Physical Hazards: A Case Study of Mitchell Dufault

 

Figure 1:  Mitchell Dufault, the late Yale University Student

Physical hazards describe the potential risks contributing to physical injury or user harm. Conditions or factors in laboratories or workplaces cause these potential risks. There are different categories of physical hazards in laboratories. Some of them encompass electrical, hot surface, flammable material, oxidizing material, radiation (ionizing and non-ionizing radiation, UV radiation), glassware hazard, laser hazard, explosive, cryogenic, and high voltage hazards (Odhiambo et al., 2020). Therefore, technician assistants and students need to understand laboratory practices and management to make their space safer. In some circumstances, students think laboratory accidents do not happen to "experienced personnel or brilliant students". This is a misplaced conception, which is justified by an incident that took place at Yale University in 2011. Michele Dufault, a 22-year-old senior student, passed on when her hair was trapped in a machine at the campus laboratory (Hanna, 2011). Dufault lost her life when using a fast-spinning lathe machine. She was considered "a brilliant student", and she carried out research in the laboratory's basement, designated for students and staff to modify and develop research instruments. The investigations reveal that her hair was trapped in the rotating drive of the machine, which pulled her onto it (the machine) (Hanna, 2011). Based on the office of the Connecticut Medical Examiner, Dufault died as a result of accidental asphyxia through neck compression. Dufault’s accident could have been avoided by following laboratory safety regulations.

Dufault’s Negligence and Solutions

Dufault’s case demonstrates that she was working on a project alone in the laboratory's basement. This is against the direction of laboratory safety regulations. The safety regulations caution against entering the lab areas without the instructor (Al Mohsen, 2023). When the instructor was present, Dufault’s could have been saved. The instructor could have stopped the machine and performed the necessary safety exercises to save Dufault’s life. Again, the story indicates that Dufault did not wear protective gear (safety helmet) on her head. Wearing a safety helmet could not have exposed her hair to the machine. Dufault’s working condition necessitates wearing a helmet to protect the head from injuries.

According to laboratory safety regulations, individuals with long hair should tie it back as recommended (Al Mohsen, 2023). This practice assists in protecting the hair from various hazards in the laboratory. In Dufault’s case, it was a physical hazard. For instance, when she tied her hair at the back, it could not be exposed to a fast-spinning lathe machine. Unfortunately, Dufault failed to observe this rule, which contributed to her death.

Yale University’s Negligence and Solutions

The school allowed Dufault to work in the laboratory without a laboratory assistant. However, the school was aware of the possible consequences that are likely to happen if a student is working alone in the laboratory. Surprisingly, with this vast knowledge, the school still permitted the students to experiment alone in the laboratory's basement. This breached the requirements of laboratory safety regulations (Al Mohsen, 2023). Furthermore, the laboratory instructor failed to direct Dufult to carefully wear the right personnel protective equipment, such as a helmet, and properly tie her hair in the laboratory. As a result, Dufault proceeded with the experiment without considering these, leading to her death. Therefore, the university laboratory technicians slept on their duties. The best thing they could have done was to remind Dufault to observe safety measures when working in the laboratory. Again, the instructor should be present during the experiment (Al Mohsen, 2023).

Conclusion

Dufault’s case demonstrates the significance of observing laboratory safety regulations. For this reason, students and laboratory assistants must follow the recommended safety guidelines to avoid possible accidents. In this case, students should conduct laboratory experiments in the laboratory instructor's presence. Furthermore, students with long hair should tie them as recommended (at the back) and wear appropriate personal protective equipment (PPE).

 References

Al Mohsen, Z. (2023). Laboratory safety and security concepts for clinical laboratory students and university staff in Saudi Arabia. Journal of Education Technology in Health Sciences, 10(2), 42-46. https://doi.org/10.18231/j.jeths.2023.010

Hanna, J. (2011). Yale senior dies in machine shop accident. CNN. http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/04/13/yale.student.death/index.html

Odhiambo, O.N., Peterson, W., & Issac, M. (2020). Knowledge about physical hazards and use of personal protective equipment based on demographic characteristics and among small-scale welders in Nairobi city, Kenya. Journal of Scientific Research and Reports, 26(6), 120-130. https://doi.org/10.9734/jsrr/2020/v26i630277

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