In 1993, I pursued a pre-nursing degree at Crafton Hills College and took an introductory course in microbiology with a lab component. Tying back long hair was a standard safety practice in the lab. However, one morning I forgot to bring a hair tie, so I quickly braided my hair and carried on with my daily tasks.
Our benches were outfitted with tabletop fume hoods, basically a big box with a vent slit at the top and bottom. We used Bunsen burners for much of our work within these boxes, so the morning was a blur of heat and glassware. I focused on sterilizing the inoculating loops used to handle bacteria when my lab partner stepped behind me to rinse test tubes. She said something, and I instinctively whipped my head around.
Big mistake. In a split second, my newly spiral-permed, waist-length hair whipped across the top of the Bunsen burner. The unmistakable stench of burning hair—mixed with the lingering chemicals from my perm—hit me like a wall. Panicked, I glanced over my shoulder and saw an orange glow against my lab coat. I frantically patted my hair, extinguishing the flames and losing a clump of curls.
My instructor came running, and I sheepishly admitted my blunder. She scolded me and warned me that neglecting to tie my hair back again would mean failing the class. It was a hard lesson learned, and I didn’t have any more incidents for the semester. Ironically, I later became co-chair of the campus safety committee, advocating for lab safety at the same institution where I lit myself on fire.
Until recently, I had waist-length hair. Even now, although I work as a lab technician in the anatomy and physiology department at Crafton Hills College, I sometimes visit the adjacent microbiology lab to warn students saying, “I lit myself on fire. Tie your hair back. Does anybody need a hair tie? I have some.” Accidents are accidents, but on some level, they are also preventable.
This interview has been edited for length and clarity.
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