The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, May 16, 1980 Page: 6 of 12
twelve pages : ill. ; page 20 x 14 in.View a full description of this newspaper.
Extracted Text
The following text was automatically extracted from the image on this page using optical character recognition software:
Sosinsky, Parry charge Chemistry Labs unsafe...
continued from page I
problems. In other words, the
problems associated with the letter
are matters for the business office."
Sims said he does not plan to meet
with his committee until next fall.
In the month since Sosinsky's
letter to Hackerman, no action by
the administration or the safety
committee has been taken.
"I don't know [why the safety
committee] hasn't been able to do
anything," complained Safety
Committee member and chemistry
professor Ron Parry. "I mentioned
the topic last year to them. I, in
essence, told them that the safety in
the chemistry building is so bad,
it's almost a hopeless case."
Parry was also concerned that
the fire alarm system in the
building does not function, that
fire-escapes do not exist, and that
there is not a security officer
employed to patrol the building
ana "perhaps check for any
mishaps.
"I'm surprised something hasn't
happened already. I am surprised,
for example, that half the building
hasn't burned down. As far as I'm
concerned, it's only a matter of
time before it does."
Sosinsky's suggestion that the
newly built fume hoods leak toxic
chemical gases regularly was
widely contested by administrative
officials.
Says Safety Chairman Sims,
"The lume hoods [were designed]
by the finest engineering
organization in the country."
Hackerman suggested that
Sosinsky was perhaps using his
hood to store chemicals that
shouldn't be placed there and that
this could be the cause of his leaky
hoods. Said Hackerman, "Mine
work."
Sosinsky admitted that most of
his chemicals are stored in his
hoods. "All chemicals are toxic at
some level and the more toxic ones
should be stored in hoods as a
matter of course. No other place is
available."
Underlying much of the
confusion in jurisdiction of
handling the matter is the
conflicting reports of the purpose
and function of the Faculty Safety
Committee. Sosinsky wrote in his
letter to Hackerman that the
committee had "mythical existence
at best" and hinted that the
committee had no real power but
acted only as legal figureheads.
Sims says his committee of seven
faculty members and two students
is involved only "with making
policy" and, therefore, reports
directly to Hackerman.
"The actual matters of safety are
really handled through the
Campus Safety Officer. He's an
administrative officer, and that's
his duty." •
Parry, though, feels that the
crest of Sosinsky's complaints falls
within the jurisdiction of the
committee. Sosinsky agreed and
added that the administration was
merely side-stepping the problems
because of the finances involved.
Again, there is disagreement
among administrative officials and
faculty members about who
should finance the safety
equipment.
Says Hackerman, "Sosinsky, if
he has some sense, ought to do
^something. specific in his
laboratory. He ought to use some
of his grant money for that
purpose."
Responded Sosinsky, "To the
extent that I can , I have equipped
my lab with safety equipment
bought out of grant money. What I
am worried about is not the small
industrial pieces of equipment that
each individual lab needs,' btrt
larger pieces that the building
requires."
Empty first aid station
there's no way around that. It's
largely a consequence of its being
very old. But there's inflammable
things and various other things
stored around in ways which are
not safe. The security is also bad.
Anybody can get in here. There's a
whole bunch of things that are
pretty bad."
No one feels, though, that
Sosinsky should stop his research
uitfil the safety equipment arrives.
"The primary factor," contested
Akers, "is that each faculty
member has to exercise his
responsibility. If a particular
professor is dealing with
explosives, he is really opening
himself and the universisty to a real
danger and should not do that
without the proper equipment."
When told of Hackerman's
suggestion that Sosinsky pay for
the safety equipment himself,
Parry answered,"That's absurd.
The University should [finance the
equipment.] Let's face facts. The
safety of the building is terrible;
SUMMER HOURS
SOCIAL HOURS HAPPY HOUR
Mon-Thurs 4 pm-12 am
Fri
Sat
11:30 am-2 am
5 pm-2 am
Mon-Thurs 4 pm-7 pm
Fri 1:30 pm-7 pm
LUNCH
Mon-Fri 11:30-1:15
CLOSED SUNDAY
—TW Cook
Hackerman felt that the easiest
answer would be "to forbid
[Sosinsky] from doing any
experiments with explosive
chemicals. But we don't want
that."
