The NEW Ohaus Technology is uniquely designed into each of the Guardian Hotplate Stirrers. These Hot Plate Stirrers combine durability and affordability while keeping your lab new and modern. The "Smart" features include SmartLink, SmartPresence, SmartHeat, SafetyHeat, SmartRate, and SmartHousing.

The best discoveries in science always begin by taking a seat.  Whether it is endless hours spent working with liquid handling devices in a wet lab, or pouring over spreadsheets in a dry lab, it is critically important for researchers to be properly supported while they work.

Lab workers and spend much of their time sitting while they work, which means the chairs they sit in affect them in a variety of ways. Every variable inside a lab influences overall lab productivity, but the way one sits is a variable that massively impacts efficiency. Researchers working long hours in pharma, biotech, university, or medical settings should seek laboratory-specific seating developed purposely to fit their needs. Labs, hospitals, and offices that take wellness seriously and provide employees with ergonomic furniture will enjoy a decrease in absences and an increase in overall productivity. 

Durability

The first step to improve lab productivity begins when selecting where to buy chairs for your lab. Chairs purchased from office supply stores aren’t designed to withstand harsh conditions which means the chair’s durability is not well-suited for long-term lab work. If a chair has to be replaced or repaired because it isn’t manufactured for the appropriate conditions, time and resources will be wasted replacing these chairs. Most office store chains offer limited warranties that cover only one year of use, whereas Lab Depot offers a 15-year warranty. Chairs sold in office supply stores were not made with labs in mind, and are often manufactured with fabric upholstery which is not permitted in most lab settings.

Cleanability

Big box store chairs are not made with sturdy components or easy-to-clean materials. Productivity is improved when labs use chairs created with materials like antifungal and antibacterial vinyl and self-skinning polyurethane that can be easily cleaned with readily available cleaning agents. Lab Depot chairs and stools are manufactured with vinyl with a closed pore system which makes it inherently antibacterial which is vital following the wake of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Back Support

Another thing to consider when selecting the right chairs for your lab is comfort, back support, and ergonomics. Poor seat height, back support height, and back support angle can negatively affect posture and might create back problems. A person’s back is composed of an S-shape formed by three natural curves. When these natural curves are properly aligned, ears, shoulders and hips are in the same plane. It’s important to have a seat that supports these curves, because poor posture could lead to pain and serious injury.¹ Lab Depot offers chairs with built-in lumbar support and backs that are fully adjustable for different height and angles.

Ergonomics

It is important to find chairs suitable for the conditions lab workers face every day. Certain design features help ergonomics and improve posture. For example, a waterfall seat is designed to relieve the pressure off thighs and lower legs with the contour and slight downward slope of the seat. If this style of seat is used in conjunction with a foot ring, it dramatically improves blood circulation to lower limbs. Additionally, adding seat tilt to a chair can allow better blood flow for extended seating periods.

Arm Position

The height, angle, and depth of a chair’s arms reduces strain in hands during repetitive motions such as typing or moving a mouse. It helps increase precision while doing extensive tasks like benchwork with pipettes or plating cell cultures. Developing cumulative trauma injuries due to repetitive tasks like pipetting, use of small hand held tools, or opening and closing vial caps is a risk for laboratory workers. The mobility of arms prevents improper posture that could be a health hazard. Prolonged awkward postures at a microscope, laboratory hood or biological safety cabinet, and a variety of other laboratory tasks can also create injuries.²

Seat Angle and Height

The angle of a seat can help reduce lumbar pressure if the work involves leaning forward like working with a microscope. OSHA recommends tilting your seat forward or using a seat wedge when working in a forward posture, while being sure not to extend their chin forward when working. OSHA also states workers should adjust the position of their work, the work surface, or the chair so that they sit in an upright, supported position. ¹  Unlike many costly designer chairs found in office settings, Lab Depot manufactures chairs with easily adjustable controls which the user can adjust the settings to best fit their body type out of the box.

