Safety glasses hygiene

A general discussion and Q & A forum.
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ri
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State/Location: NSW

Safety glasses hygiene

Post by ri »

Hi All,
I have recently heard that it would be ideal to have available near the safety glasses cupboard, individual antiseptic wipes for personal hygiene.
Can anyone advise what they are using in this area? I would be very grateful.
Cheers,
~Robyn
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dolphinscales
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School: Mandurah Senior College
State/Location: WA

Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by dolphinscales »

Hi Robyn - due to cost of teh wipes we dont do this but once a week if they have been used i wash the safety glasses in a disinfectant and warm/hot water . It does not take long as i only have 3 classrooms but i guess if you have a dishwasher then chucking them in there and left to wash over night would be resonably quick and easy for you.
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Slartibartfast
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Slartibartfast »

Same here - in they go into the dishwasher using Napisan instead of Finish power balls and rinsed and left to dry overnight. If Napisan is good enough for disenfecting infants clothing then it is more than good enough for rendering safety glasses bacteria free. Individual antiseptic wipes? Time consuming and expensive.
Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
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Shas
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Shas »

Another option may be soaking them in a bucket of 70% Metho for about 10minutes and allow to air dry.
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Slartibartfast
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Slartibartfast »

Most alcohols will distort/ruin the glasses (break down the polymers) and mist the lenses beyond use so careful with the %!
Richard Hollinworth
Disease diagnosis and extension services
DPI&F
Biosecurity Sciences Laboratory
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Labbie
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Labbie »

We use Milton ( Used for babies bottles & teats) Cold water sterlizing. I get a large tray, put in about 4 tablets, and soak for one hour, then the next lot goes in. I do this once a term, or if conjunctivetis, is reported at the school. I just shake them dry. I can do all our lab's in two days, so it keeps the cost down.

Good enough for babies good enough for our eyes.
Regards Labbie

Lab Manager/Lab Tech, mind reading etc etc
Now retired :wub:
Trudy
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Trudy »

Robyn you must have been reading my mind. Was pondering this problem the other day as well. Thought the Milton solution was an excellent idea pommy. Probably formulated not to damage plastics as well as glass. Thats the great thing about this web site, the answers often simple - most of us just haven't thought of it yet! One bright idea can be passed on to all :thumbup:

Trudy
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ri
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by ri »

Hello All,
Looking through my Catalogues, I can across antiseptic wipes from Livingstone School Supplies and they have wipes for 3 and 5 cents each in packs of 100. I have sent for 1 of each to trial them.
My problem with the glasses and 7 labs is that I never know when they were last used and they can be used every one of the 5 periods each day.
The Milton idea would work here at the end/beginning of each term/year for us though. I'll let you know how I go.
Thanks for all the input - they are great and inexpensive ideas!
Cheers,
~Robyn
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

I use a bucket of water with a good dash of Domestos (or other Chorine bleach) added. Leave them to soak for a few hrs, or over night. Then rinse off with running water, and leave up on the drying rack . This way, all the chlorine goes. And its cheap. The problem I have with the wipes, is possible clouding of the safety lens, scratching if not used properly. Inadequate cleaning, time and of course, expense.
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Jazz
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Jazz »

Hi all
Each student should have own safety glasses, if left in a lab then they have to be in a plastic bag (snap lock sandwich bags) with student name on it. Lab technician is not suppose to disinfect them because you never know who has allergies (Milton or bleach)
Cheers Jazz
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

Richard H. I didnt want to start a new topic just for this one... but you now have a scary toxic Avatar, and noted as moderator. Is that still you!? :w00t:
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

Hi Jazz. You are absolutely spot on. All of the students should have their own pair of SG, and in a separate pouch.

The cleaning takes place (here) at the end of each term, or on a needs basis.

I use chlorine (or O bleach), because by the time the cleaning process is finished... ie clean ,rinsed and dried, there are no traces of O2 or Cl on them at all.
This way we are not introducing a reactive substance (allergies) to the students. :-)
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Kathryn
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Kathryn »

Surely you don't have a pair of SG for every single student? Do they have to supply their own? Also presumably if milton is safe to use on babies, it must have low allergenic qualities? - especially if they are left to dry overnight or even through the holidays, there wouldn't be much residue left. I've only ever washed the glasses in hot detergent but will now start disinfecting.
kathryn
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

Hi Kath.
yes we have a pair for every single student.
Its not best practice to share glasses, as thats when infection can spead.That way, we need to clean them less often, and not after every use.

