#1 Science Forum For Lab Technicians

Hi, I just finished a four day course for OH&S run by workcover. There was discussion by the teacher about tagging.I think it will be changed to not being done because they have had situations where straight after the tagging has been done, someone has had some incident thinking the equipment wa...

I don't think it matters what type of bottle or droppers you send chemicals out in they will nearly always come back mixed up. I think they just like to see what new mixtures they can come up with. I now also try to keep a different set for the seniors expecially with indicators, I recently had the ...

Hi, I have had problems with agar setting the last two times I made it as well.I was blaming the old agar but I am sure it was because I didn't heat it high enough. The cubes I made last year you could have bounced off the walls but this year mine were like jam as well. Yesterday I made 30 agar plat...

It is locally made, I can send a sample if you like.
Estelle

Did you do a google search on spill pads? You might find a cheaper source. I have a bucket of absorbant powder I keep for spills, it has the ability to absorb 8 times its weight, I have used it on an ink spill that some feral child decided to put all around one of the labs. Didn't get rid of the sta...

Let me know if the risk assessment files didn't get emailed to you. I tried to copy and paste the email addresses in one hit to save time so if you got it twice, sorry, and if you missed out put your email address here and I will send it on again. Regarding copyright , I checked with the Pearson rep...

Good point, I will check before I do.
Estelle

Hello, I came in this morning and found my yabby is holding eggs under her tail! We haven't had much luck so far with marine breeding so far, so this is great. Now What!! Do I have to take her out of the tank? She is in with the male and another pair. I also found last week that one of my mouth bree...

Hi, If you give me your email address I will forward the files. Each risk assessments show: Description of procedure/requirements Hazardous substance classification Non hazardous substance Other hazards and safety considerations Protective measures Disposal of wastes There is nothing to do except pr...

Hi, If anyone is using the science focus 1/2/3/4 as part of the curriculum did you know that there are risk assessments available for every prac in each book? I got a copy yesterday and they are excellent. I had a problem with the prac (science focus 2 pg.44) using sodium thiosulphate and Hcl. I was...

Does anyone know the exact amounts of barium nitrate and ammonium thiocyanate to get the freezing result? For endothermic reaction for Year 10 demo.
Estelle

Hi Richard, Good photos, hopefully ours will start breeding soon. Yesterday I was worried that one was going to die it kept going on it's back so I kept turning it back over. I came in this morning and it had shed its shell. I guess that is why it kept getting on its back, it was probably glad when ...

They check for trip hazards. One of my science teachers got noted for a messy desk and surrounding area, Fire Hazard! They also check to see if you have anything in the emergency shower area, which some teachers seem to think is a good place to store stuff. In marine we got checked for the safe heig...

I found this information on the DET site regarding OH & S. The web site is advertised on the back of the pamphlet given out by NSW DET that we all received on "An employee's guide to reporting OHS incidents and injuries" I assume everyone got one. I copied this information from the sit...

Thanks Richard for the info, I am off to food tech to get some carrots to try.I forgot to ask but do you put gravel on the bottom, they are on glass so maybe they feel like they are skating. Another thing, I brought them home from Byron in a bucket and at first I thought that I could hear them scrat...

Last week I attended our local science assistant meeting and met two assistants who have just started working in science, they are both previous admin assistants. I asked if they had been given any training and no, they were just told, that is where they would be working. I asked the others at the m...

Hi, We were given four yabbies fo our maringe studies last wednesday. I have them in a large tank with about 25 cm of water they seem OK but they seem to be keeping their tails rolled up. Do you think they are sick or is this what they do during the day? I tried feeding them with algae pellets which...

Hi, I was wondering how other labs cope with the saga of sending out matches in boxes to class. I have: sent out half full boxes and they use the lot. sent out about 8 matches per box and they steal the box sent out boxes and they burn them I have also bought some lighter guns but the teachers don't...

"Sodium metal is to be used only by 'competent' teachers and dem'd to senior students for obvious reasons." One of my science teachers uses this demonstration as an introduction to the new year 7 students. I wonder about the competent part seeing as she nearly took her head off last year, ...

Last time I purchased safety glasses I got them from scientric in Yamba NSW.(http://www.<URL removed, see forum rules>) They seem to be good quality have a side piece so no splashes get into the eyes and fit even the smallest face so the students don't have to spend the time pushing them up their fa...