When it comes to research laboratories, there are very sound REGULATORY reasons why keeping food out of lab spaces is critical.
In any space where biological, radiological or chemical hazards are present,
food intended for human consumption is against the law. Period.
It's a hazard. Hell, CHEWING GUM is a hazard in some of those environments.
Now, I understand perfectly well that middle school science is a far cry from a research scaled fast nuetron generating nuclear reactor facility.
But I guarantee that some 8th graders SOMEWHERE right now will eventually wind up in one.
No Quote Zone:You would not
believe the sh*tstorm-from-hell that it created for me, my boss, my boss' boss, and everyone else in the damned BUILDING and DEPARTMENT when one of the graduate students in my lab decided that having a cup of coffee at her (make that "my") desk four feet from a fully shielded P-32 workspace caused us all when we got (appropriately) a surprise walk-through inspection. Let's just put it this way-- many, MANY
mea cupla letters were written, and frankly we're all lucky that it didn't cost anyone a job.
GGA. Until that time, the lab PI and I were pretty much the
only people that thought it was any "big deal" to have food in the lab. The attitude was much as you describe, Ark-- "we're careful, we know what's safe and what isn't... blah-blah-blah... no time for anything else... I've always done it this way... "
The thing is, it's also true that all it takes is a SINGLE moment of forgetfulness and you're dead meat, and it's entirely preventable. There are a number of documented (and many, many more 'suspected') instances of harm coming to researchers from food or beverages being in workspaces where they didn't belong. A few end in fatalities, but heaven only knows how many result in cancers. My boss? Well, she had a "Silkwood" moment of her own thanks to an inadvertent (possible) internal I-131 exposure as a grad student that resulted in being under medical surveillance for YEARS afterwards. She was lucky it was just a royal PITA and nothing more than a scare. Once was enough, however and believe me, once something like that happens to you-- or once you
witness a laboratory accident as an instructor-- remmebering to follow this particular "best practice" is a
no brainer.My spouse is also FOREVER getting on technicians and more junior lab personnel about food and drink in HIS lab spaces, too. It's a real nightmare once people have LEARNED these bad habits... and there is plenty at stake in his very 'real world' position, tyvm. It's an industrial accident waiting to happen, and it's DH's butt on the line if he knew about it and looked the other way, YK? So he's constantly chasing out coffee, bottles of water, plates of cookies, etc.
End NQ Zone. (Thanks)THAT is why "no food in the lab" is pretty damned important as a matter of habitual observation. Just like wearing eye protection when you use power tools, really, or wearing a seatbelt, not yakking on a cell phone while you're driving.
Maybe SOME university settings don't think it's a big deal. I assure you, Ark, that others very definitely DO. Any course in which the lab instructor is willing to ignore basic safety isn't one that I think much of, frankly. It kind of says "you're disposable" to the students.