Laboratory work environments

Bulk Samples Bulk samples must be submitted for all silica analyses. They have two purposes (1) For laboratory use only, to confirm the presence of quartz or cristobalite in respirable samples, or to assess the presence of other substances that may interfer in the analysis of respirable samples. (2) To determine the approximate percentage of quartz (or cristobalite) in the bulk sample. A bulk sample submitted "for laboratory use only" must be representative of the airborne free silica content of the work environment sampled otherwise it will be of no value. The order of preference for an evaluation is ... 

Nowadays many companies have adopted a policy of continuous improvement of working conditions. Therefore, it is desirable to create target levels for those who want to pursue more efficient control by applying the best available control technologies. There are also endeavors to create optimal working conditions in order to improve the performance and the innovativeness of a staff, and hence enhance productivity. A series of laboratory and case studies show that employee productivity is higher when the work environment is appropriate for the tasks being done.- Such efforts are typical in the advanced sector of industry. One can say that there is a transition from blue-collar to white-collar work. ... 

Our own laboratory obtained different results. Not only were we unable to see a clear cut correlation between the incidence of ICOR channels in cell attached patches and the degree of hormonal stimulation [57], we were also unable to reproduce the activation studies in excised patches. In our hands, the activation of ICOR channels occurred simply by the excision, and this was equally true for the normal as for the CF cells [57]. We did note, however, that the other laboratories worked at room temperature whereas we always work at 37°C. Welsh s laboratory has shown meanwhile that excision activation of ICOR Cl -channels is a temperature-dependent process [113]. At low temperature, excision activation is largely delayed [113] but it is immediate in our experiments at 37°C [57]. We concluded that the activation of the ICOR channels has probably little to do with phosphorylation but is rather due to the fact that the excised patch faces a new environment on the cytosolic side [57,72],... 

Tuppurainen M, Wagar G, Kurppa K. 1988. Thyroid function as assessed by routine laboratory tests of workers with long-term lead exposure. Scand J Work Environ Health 14 175-180. 

Research laboratories are very unique facilities which require a great deal of preparation and coordination to produce a proper design. Much like the research that will be performed in the facility, each laboratory has specific needs and requirements. The primary considerations in the design of a research laboratory include the ventilation system, types of research and associated equipment, and safety and health of the work environment. Each of these primary consideration are of equal importance to the development of a successful design. 

At the outset of involvement in laboratory design it is incumbent for the health and safety specialists to designate those codes, regulations, and special requirements they consider essential to produce a safe and healthful work environment. All to often the A/E will choose a standard building code to follow. These codes, while appropriate for office buildings, do not address the necessary life safety requirements necessary for laboratories. 

Biocontainment laboratories are special work environments which often require special design and equipment to protect the workers and the experiments. 

SACHEM Inc., located in Cleburne, Texas, is a producer of high-purity bulk chemicals for companies that have high-purity requirements in their chemical processing. Because the products are of high purity, laboratory operations to assure the quality of the products (quality assurance operations) involve the determination of trace levels of contaminants. Contamination of laboratory samples and materials is of special concern in cases like this because an uncommonly small amount of contaminant can adversely affect the results. The laboratory work therefore takes place in a special environment called a clean room. A clean room is a space in which extraordinary precautions are taken to avoid the slightest contamination. Laboratory personnel wear special clean room suits, nets to cover hair, mustaches, and beards, and special shoes, gloves, and safety glasses to minimize possible contamination. 

All laboratory facilities must be of adequate space and design to provide a suitable work environment for experimentation and testing. The facility must provide an appropriately controlled environment (temperature, humidity, venting, etc.) to allow for a consistent laboratory function. A secure environment with limited and controlled access is required to assure result integrity. Suitable instrumentation and equipment must be installed and qualified as per defined procedures. Scheduled periodic calibration must be performed to demonstrate proper instrumental suitability. Such procedures must be appropriately documented. Reagents and standards must be stored and handled in accordance with good laboratory procedures. 

This article reviews information gathered from these areas of research which provides the bulk of our present knowledge of metabolism of OSC in petroleum. The order of presentation is that of increasing experimental control over the microbial activities. First, observations of the persistence of OSC in petroleum-contaminated environments and their occurrence in petroleum reservoirs will be presented. In these situations, we exert little or no control over the microbial activities which occur. Next, results from laboratory studies with crude petroleum or petroleum fractions will be presented. Finally, laboratory work with pure OSC will be summarized. Using the latter controlled conditions, metabolic intermediates and pathways for a few OSC have been elucidated. 

The disordering problems are discussed here based on the authors own experience and selected results. The problem is very common, however, and if it does not appear in the literature as often as it comes out in the laboratory work, it is simply because the authors have the tendency to skip over this kind of difficulty and chose another solvent, other conditions, etc. Let us opine that in such a way, we miss some important information on the chemical compounds we have in our hands. Structural analysis produces snapshots of molecular (supramolecular) structures, and if we are able to take snapshots of molecules in different supramolecular environment, it gives us much broader experimental experience. It is hoped that greater availability of X-ray diffraction techniques and structure solution software will not only bring a... 

There are several industries that employ many chemists, which are not normally classified as part of the Chemical Industry, e.g. Energy, Water, Food and Agriculture, and this book should be of value to the R D Managers operating in these areas. Additionally the book will be relevant to those working within the research institutes, public health and trade association laboratories, where the working environment is essentially the same as within industrial R D. 

Process Control. The objective is to eliminate or minimise risks to people whilst carrying out their daily tasks in their working environment. For example by having performance standards for all laboratory operations and the maintenance of equipment. 

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