to be a nice option. The essential ingredients are bascially Stove Top and spinach. If that combo sounds good, let me know and I’ll send the recipe.
With our boss on vacation there isn’t anyone the next level up to kick this problem to.
The head of the department has no control over other labs. And likewise I can’t ask a PI of another lab to get involved in this situation since it’s not one of their people.
I could kick this up to enviromental health and safety, but I don’t want to do that without talking to someone first.
I have the feeling that this should be delt with ‘in-house’ before I kick it up to a level where the CDC could get involved.
From what I know of my co-workers experimental load, he isn’t doing any virus work until the second week of december which is when our boss gets back. I’m going to hold off and hope he doesn’t do any hood work until then.
As it stands now I’ve got enough problems just keeping that 3 up and running… We’re supposed to get the hood recertified that was a few weeks ago… Another lab group hopped in one hood and didn’t clear it and there is a 3rd lab group which is SUPPOSED to be using that hood.
GODDAMNIT! I’m a tech with BARELY a year and a half experience… I shouldn’t be doing shit like this.
I was planning on bringing a bottle of rum I haven’t gotten around to opening.
I was thinking gumbo because if the rest of dinner was like what I’ve been prepaired for I can have a nice bowl of gumbo, blunt my hunger and just look like I’m not eating much.
The dessert thing is tempting, but my friend is allergic to milk and so are some of her sisters, which kinda puts a crimp on some of my dessert recipies (since almost all of them involve cream).
You’re right - you shouldn’t be dealing with this. Seems to me this is right down the alley of the safety folks… Seriously, don’t play games with this - it sounds potentially fatal. If someone in my organization was being that reckless/careless/stupid, I’d be on the phone in a heartbeat. But that’s just me…
