Predictions of an impending H1N1 influenza pandemic this fall, coupled with forecast shortages in H1N1 vaccine, means laboratories and healthcare facilities across the land must check and recheck safe storage and handling procedures. 

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Cold-storage solutions for costly laboratory samples are not found at a local appliance store, but instead are the result of careful purchasing decisions based on the value of the products being stored. The price of poor laboratory refrigeration was dramatically demonstrated in a December 4, 2007, USA Today article reporting that it accounts for a big part of the $20 million in waste incurred by the federal Vaccines for Children program.

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Is your lab storing flammable liquids in a household refrigerator?  Chain reactions when using field-modified household refrigerators or freezers – or lab units not certified as flame or explosion proof – have led to disastrous results in labs across the land.  Personal injuries have resulted and property damages have been in the hundreds of thousands of dollars.

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