Best Lab Equipment

Here are some more information for Fume Hood Safety:

Wicked Winter Weather: Whoa!

A glance at the weather map for this week reveals that much of the nation is in store for some very cold weather, temperatures which will likely mean freeze warnings issued as far south as central Florida. Meteorologists are saying that temperatures in some areas will push to lows not seen in more than a decade, cold weather that can test the mettle of humans while also punishing car medal.

Timely Advice For Drivers

The experts at AAA Michigan are sharing some timely advice on keeping your car running during the worst that winter sends your way. Follow the recommended steps and you won't be caught stuck in sub-zero wind chill, a dangerous predicament for any driver.

Before heading out, AAA recommends that drivers equip their cars accordingly.  You'll want to keep emergency supplies in the car, such as a cell phone, boots, gloves, blanket, a "coffee can heater," flashlight and reflective triangle. If you get stuck, stay with your car as that is the safest place to be when cold weather strikes. If stuck in a snow drift, you'll want to make sure that the tail pipe is free to avoid having hazardous fumes push back into your car.

Defensive Driving

When taking to the road during winter weather, remember to drive with caution to help maintain your safety as well as that of passengers, fellow motorists and roadside workers. AAA recommends the following tips for winter driving:

-- Before starting out in snowy weather, take time to remove the snow from the entire car so it doesn't blow onto your windshield or the windshields of other drivers. Make sure your mirrors and lights are
clean.

-- Drive with your low-beam headlights illuminated.

-- Watch for icy surfaces on bridges and intersections, even when the rest of the road seems to be in good condition.

-- Look farther ahead in traffic. Actions by other drivers will alert you to problems and give you extra seconds to react.

-- When changing lanes, avoid cutting in front of trucks, which need more time and distance than passenger vehicles to stop.

-- Don't use cruise control in precipitation and freezing temperatures.

-- Remember that four-wheel drive helps you to get going quicker, but it won't help you stop any faster.

-- Apply constant, firm pressure to the pedal with anti-lock brakes.

Proper Preparation

Preparing for frigid weather conditions will help keep your vehicle on the road, advises AAA Michigan. Motorists can help keep their vehicles on the road by doing the following:

-- Check your battery strength. Faulty batteries cause more car starting problems than any other factor. At 0 degrees, a good battery has 35 percent less starting power.

-- Park your car in the garage. If you have no garage, put a tarp over the hood or park protected from prevailing winds. To keep doors from freezing shut, place a plastic trash bag between the door and the frame.

-- Keep the fuel tank at least half-full to avoid fuel-line freeze-up.

Don't be a statistic this winter – get prepared being venturing out on the road.

Source: AAA Michigan

About the Author

Matthew C. Keegan is a freelance writer who resides in Cary, North Carolina. Matt is a contributing writer for Andy's Auto Sport an aftermarket supplier of quality parts including Chrysler 300 C vertical doors and Buick LaCrosse hood pins.

Phenol-Chloroform Extraction Safety?

I read the MSDS on Phenol:Chloroform:IAA solution -and geez, it seems scary to work with. I worked with DNA extraction before in labs but haven't looked at the MSDS for PCI until recently.
I know MSDS often exaggerates to stay on the safe side and I don't doubt that Phenol is very caustic and chloroform enhances it, but I see more experienced workers in my lab handling it outside of the fume hood and with quite a bit of expedience (what about splashes?)
I guess my concern is:
sometimes I do get a wiff of the acrid-smelling phenol when I take it out of the fume hood and put it in the centrifuge, and once or twice I had a few droplets splash onto my wrist (not covered by lab coat or gloves), but no burns or anything like that - is this bad? Should I honestly rush myself to the hospital everytime this happen and recommend those expensive Barricade/Responder gloves for my lab?

I wouldn't worry too much about a drop or two on your wrist. Protein is pretty insoluble in the stuff (as you can see at the phase boundary), and your skin is primarily keratin, so as long as you wash it off quickly it's not such a big deal. Prolonged contact would be bad, since it will denature proteins, but keratin is sturdy enough (and there is enough of it) to protect you.

Getting a splash (or vapors) on mucous membranes, on the other hand, would be more hazardous, since there isn't that barrier of keratinized cells.

This is just speculation based on what I know about Trizol extraction and skin, though. I've found that the MSDS tend to err on the cautious side. It's always best to play it safe even by their standards, though (I took too long cleaning DMSO off of a latex glove once - it's true what they say, you can taste it shortly after it's absorbed into your skin).

Students Injured In A&M Lab Explosion Identified
Two Texas A&M graduate students were treated for minor injuries after an explosion in a university chemistry lab.

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