Australia's Science Forum

I read your comments on the "What the ....!!" regarding no eating in the science rooms, ever. You mentioned it says that in the CSIS.
I'm fairly new to the lab, and haven't come across that in the CSIS yet. I haven't read much of it at all. I was wondering if you could tell me where I could find that information. I looked this morning, but can't find it yet.
Does this mean that Lab assistants should never eat anything in the prep room?
I make tea and coffee in the prep room, and drink it while I'm at my desk. I keep some fresh milk in the science fridge....and I often have a banana or muesli bar.
Is that a No No ?
Thanks for any info you could give me.


As I am away sick with yet another cold, perhaps someone may know the page number for this information?

I thought to put this up as a poll for us all.

The reason a person should not eat in a prep room or lab class room. Is chemicals can stay in the air for years & years airborne, that is. Even in a new or refub prep room. As you eat or have a drink, you take in a little of that air, so in fact are taking in the chemicals. Robb if you are out their perhaps you may be able to put this another way, my head is full of drugs & the cold.

I know you aren't supposed to but I sometimes have a stash of lollies to snack on (not healthy, I know). And I sometimes have drinks in there but I always pick my times. For example, on days when I am making up chemicals I will not eat or drink in there. And especially not when making up Agar. My desk is not in the prep room and I wouldn't dare eat or drink anything from the fridge/freezer although other teachers put food in there to give to their students!! I know it isn't particularly safe to be eating and drinking in there, and I tell off kids who eat or drink in the labs, and so I eat and drink at my own risk. I don't know if there is anything formally written about eating in the prep rooms but I'm pretty sure there is about the labs themselves, and really, the prep room is a mini lab. Sorry Labbie I don't know where exactly it is written though.

I'm the same have my little stash of goodies, more often than not it's a cup of coffee. I have a section to the side of the prep. room set out as my office space and stictly no chemicals allowed. I can't see that would be a problem.

i have no where else to it except my prep room, at my desk that I clean with spray and wipe reguarly.
I lunch at the same time as the students so I can't go and sit outside anywhere, and i am the only one of the admin staff that lunches at that time so if i went to the room they use, i would be alone, so i might as well be alone in my prep room.

I also have 2 fridges, one for the smelly / yucky stuff of science, and the other for the non chemical stuff, like the groceries we need for science...and that fridge gets cleaned about every 2 weeks. I keep my milk in there.

I also have nowhere else to go.
I have coffee and maybe some muesli bars. I have a small section to the side of the room that is a no-go area for chemicals and that is where my desk is.
Sometimes staff pop in for a quick coffee, because they haven't time to go downstairs to staff room.
All chemicals are kept in the chem store, except when in immediate use, and my prep room is mainly filled with trolleys and equipment - not chemicals.
When I worked in industry quite a few years ago, we had a 'tea lady' who brought morning tea TO US in the laboratory - right in the middle of our work - and I worked with one man who would grab a 600ml beaker out of the cupboard [unwashed] and use that for his cup and use his work spatula to stir his sugar.. you know what that man is still alive! maybe he is well preserved!

generally I dont eat in the prep room but on occasion I drink but only out of a travel mug with a lid or water bottle with a stopper spout. We do not let students eat or drink in the labs as it is a safety hazzard so it cant be ok for me to do it either particularly when we must role model correct behaviour.
even when I drink with the lid in place I still feel guilty so dont do it often. I have a place to have lunch etc it is the science staffroom and gives me a good opportunity to connect with the staff in a more social situation.

I'm with Rosalie. I have a corner of my prep room that is chemical-free, and that's where I drink my coffee, and yes, even have the occasional muesli bar. In fact, in my barn of a prep-room (soon to be taken away from me) I have one desk just for weighing out my chemicals, and the other benches are for things like the incubator, distilled water, making stuff, laminating MSDS's etc. but NOT for chemicals.

we have an 'all in' staff room, that it its a huge room upstairs that is partioned off with desks, and the science staff are right down the back corner, and the set up is not conducive to conversation, its like the work benches in the library's at uni almost. And I don't have a desk up there, so i don't go.
Somedays I can go the whole day without talking to anyone- or only leaving the prep room for the toilet.
What makes it easier is I get a newspaper, have the radio, and also listen to audio books on my ipod while I am doing tedious set ups of washing up.
So yep, I eat here. That said, its time to clean my desk again.

What I get from this conversation is that we are a lonely bunch of labbys, I too can go days without talking to anyone.....I think its a bit sad really.
Gonna make an effort to mingle.

I am very lucky I have an office downstairs just for me with a fridge just for me, 2 tables just for me, my own radio and computer oh and did I mention I have my own car park. Anyway enough bragging...I only eat downstairs and never let anyone eat in the labs.

I do occasionally eat at my desk, but most of the time I eat with the rest of the staff in the staffroom. Which seems to make me the odd one out, I go over pretty much every recess and lunch to the staffroom. There is no set area for any department (the primary staff prefer not to mingle with the secondary staff, with the odd exception), the first in grab the best seats.

We have a large staff room for everyone to use for eating, teachers, school officers etc. I usually try and go up there for lunch so I don't get too cut off from the rest of the staff. However, I do find that as we often have to get into labs in between classes to clear up or set up I don't always manage to have breaks at the same time as everyone else. When I first started here I was always in the chem prep room (computer etc.) but I managed to get another room set up with my computer in that is chem free, I keep all our physics stuff in there. So if I do need to eat up here for any reason I have a chem free space to do it in. However I must admit to drinking the occasional cup of tea or eating a muesli bar in the prep room or lab.

Hi All,

Can I just step in here and offer a means to the end of the autonomous array...

The policy for eating in the preproom is of a general consensus, ethically I would not necessarily eat in the preproom, ALTHOUGH - If there is an area well away from preparation areas then this could be fine.

There is no policy to state (even in CSIS or DEC policy) to say that you can/cannot eat in Lab Preprooms.

Be careful when offering information as such as our hot topic at the moment. As my WH&S ethic is there should be an area away from the Laboratory for lunch breaks. One - To get out of the Laboratory and strech you legs. Two - To have time out away from stresses, workload, or other means of work issues so that yourself can have quality time (as limited as it is) refresh and prepare for a healthy beginning to the rest of the day.

My suggestion is to look at the wider picture, this may/may not work for you, but in the end whether or not certain ways or locations work for you is totally up to yourself.

I hope this clears things for all, and offers some insight into the many possibilities that this topic offers.

Cheers,

Robb.....