Chemistry by nature is a
hazardous profession," said Parry.
"If you want it to be less
hazardous, you might as well stop
working. There are certain dangers
inherent."
For Jones School
But he added, "We don't have
blow-out systems, we don't have
buildings designed for explosive
material. This is not an industrial
laboratory and we may simply
have to limit certain kinds of
(esperiments.)"
Hackerman still questioned the
immediate necessity of the safety
equipment, requested by Sosinsky,
and put greater emphasis on the
individual responsibility of each
researcher. "Sosinsky's letter was
not answered specifically except by
what we do. I did talk to him. The
problem of safety is more a
problem of training, but it does
require some equipment. It is a
problem of attitude and training.
And that is the toughest problem."
"It's quite easy to be too overly
concerned with safety," admitted
Soskinsky. "Not too long ago
Congress created OSHA
[Occupational Safety and Health
Administration] and they have
made lefe miserable for everyone
with ridiculous rules that have cost
our chemical industry millions in
unnecessary expenditures." But he
concluded, "What I believe we
need in the department for decent
standards probably involves no
more than five thousand dollars
and much of it was supposed to
have been ordered already."
Illegal class rings made
Although Rice's Permanent
Ring Committee denied the
request for a special graduation
ring for students in the Jones
Graduate School of Administra-
tion last spring, twenty specially
designed rings were manufactured.
According to the Director of
Student Activities and Ring
Committee Chairman Bonnie
Heliums, the rings are unlawful
since they are impressed with
Rice's name without proper
authorization.
The names of two of the students
ordering the special rings and the
manufacturer were reported to
Assistant to the President Carl
MacDowell. MacDowell tele-
phoned the manufacturer and
discovered that he had produced
the rings "in good faith," not
knowing the rings were illegal. The
manufacturer told MacDowell
that he had received twenty orders
for the specially designed rings.
Because MacDowell does not
know the names of all the students
who ordered the rings, he plans to
take no disciplinary action.
"I would hope that there won't
be a repeat of the manufacturing
next spring," said MacDowell.
> Said Heliums, "As far as I'm
concerned, those rings are
nonexistent."
Salaries...
continued from page 1
decision. He said, "I suspect we
have to keep constant pressure."
Duck also commented that he
felt this year's confrontation
between the faculty and the
administration could have been
avoided. "The budget is set much
too early. I think that generates
alot of ill-feeling and tension that is
not necessary."
"We need to avoid the scare
tactics, the crises, and the
confrontations," Duck concluded.
Put an End to
Rip-Offs and Run Arounds
Dear TOYOTA Owners:
You are no more at the mercy of dealers for repairs on
your new and used TOYOTA CARS. TOYOCARS is
owned and operated by Toyota-trained and National
Institute for Automotive Service Excellence (NIASE)
certified technicians. We specialize in Toyota service and
repairs. We offer excellent and friendly service,
guaranteed work, FREE estimates (minor repairs only),
convenient hours and low prices.
TOYOCARS
"THE TOYOTA SPECIALISTS"
One day service on most repairs
Open Monday-Saturday
Off 610 S. Loop at Cullen & Holmes
minutes from Rice University
738-3311
The Rice Thresher, May 16,1980, page 6
Upcoming Pages
Here’s what’s next.
Search Inside
This issue can be searched. Note: Results may vary based on the legibility of text within the document.
Tools / Downloads
Get a copy of this page or view the extracted text.
Citing and Sharing
Basic information for referencing this web page. We also provide extended guidance on usage rights, references, copying or embedding.
Reference the current page of this Newspaper.
Dees, Richard. The Rice Thresher (Houston, Tex.), Vol. 68, No. 1, Ed. 1 Friday, May 16, 1980, newspaper, May 16, 1980; Houston, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth245441/m1/6/: accessed July 18, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Rice University Woodson Research Center.