Spillages are a common occurrence in the lab and can be a health and safety risk. The spilled contents themselves could be hazardous to those in the laboratory, as well as the spilled liquid being a slip hazard if on the floor which could cause injury.
This blog will cover 5 ways of reducing spillages to improve safety in the lab.
1. DURAN® and KIMBLE® Silicone Lids
In the lab the most commonly used containers, such as beakers and Erlenmeyer flasks, do not have associated lids or closures. This can result in make-shift solutions being used, such as foil, plastic plugs or glass discs. However, such containers remain vulnerable to spillages.
DWK's range of Silicone Lids can be used as an alternative. In addition to reducing the risk of spillages, they are also available in a range of eye catching colours to help contents be quickly and safely identified.
2. DURAN® Bottle Carrying System
The contents of large volume bottles can be easily spilled, especially if they are being used to transport samples from the field to a lab for analysis, or when they are being moved around the lab itself.
The DURAN® Bottle Carrying System can be used to reduce this risk. The system includes a collar that is only removable by cutting, ensuring attachment is 100% secure in use and the side handles make pouring more controllable and safer. This ensures the risk of spillage is reduced.
3. DURAN® HPLC Conical Base Reservoirs
During a typical HPLC process, it is a common to want every last drop of the solvent from the mobile phase to be captured. As a result, it is not unusual for those involved in the process to slightly tip or angle the bottle containing the solvent to allow the maximum volume to be extracted. However, this is risky and can result in the spillage of expensive and potentially hazardous organics.
A safer alternative is the use of the DURAN® HPLC Conical Base Reservoirs. The fully enclosed system drastically reduces the risk of spillages while also reducing extraction time and overall solvent consumption.
4. Plastic Coated Glassware
Borosilicate glass bottles are a common choice for most laboratories, providing a virtually inert material that can be used to safely store and protect contents from contamination. But even despite the relative strength of this glass type, a bottle that is knocked, especially from the height of a work bench, can easily shatter, resulting in broken glass and spilled contents.
DWK's range of plastic coated glassware, e.g bottles and media bottles, avoids this by providing an external safety coating that can be used to protect both the user and contents from accidental spillages.
5. AZLON® Safety Venting Wash Bottles
Wash bottles are used to store many of the typical cleaning solutions used in laboratories, such as Ethanol, Methanol and Acetone. However, storing these solutions in standard bottles can lead to solvent drips, which are caused by pressure build up within the container itself. Our range of AZLON® Safety Venting Wash Bottles avoid this problem, thanks to the patented DripLok® vapour venting valve, which ensures a safe release of pressure from within the wash bottle. This reduces the risk of solvent drips on work surfaces and surrounding areas.
