[Histonet] Microtome Blade safety, in or out when not in use?

[Marcum, Pamela A]

The rule here is" a blade is cheaper than a cut".  Anytime you are walking away and returning within a few minutes to cut use the knife guard otherwise throw the blade out.  It is an accident looking to happen.  Recently we had a tech decide not use the knife guard and seriously cut himself by misjudging the distance from his elbow reaching an knife he was no longer able to use.  

Pam Marcum

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu [mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of McAnn, Sherrian
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 8:46 AM
To: Paula Sicurello; Leah Simmons
Cc: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: RE: [Histonet] Microtome Blade safety, in or out when not in use?

I was taught that when leaving your microtome for any length of time to always take the blade out. We had a tech that had the habit of leaving the blade on her microtome and even though she had the "safety guard" up someone from  biomed still  managed to lean on it and get cut (go
figure)
       If I want to save a slightly used blade to maybe trim with the next time then I will put it into a slide mailer (plastic with attached
lid) but that is a safety issue .  The safety officer says that when a blade is used and taken out then it should be thrown away..because the more it is being handled the greater the chance of injury. Just saying what they told me.

-----Original Message-----
From: histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
[mailto:histonet-bounces <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu] On Behalf Of Paula Sicurello
Sent: Friday, October 25, 2013 6:03 AM
To: Leah Simmons
Cc: histonet <@t> lists.utsouthwestern.edu
Subject: Re: [Histonet] Microtome Blade safety, in or out when not in use?

Left in but covered with the blade guard.  Not spanking new, but usable (for facing) get stored in an old box that the slides came in.  I like the slide mailer idea, and will switch to that.

--
Paula Sicurello, HTL (ASCP)
Supervisor, Clinical Electron Microscopy Laboratory Duke University Health System Rm.#251M, Duke South, Green Zone Durham, North Carolina
27710
P:  919.684.2091

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On Thu, Oct 24, 2013 at 9:33 PM, Leah Simmons
<leah_simmons22 <@t> hotmail.com>wrote:

> Hello all :-)
> I am doing a quick microtome blade safety survey, When you finish 
> work, do you leave your blade in the microtome behind the blade guard 
> or do you take it out?
> If you take it out and it is a new blade or a blade still useful for 
> trimming  where do you store it?
> Thank you for your feedback, I really appreciate it.
> Regards
> Leah Simmons
>
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