We need to use all five of our senses to recognize hazards. Let me share with you a lesson I learned as a teen in visual and olfactory hazard sensing. It's a lesson I still readily share today, well into my second decade as an environmental, health and safety professional.

Colonial Craftmanship & Modern Safety

When I was in high school, I was fortunate enough to land a part-time job at a well-known historic attraction in my hometown. Working in the crafts group, I was trained in a variety of interesting basic artisan skills. As part of the job, I demonstrated colonial era crafts while wearing colonial-era clothing. During my two-year stint, I dabbled as a printer, cooper, pewter smith and baker.

The safety culture was generally good at that workplace. I received excellent safety training in recognizing the hazards associated with each craft. And, while the crafts and costumes were colonial, the safety precautions were modern. For example, PPE, such as insulated gloves was used in the slush-casting of small bells from 800F molten lead-free pewter and the raking of embers from the morning hardwood fire in the sand-lined brick bread oven.

A Whiff of Trouble

I also used an array of cleaning supplies to keep countertops and utensils clean while plying my baker crafts. One morning, while on baker's duties, I was squatting down looking for cleaning supplies in the cupboard beneath the sink in the back room of the bakery. I spotted a clear liquid in a glass bottle that had no label. I didn't know what the liquid was but it appeared as if the product had been transferred to the bottle from its original container. So, out of curiosity, I grabbed the bottle, opened it and, with my nostrils directly over the wide opening, gave it the old "sniff test."

The product turned out to be a strong ammonia solution. I now know that ammonia is highly alkaline; that it reacts corrosively with muscle tissue; that it can damage the eyes, mucous membranes and upper respiratory tract; and that it can cause chemical pneumonia and pulmonary edema. I also now know that the proper technique for smelling an unknown substance is to keep the face far away from the container opening and whisk a dilute concentration of vapors towards the breathing zone.

Unfortunately, I didn't know any of these things at the time. So my sniff test consisted of a deep and hefty snort. As a result, I immediately blacked out. When I came to, my sinuses and throat were burning and my eyes were tearing profusely. Fortunately, I escaped serious damage thanks to an impulsive thorough rinsing of my head (inside and out) in the adjacent sink.

The Importance of Labels

OSHA mandates that all chemical containers in the workplace - even small containers used for pouring - be labeled with the name of the material. In a laboratory setting, containers with chemicals must also have the name of the chemical and the hazard, such as "Flammable." But there was no OSHA in the 18th century. And the lack of a label on the ammonia solution in that bakery was all too realistic reminiscent of the colonial workplace.

This incident wouldn't have happened if that bottle had been properly labeled. But I drew a valuable lesson. The experience taught me about the importance of labeling. It's a cause that still drives me as a safety professional to this day.

Using the Experience to Teach Chemical Safety

I always relate this story to employees when I conduct HAZCOM and Chemical Hygiene Plan training. I also perform the following controlled demonstration to underline the importance of proper labeling:

First, I fill up and seal clear vials with water, methylene chloride, acetone, nitric acid and other clear, colorless liquids. Then I note that while the vials look the same, they're considerably different in terms of toxicity, flammability, corrosivity, etc. Astute students can recognize differences in specific gravity and fluidity; but without labels, they can't easily and safely identify the liquid each vial contains.

The lesson is clear: Approach clear, colorless, unknown liquids with caution, especially when they're in unlabeled containers. And always be ready, willing and able to label. By labeling containers with the name of the material, and sometimes its hazards too, hazards will be conveyed in a safe manner and, therefore, can be avoided.

Conclusion

Over my career - first as a Safety Officer of a lab and now as a Safety Engineer with Wayne County - I've witnessed, reviewed and analyzed many accidents. But this incident was my first exposure to the world of occupational health and safety. And it was a personal one. I can just picture myself rolling backwards in my knickers and puffy shirt costume in that back room of the historic bakery. While the mental image is slightly humorous, the lesson I learned was serious.

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TELL US ABOUT YOUR SAFETY MOMENT

What led you to a career in safety? Share your stories with SafetyXChange members. Send them to catherinej@bongarde.com.

POP QUIZ

Mark Twain: Preparing for today's lesson

Who Said It?

By Catherine Jones

Match the following quotes on learning from experience with the famous person who uttered them:

Choices:

Answers:

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