In summary, laboratory seating should not be viewed as merely an accessory needed to outfit a lab, but rather as a very important piece of furniture.  The health, comfort and long-term productivity of all researchers can be dramatically improved through the use of purposely designed, carefully crafted ergonomic chairs and stools.

 

¹https://www.osha.gov/Publications/laboratory/OSHAfactsheet-laboratory-safety-ergonomics.pdf

²https://uhs.berkeley.edu/facstaff/ergonomics/laboratory

What is IPA?

Isopropyl Alcohol is a very commonly used disinfecting agent. Also known as 2-propanol, isopropanol, and IPA, this chemical has several different purity grades. Each grade is designed for a different use. IPA is beneficial for many companies as a cleaning and disinfectant agent and can remove all kinds of bacteria and impurities depending on the concentration, differing solutions, and purity grades. Two very commonly known grades of Isopropyl Alcohol are 70% and 99%. Important factors to both grades are the key uses, proper use, and best practices when using in your buisness or laboratory environment.

What is the difference between the types of Isopropyl Alcohol?

Ricca’s 70% Solvent Grade Isopropyl has full documentation, a certificate of analysis, and manufacture in an ISO 9001:2015 accredited, cGMP, and FDA registered facility. This IPA can not be used for the compounding of hand sanitizer and should only be used for cleaning purposes.

Universal Preserv-A-Chem Inc.’s 99% USP Grade Isopropyl Alcohol has a certification that ensures that both the alcohol and the additives are of the highest purity, potency, and accurate concentration. This grade meets strict guidelines and upholds FDA registration and inspection. This IPA can be used for the compounding of hand sanitizer and used for cleaning purposes, such as disinfecting surfaces and/or cleaning burns and scrapes.

When do I use 70% IPA?

Between the concentrations of 60% and 90%, Isopropyl alcohol is a very effective agent against microbial bacteria, fungi, and viruses. Higher concentrations do not generate as much effectiveness against bacteria, fungi, and viruses. This is because, there must be a significant enough presence of water with the Isopropyl alcohol to be effective. And this percentage of water needs to be at least more than 10% within the solution. And the mixture of 30% water with 70% Isopropyl alcohol works best. 

The reason water is so important is because it acts as a catalyst and has a major role in denaturing the proteins of cell membranes of vegetative cells. 70% IPA solutions are very effective in breaching the cell wall fully. Also, the presence of water slows down evaporation and increases the surface contact time. This increase in surface contact time gives more time to kill the bacteria.

When do I use 99% IPA?

This concentration of IPA (99%) is also commonly used as a disinfectant and as a solvent or cleaning agent for industries that produce products that are sensitive to water. Hence, it makes sense to use a hydrophobic solvent that has a very high flash point which makes this IPA evaportate quickly and rapidly.

This is useful in computer and electronics manufacturing industries that prefer immediate evaporation of cleaning agents for their work. During the design work for chips and circuit boards and integrated circuits, there needs to be a quick clean up if something is spilled and the work area needs to be devoid of any contaminants or obstructions as soon as possible; 99% IPA ensures that happens.

Safety

Both these materials are non-corrosive to metals and are plastic safe as well. They are ozone safe and have a low impact on the climate. They are both flammable, the 99% variant much more so because of its high flash point so they need to be stored in places without any danger of fire. These chemicals are meant to be used for research, industrial work, cleaning or disinfecting, hence they shouldn’t be toyed with or kept near young children or infants. 

Where can I buy it?

No matter what the percentage or grade, Isopropyl Alcohol 99% and Isopropyl Alcohol 70% are valuable products to have in any buisness or laboratory. It's multipurpose uses make it a essiential product.

The required percentage will depend on your application, if you need help or have any questions feel free to give us a call or chat to a live customer service representative below.

Due to the high demand of Isopropyl Alcohol (due to COVID-19), we may have limited availability on certain items.