Australia's Science Forum

What a horror of a day I had yesterday.
I'd taken a FACS day on Friday, and when I came in yesterday the four prep rooms were piled high with glassware for washing up and stuff for tidying away.
And two of the teachers had requested phenolphthalein agar for after recess - they had known all last week that I wouldn't be there Friday.
I was boiling up water in a 3L beaker (this prep room doesn't have hot water) for the washing up when the beaker shattered - hot water everwhere
I cleaned up the mess, then decided to start the agar - it's fairly simple to make.
All went well until I tried to lift the 2L beaker of bright pink liquid agar - the bottom of the beaker had stuck to the stirrer hotplate and the rest of the beaker just came apart.
Thank God I wear a labcoat and closed in leather shoes, I had this pink agar all down my front and over the floor , cupboard and wall.
I had to go home for a shower and change of clothes, and spent most of the rest of the day peeling agar off all the surfaces.
Not a good day.

Carol

Lets hope today will be much better.

Good luck
Regards

Dear Carol,

It just shows you how important it is for teaching staff to order chemicals at least 2 days in advance. You would have been stressed as soon as you saw the equipment that needed cleaning and putting away without the need to immediately make up the agar. The teaching staff are being unprofessional. It is not your job to say "How high?" when they make you jump. You need to insist on professional standards from them.

Let's face it, though, surely today can only be better! I hope so. Good luck.

Hi all,

We must have had Mondayitis. I walked in Monday morning and one of our teachers needed a new set up for heating coal in a test tube and collecting the resulting gas for period 4.

I needed a new rubber bung with 2 holes drilled, so off I trot to maintenance. That was fine until I tried to insert a glass rod into holes that were slightly too small and managed to break it in my hand a gouge a hole in my right hand and cut two other fingers in the process. And all this before 9am!!

I guess things can only get better.
I know I need to get tougher with the teachers instead of getting cranky and resenting the job!!


Hope the rest of the week goes smoothly and just think the holidays are just around the corner!!

Lorrae

Hello everyone,

Here is a wonderful word some of us need to use with teachers

NO



I have had to use it several time this week as teachers have asked for last minute practicals to fill in lessons.

We know how long it takes to prepare work, and we should be like Scottie (Star Trek) and always give teachers worst case time frames.

My attitude is that the sciene labs are my domaine to manage, the teachers just get to use them. A bit high handed, but it does mean when they follow the requested time frames for items they always get them, and I will help with problems.

Good Luck
Michelle

Carol,

I know the feeling well. I have just been away on sick leave for two days and what a mess to behold when I walked in this morning!

I have always been nervous about heating in large glass beakers. To make up agar I boil up the distilled water in an electric jug and then transfer to a pyrex jug and add the agar. The pyrex is thick and the jug has a good sized handle which is easy to hold. I then cover the pyrex jug with alfoil and place in pressure cooker to sterilise. Probably sounds more like Home Science than Science but I feel safer.

I am interested to know what happens in other schools if you are away. Here, if someone in the office is away, they are replaced by a casual. Similarly, in the library and the kitchen, if the SASS person is away she is replaced. However, in Science no one replaces me. The reason given is that no one can work here unless they have proper Lab Assistant training. Much of the work is washing up, tidying and putting away and other non-chemical chores, but still they will not help out. This puts an added burden on the teachers to do all their own preparation, and on me when I return.
Any comments?

Cheers,

Robbie

This is a great thread!
Yes, same here re sick leave.
If I feel that I am becoming unwell, I find myself racing around to get in front with the pracs, just in case I have to take the next day off sick.
Then when I come back from sick leave, I have to catch up on the ,missing days work. I am not replaced. Hope we never get really sick! ](*,)

Hi all!

Let's face it, we are irreplaceable! I had to take three weeks off to care for my daughter a couple of years ago after she had a bad accident. They replaced me for about a week, for what it was worth. The trouble is nobody knows where everything is, and they are so daunted by the whole idea of working with chemicals that they don't want to get to know.

I am constantly told that my job is safe, because nobody else wants it. When I think about it, that's how I felt before I got to know my way around in Science, so I guess I can't blame others for feeling that way.

The situation is unlikely to change, so let's just feel special, and get on with it!