We keep each class set in a box with their class labeled on the side.
Every pair is labelled with the students name, as well as labelling the pouch with their name.(Is amazing how often the glasses dont make it back to the pouch!)

That way, as the student progresses from yr onwards, the glasses go with them through school. We have a levy for PPE in science ... not much... think its about $3-$10 dollars a year?Please dont quote me on that
This way, the initial cost of the glasses are around $5-6. If they lose /break/outgrow a pair on their way through school, the levy will cover cost of a replacement pair. The levy also covers the cost of elastic/latex/nitrile gloves as required.

I think that Miltons is safe for allergies. Its only Oxygen bleach I think. Thats why I only use Miltons or Chlorine bleach
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

Forgot to say.. I think that you can also UV irradiate them to kill things. 8-)
RosalieM
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by RosalieM »

So what happens when the kids leave? Do they take the glasses with them or do they get cleaned and passed on to the new batch of yr 7 kids? Also, do you do the same for lab coats?
Rosalie
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

When the students leave school, we discard any glasses that are scratched /broken/burn marks etc. Visibility is the priority. Then I sanitise the remaining (with the bleach), and we store them as "Sanitised and recycled". Each incoming new student gets issued with a pair of new glasses.

then the recycled ones are used as spares.(.as sometimes their own glasses get misplaced, or if the break, get stood on, but generally scratched).

Typically, by the time a student is finished with their glasses, there arent that many of them that are useable. I get maybe 1/3 -1/4 of the used glasses that I deem whole enough to re-issue. If I have no recycled oned left to issue to existing students.. then they score it sweet and get a new pair. Just luck of the draw really.

When it comes to lab coats.. I buy them second hand to start with. Costs about $24 /coat usually. I make sure that I have a variety of sizes on hand... from a small frame to larger size.

Only senior chemistry are issued with a lab coat.
Some of the chemists also elect to do Bio as well, so when it comes time for them to do, eg disections in snr Bio, they can use their own lab coat for the class. For Those students that just do Bio, I will issue them a labcoat for the day. These coats come from my "Spare stash".

The senior lab-coats are hanging in a secure hallway, tied down to the wall, & each on their own peg. Intermittantly, I will wash them in the washing machine, to keep them fresh & clean.
When the student leaves school, we clean and reissue the coats for the incoming senior students.

That all make sense? It works really well for us.
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SGG
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by SGG »

Hi
I hear what is said about the 70% alcohol but TAFE uses it with no problems and I introduced it in term 2. The OHS act says no"sharing of PPE" so thoughts are that glasses should be disinfected after each use. The school doesn't want to introduce a levy system here and classes move so much between labs that trying to store them would be a nightmare. I have put a lidded plastic box in each lab in a cupboard that the students put the glasses into when they are tidying up/ going out the door. After 10mins or so they can be fished out with a pair of tongs and air dried in a plastic science tray or paper towel dried if required immediately. I also have one spare class set in the prep area.
Cheers
Sue Gilbert
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Ocean Breeze
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Ocean Breeze »

We dont have much room at all in our labs/prep, but just one small crate(or photocopybox with lid for smaller classes), or a 4-drawer Unit that stands in a corner... with removable drawers works really well.
Teachers often have unused space under the teachers bench etc. One teacher sits her box on top of the wall cupboard, its nice and stable and out of traffic areas.
I thought at first that it was going to be chaos, but we found smooth ways of doing things as we went along.

There are ways around the moving from lab to lab. Responsible students can be glasses monitor for the week/mth. My teachers also take a fair bit of responsibility for swopping their crates when classes switch mid term( we do some flip/flop systems), or the ask a student to grab the glasses box and put it back at the end of the lesson.

I find that soaking the glasses (at least the ones that I use)..in an alcohol solution, will eventually cloud the lens part, and compromise visibility. Thats why I avoid it.

I also find it much easier to comply with the 'not -to-share-PPE' requirement doing it this way... and its much less hastle that having to re-wash each time between different students use. :-) :coffee:
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Cuishie
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Re: Safety glasses hygiene

Post by Cuishie »

Hi all, I'm picking up some great tips through this wonderful site so keep up the good work. Regarding the safety glasses, I seem to remember when I was at school many moons ago, there was a small tray of crystals in the bottom of the safety glasses cabinet. Any ideas what they might have been and if this would do the job of disinfecting the safety glasses?
Leanne
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