Concerned about sterile technique - (Nov/06/2010 )

HI all,

This is not exactly a rave/rant but my lab mates do not have a very good sterile technique. It often results in contamination of the samples they are working with.

The problem is I am new to the lab and their work is independent of the work I do. So, telling them that their sterile technique is not very good is none of my business (I am not their boss either), but it hurts to see someone answer the phone with gloves on and go back under the hood to finish off the work. Basically, I am looking for a good way to tell them/ make them realise their mistake. Something like a funny poster or any other ideas you may have.

Thanks for your help ....

If you also use the hood, their lack of sterile technique will be your business. It is likely that the hood is no longer sterile. You can not work in there.

Still you could drop by and say, "hey guys, I got a few trick to reduce contamination problems with your cultures. I'll like to show them to you."

perneseblue on Sat Nov 6 12:54:22 2010 said:

Well, I do not use the hood thats why its none of my business.

perneseblue on Sat Nov 6 12:54:22 2010 said:

This is what I am not sure about. Would they take it well? It is blowing my own horn to say I'd like to show you how to do your work. Thats why I am looking for something... which could be taken in a jocular manner and the message is also sent through...

the next time you see one of your labmates complain about a contaminated culture you can approach them and say that you learned some tricks to prevent contamination in the last lab in which you worked. then say that you'll share them if they are interested.

mdfenko on Mon Nov 8 19:32:53 2010 said:

Guess thats the only way to do it. Thanks for your suggestions.... and if you do come across something which might help, kindly post it to me.

Thanks again!

answering the phone while working in a sterile bench is deadly sin #8. If you are working in a microbiological lab it is important to teach them lab safety. But this will be the duty of your boss to tell them.

What you can do was suggested in the previous posts; another thing which might work is having a list of dos and don'ts prepared that you hand over to the lab manager/boss because you just got it sent by a friend working somewhere else and if (s)he thinks it would be useful to email it around.

Or you could simply tell them, in a nice way, that you shouldn't answer the phone with gloves on.

All of the above.

Be as nice as possible.

Learn from my mistake: I had a meeting with one of my bosses, because I let my professionalism drop and thoughtlessly commented on where I thought the source of the contamination originated. The woman I said this to was immediately offended.

I trick I sometimes used is not to tell them it , but to ask them it...

Ex.: if you see them do that, just ask them: oh, you are allowed to go away from the hood and enter again without using ethanol ? Strange, I have alwyas been told that I should not do that.. Good to know, I do not need to use ethanol all the time.. its saves me time...
Or something like: you can pick up the phone and continue back working because the ethanol in still "active" on the gloves and still killing everyhting?


Something like that.. just act like a newbie,someone who doenst know much, fresh from school...

(it might make you look a bit "stupid", but its better then starting troubles.. a lot of the people that have been working for ages with wrong techniques arent really friendly and are not prepared to listen to advice or whatever..., but if you ask it as a question: they can accuse you of "acting like their boss"...)

PS. I do hope they arent working with pathogens... if so: they are really doing a great job infecting everything.

pito on Mon Nov 15 09:49:24 2010 said:

Luckily, its not a microbio lab they are working in. So, they are not infecting anyone around, except for the tissues they are working with.....