Sciencemadness Discussion Board - Scratch thy nose

Scratch thy nose

Hexavalent - 2-1-2013 at 14:54

This is a completely serious and genuine question, one that could involve breaches of safety practices when handling toxic/sensitizing chemicals: when you're in the lab wearing a soiled lab coat, soiled gloves and goggles, and your nose or other facial area begins to itch, where do you relieve it? It is bad practice to allow your gloves and protective clothing (and potentially chemicals) near your face and mouth, which causes this small, but potentially significant (perhaps in the long term) issue.

Pyro - 2-1-2013 at 15:03

I get this so often! I stretch my arm out as far as i can to pull my lab coat and clothes up my arm, them with my nose push the cuff of the glove down and rub my nose with my wrist. If that's not enough just use a tissue, or take off your glove and have a good ol' fashioned pick

BromicAcid - 2-1-2013 at 16:38

I use the crook of my elbow, same as when I have to sneeze.

Pyro - 2-1-2013 at 16:54

ugh! then your lab coat gets dirty! when im wearing it i wont even wipe my hands on it! Ill wipe em on my pants lol, unless its nasty chems. but i just can't get that beautiful white dirty!

Wizzard - 2-1-2013 at 20:40

I rub my nose on a sanitary wall surface, drawing utensil, other person. The backs of lab coats, in general, are fantastically clean.

Endimion17 - 3-1-2013 at 04:02

I don't work with substances that would, even under basic safety measures, contaminate my lab coat so badly it would pose a significant exposure threat upon wiping my nose with the crook of my elbow or the frontal region of my shoulder. Or I use my wrist, whatever is more convenient at that point.
I'd have to be a very sloppy chemistry lab worker to endanger my health in such way.

Dealing with dusty, highly radioactive substances and furious toxins would pose a threat, but you don't use that at home (I hope!) and if you use it at work, you're working behind a protective screen and a glovebox with exhaust system.

zed - 3-1-2013 at 18:10

Personally, I prefer to telepathically contact one of my mutant flying monkeys, and command it to scratch my nose for me. If lab conditions are sketchy, they sometimes die after completing the task. Apparently, they are very sensitive to toxins, due to some canary genes in their make-up.

Not a problem really. I have swarms of the little buggers. I just fry the deceased up for dinner, and go on with my work.

12AX7 - 6-1-2013 at 14:16

I would think the shoulder is an unlikely location for splashes to collect.

If your shoulder is getting contaminated, you must be wearing a face shield too, in which case, your nose has a lot more separating it from that satisfaction than just dirty surfaces.

Tim

Fantasma4500 - 8-1-2013 at 10:50

Quote: Originally posted by zed

Personally, I prefer to telepathically contact one of my mutant flying monkeys, and command it to scratch my nose for me. If lab conditions are sketchy, they sometimes die after completing the task. Apparently, they are very sensitive to toxins, due to some canary genes in their make-up.

Not a problem really. I have swarms of the little buggers. I just fry the deceased up for dinner, and go on with my work.

never expected to read anything like this on here

i guess a wrist would be the best, good thing this isnt about spacesuits..

Pyro - 11-1-2013 at 09:11

Lol, how would you do that! that's enough reason to make me never want to be an astronaut! (Not that I ever wanted to be one

)

Eddygp - 13-1-2013 at 13:23

Where did you buy your mutant flying monkeys? Where did you learn to contact with them telepathically? The pet shop nearest to my house (it is really large) does not have flying mutant monkeys...

UnintentionalChaos - 13-1-2013 at 17:13

Quote: Originally posted by Pyro

Lol, how would you do that! that's enough reason to make me never want to be an astronaut! (Not that I ever wanted to be one

)

http://brainbites.nasa.gov/#/scratch-nose-in-spacesuit

gsd - 13-1-2013 at 18:55

It seems you guys have not herd about the new Android app "Noscratche". Install it on your smart phone and launch it when you get the itch.

It instantly searches and sends message to the nearest user of this app in your area. It also sends your location by google maps. This userl then calls on you to scratch your nose.

Last I herd is Apple is also developing similar app for iPhones - will probably named as "iscratchnose"

gsd