1)    Take stock of your lab supplies. What are you missing? What needs to be replaced? What has expired?

2)    Check your equipment. It performs best when it is regularly maintained and recalibrated. Are any instruments due to be recalibrated?

3)    When was the last time you cleaned and spinned your pH electrodes? For a fast and easy demonstration, watch the video.

4)    Order or update your safety gloves. If you’re not sure what materials are compatible with the chemicals you work with, check the Safety Glove Chemical Compatibility Database.

5)    Have you signed up for the quarterly Cole-Parmer eNEWs? It is your source for technical articles, tech challenges, special promotions, and more. It’s free. Sign up here.

6)    The bandages and medications in your first aid kit were likely depleted throughout the year. Restock your kit.

7)    Make sure you’re in compliance. Call an Application Specialist to get answers to updated regulatory compliance issues.

8)    Look at the expiration date on your pH buffer solutions. Is it time to replace them?

9)    Are the hazards in your facility properly labeled? Choose signage that clearly advises employees.

10) Examine your water purification cartridges. Swap them out with new cartridges for purer water.

11) Still using glass thermometers containing mercury? Don’t jeopardize your health! Switch them with environmentally-safe, nonhazardous liquid-filled glass thermometers.

12) Scrutinize your pump tubing for any cracks or fissures. Order new or backup tubing to prevent production losses.

Safety Glove Chemical Compatibility Database

To help you choose the proper safety gloves, Cole-Parmer offers a detailed Safety Glove Chemical Compatibility Database* containing information about how glove materials interact with various chemicals. This convenient resource eliminates the time you spend sorting through multiple Web sites and paper charts to determine compatibility. Simply select your chemical from more than 190 options. A chart will appear listing specific gloves (culled from a variety of glove manufacturers) and how they are rated for that material.

The database rates the glove material and chemical compatibility by degradation and permeability. Degradation refers to a reduction in one or more physical properties of a glove material. For example, when coming into contact with a particular chemical, certain gloves may become stiff or brittle and their performance is impaired.

On the other hand, permeation enables a chemical to pass through a protective film without going through pinholes, pores, or other visible openings. The chemical’s molecules enter the film and pass between the molecules of the glove. This process is not always visible to the eye and can also reduce safety.

Keep in mind that permeation and degradation are not always correlated. In addition to these quality-specific ratings, the database offers an overall rating for chemical compatibility (from excellent to not recommended).

Test-drive the Safety Glove Chemical Compatibility Database today.

*Note: The information in the Safety Glove Chemical Compatibility Database was supplied to Cole-Parmer by other reputable sources and is to be used ONLY as a guide in selecting gloves for chemical compatibility testing. Variability in material thickness, chemical concentration, temperature, and length of exposure to chemicals will affect specific performance. Always test the products with the specific chemicals and under the specific conditions of your application.