Australia's Science Forum

Hello one and all

just a quick question is there like a standard notice that people put on their lab fridges stating it has chemcical and culturals stored in it??

Hi Annette,

I don't know of one, because I have never done it! Maybe I should have.
Check with your school's OHS person or alternatively, check with the Government Worksafe people.

Maree

Hi Dolphinscales,
it sounds like a sensible idea to me. I do have similar signs on my "food items" cupboard in the prep room. Its also where I keep all the oils such as olive, canola,cooking oil, as well as the food colouring, potato starch, flour, sugar cooking salt, cream of tartar, honey etc. It is only common sense to me that no one will actually eat those if they are in a science prep area... but hey... common sense is really only Knowledge + experience. If in doubt cover ones butt. My food cbd sign reads
"Science Foodstuffs---STRICTLY NOT for human consumption"
and another "DANGER.. contaminated...DO NOT EAT!"

What a another GREAT idea. Shall be doing some signs.

Well Done

Regards

Thanks for the replies guys i have gone with

Warning - This fridge contains chemcials and Science Foodstuffs---STRICTLY NOT for human consumption.

hope that helps others - thanks rainbow sky for the idea on labeling hte shelves wehre i keep the other food stuffs that you mentions - did not think of that - one step at a time though - i will get to that today also.

good work crew

I made up a sign for the frideg in my prep room that says

BIOLOGICAL HAZARD
FOOD IN THIS FRIDGE
NOT
FOR HUMAN CONSUMPTION

and printed it in red. This was after doing OH&S training, and the Science conference at St Mary's last year, beacuse of my concerns that staff were keeping ice blocks in the freezer section to hand out to senior students!

Haven't thought to put a similar one on my other foodstuffs, but that makes sense.

Liz

Thank you,
I'm now putting a sign on my frige. I hadn't even thought about that.
I love Chemtalk!

Yeah, I love all you guys too!

I remember a few yrs ago, catching red handed an adult ( dont want to name names) pinching the icecubes out of the prep room freezer. It seems they didnt have enough ice to cool their tub of cordial!!!!!!
Never assume that folks have common sense!
R-Sky

Greetings all,

I am in the process of making up signs for our fridge and freezer after reading all these posts.

On another related matter, I guess we should also have signs on incubators which can contain biological hazards much greater than we store in the fridge or freezer. Has anyone done this so far?

Enjoy the break everyone! Two weeks without having to get up early - wonderful!!

I sure love this website also.

Robbie

Good Idea Robbie. It could be put up each time we have plates etc inside.

Another great idea, well done "Caution Biological Hazards"

Regards

We also have signs Caution this is HOT we put on our hotplate, after use. Just incase a teacher or student go near the hotplate.

Caution wet floor After a spill on the floor

For the cleaners we also have signs, Caution Acid with glasswear soaking in a place in the prep room.

Do not forget Caution Peanuts should be put up if Peanuts are stored in the prep room


I wish every one a very happy Easter

Regards

Hi all,

I need to make up signs for our fridge, freezer & microwave to make sure everyone knows that they are used with chemicals & therefore should not be used for food. I'm feeling a bit brain dead this morning, so does anyone have some they could post here for me please?

Thanks so much!

I have bought a commercial 'wet floor' sign for spills.
I have written HOT in red permanent marker on some fo the small bench mats and keep those by the hotplates to put ontop of the plate when finished with it , as it cools.

Hi Melsid,
I was just going to suggest a sign with Do not put your lunch in here. You have no idea how many times I had to point that out, only to be told, they are not touching the chemicals, dah..
Lada

Some people seem to have no idea. Personally, I never bring food into the lab area at all, let alone store it with chemicals, bugs, and unknown life forms... Still, it takes all kinds.

Mel

Dear all, I am on central coast recovering from the April 2015 storms. Our biology freezer with tongues, rats and other animals bits and pieces was without power due to the widespread blackouts for at least two days. I have returned to work and it is all refrozen so I do not know how soft things got but no one was here to open the door and let out the cool air. Will they be ok or do I need to throw out all these items and re-order??
Regards, Nikki
filling in for Jodye

I would throw them out myself, but it has been cooler, so perhaps they are OK, perhaps defrost a smallest piece you have, see if that smells awful after it has defrosted, and make up your mind from the defrosted piece??????????????

Fridges work like really good eskies - they are very well insulated and things left in them can take some time to defrost. However, I'd be reluctant to take the risk with other people and I think you would be better off throwing things out and starting again. The quality of the specimens may be compromised and they may not be worth hanging onto anyway. Sue has some good advice too, if throwing it all out is too much.

Hope there wasn't too many other problems after the storms.

The 10 rats were OK because they were packed close together in very strong plastic on the middle shelf of the freezer. However, the 60 squid, hearts, kidneys and pluck were sitting on the bottom of the freezer and defrosted - the water that had refrozen was not a good colour. All these things have been disposed of.

Yuk! I feel for you - a fridge or freezer without power is a Labbie's nightmare! Good that you've tossed most of it!

My thinking was that even if it had re-frozen before you got back, you'd still have known by the smell if it had been off long enough to completely thaw - I doubt re-freezing would have cleared the horrible smell from the prep Room that fast, lol!

Usually your nose will let you know from a good distance away, and you never forget that 'malodour' !@#$%!

Best Wishes to all that are dealing with a big clean-up at work or at home.