Julie

It IS great that no-one else wants our job...cause dont know about anyone else, but I would much prefer to work in the lab area than down in the office doing only admin stuff. More fun, exitement, danger (kidding of course)

Hi Everyone,
There must be something about agar this week. I also had an agar explosion. I picked up the beaker I had been heating the agar in and a huge piece broke off the side. I was left holding the piece of glass and the agar was everywhere. Great fun to clean up!

Hope next week is better for everyone.

Hi all whilst we are on the topic of phenolpthalein agar could i have the method which everyone else uses .
I would like to compare with my method because sometimes there is variation in the pinkness of the agar.

Thanks

Amma

Amma,
I do my phenolphalein agar in advance and noticed when i place it in the fridge it lightens up to almost off white but once at room temp it becomes bright pink again.
Has anyone tried to freeze it? & if so does it still work?

Bindi- freezing causes moisture to leech out leaving cracks and wrinkles.
Amma-this is my recipe:-

PINK/PHENOLPHTHALEIN AGAR BLOCKS

For 1 block (10 dropper tray, divider removed)

14.4g agar
480ml water
24ml 1M NaOH
4.8 ml phenolphthalein

Put agar in 1L conical flask, add water and magnetic stirrer. Full heat, stir to dissolve. Remove stirrer with bar magnet, continue heating till boiled. Remove from heat. Add NaOH and phenolphthalein. Pour into tray, allow to set.

Hello all,

When it come to being away, sick leave is one thing, but last year I was away for study reasons for 4 weeks split by a holiday. I work during the holiday to clean up from the week I was away, and to prepare for the further 3 weeks. On my return it took me 2 weeks to return the labs to functional levels. And this ws in a term when the practical are few.

This year I will be away for 6 weeks straight from the midle of the term, at a time when practical are increased, and am not being replaced.
I dread the state of the laboratories when I return.

Hi everyone,
I agree with MichPull - after 5 years I have learnt to say no.

Throwing a mini tantrum also helps.

If a teacher wants a solution to be made up at the last minute, I give them the bottle or jar of the powdered chemical and they can make it up themselves. They are slowly getting the message that no means no. I'm lucky to have the backing of the head teacher also.

Hi All,
just a quick note about those 'weak' beakers when such beakers are to be used with magnetic stirrers making up to X litres of agar solution.
The quality of glassware has deteriorated over the years according to the country of origin, so it maybe it is an idea to source a better quality of beaker or as I saw years ago - a stainless steel 2 litre beaker. I have just tried a magnetic stirrer with a saucepan and it works well. We have been lucky and and seen sets of saucepans at garage sales.
Good Luck!
~Robyn

Hi everyone,
I find the "if we all work together,things are great" approach is working for me. I like to have notice, at least 24hrs,but I am happy to do last minute stuff IF I have time.The alternative is NO, or help yourself(and clean up after yourself). In fact, a teacher has been in here collecting stuff for a quick demo while I'm typing this.(that was hard work!!) I realise this depends on the teachers you have,but so far, we are one big happy family!
Cheers,
Lisa

Yes I have only been a labby for 6 weeks. During the first 2 weeks I worked Mon Wed Friday now I am full time. Yes the mess is incredible. If the test tube are left they go hard with substances and are a nightmare to clean. And all the equipment the put away is everywhere. df it is not attended to daily So I prefer to do a simple rountine of set up the next day pracs from 10 am the day before. From 8.30 -10.00 I make sure that all the pracs are checked and are OK to go. I ask show the teachers the prac and ask for their ideas. Then when there session arrives I take the three class to their rooms. The students normally return the trays, I spend most of the days cleaning up. I am now learning that the photo coping for the copy filing cabinet is my job. So now its a mad rush to get all the section up to date. But I like my job, I have been challenged and have learnt so much but it very demanding for a school of 700 students

I was boiling up some water to make a solution in 3L beaker about 2 years ago' as I lifted the beaker off stove the bottom of beaker just dropped out, Filled my shoe with boiling water, Ouch, then I looked at why this happened all my large beakers scratched around bottom from stirring with glass stirring rods, even though they had been rounded by flame polishing.
I have outlawed Glass stirring rods (only use polyprop.) in future.
Next if you want to keep agar cubes in fridge place in container place in larger container with with a little ammonia solution and cover with glad wrap they will stay bright red for more than a week.
Have a nice day! Keep Smiling.

Hi Lindy. Glad that you are relishing the challenges! SO much to learn, isnt there!?