[Histonet] Microtome Cutting Safety

[JR R]

"I have always used forceps to keep my fingers safe, but some techs are harder to convince to do this..."

Dear God in Heaven.  

Not only are Dumont forceps are more precise and delicate than fingers, but forceps don't bleed.  

I would never, ever allow anyone in my lab to use their fingers to pull ribbons off of the microtome.   I may as well allow them to pipette concentrated HCl by mouth.

Write S.O.P's.  Then follow them and enforce them.

Jerry Ricks
Research Scientist
University of Washington
Department of Pathology




> Date: Wed, 7 Jan 2009 07:25:32 -0500
> From: jqb7 <@t> cdc.gov
> To: eridana <@t> cox.net; histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Subject: RE: [Histonet] Microtome Cutting Safety
> CC: 
> 
> I use my fingers too, so no help there.
> 
> But an automated microtome is great because it frees both hands to
> handle a ribbon as it is coming off the blade.  It is easy to get
> careless if you use a foot pedal but the one time I have been seriously
> cut it was with a manual microtome so I guess the moral is to simply be
> careful.
> 
> 
> Jeanine Bartlett
> Infectious Diseases Pathology Branch
> (404) 639-3590 
> jeanine.bartlett <@t> cdc.hhs.gov
> 
> 
> -----Original Message-----
> From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Donna
> Harclerode
> Sent: Tuesday, January 06, 2009 11:43 PM
> To: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> Subject: [Histonet] Microtome Cutting Safety
> 
> 
> 
> Begin forwarded message:
> 
> > From: Donna Harclerode <eridana <@t> cox.net>
> > Date: January 6, 2009 8:27:14 PM PST
> > To: histonet-request <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
> > Subject: Microtome Cutting Safety
> >
> > Anyone know of a paraffin microtome that you can section WITH the 
> > knife guard in position? I have always used forceps to keep my fingers
> 
> > safe, but some techs are harder to convince to do this . I figured if 
> > anyone knows they would be on this list.
> > I tried the Leica RM2255 (both in automated and manual mode) and I 
> > could sort of section a couple small blocks with the guard up, but it 
> > was not going to work with anything except perfect processed small 
> > blocks and not well for those.
> >
> > Any opinions on the safety automated versus manual microtomes?  I 
> > adore  automated cryostats (Leica 3050 is my favorite) , but I can not
> 
> > figure why use an automated paraffin microtome. Logically I always 
> > figured an automated can do more damage, but really have no facts.
> >
> > Thanks in advance,
> >
> > Donna Harclerode, HT, HTL, SLS, (ASCP) QIHC
> 
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