PMLS 2 Lab - Proper Use of Lab Equipment & Spill Drill

• • Centrifuge: a machine that is used in the separation of other components like liquids from solids that uses centrifugal force in a particular solution
• • Centrifugal Force: inertial force that appears to act on all objects when viewed in a rotating frame of reference
• • Swinging Bucket: Sediments are at the bottom of the tube; swing out from a vertical resting position to become parallel to the horizontal during centrifugation. Used for a large volume of specimens at low speeds & resolving samples in rate-zonal (density) gradients. Easily separates compared to FA.
• • Fixed Angle: The angle is relative to the vertical axis of rotation (45 degrees Celsius), sediments will be along the side & bottom of the tube. Used specifically for Pelleting.
• Hazards when using Centrifuge:

  1. Aerosols
  2. Mechanical Spills
  3. Accidentally blood spill
  4. Injury from broken blood tubes
• Body Fluids: commonly processed in laboratory; comes from humans.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Act of 1970, as imposed by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) in the US, has stated in the General Duty Clause that employees of various institutions must be ensured safe and free from any potential hazards in the workplace that might lead to serious physical injury and likely to cause death in the long run.
• Additional safety measures such as oven mitts for hot materials and puncture-or-cut-resistant gloves for handling sharp objects are recommended in the Hand Protection standard.
• The liquid portion of the blood is plasma (anti-coagulant) and serum (coagulant).
• Surface decontamination in specimen collection and processing locations must always be practiced by cleaning areas with 1:10 bleach (Sodium Hypochlorite) solution or other materials recommended by the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), a government agency that aims to guard the environment and general public by instigating laws.