Another resource about microwave ovens in the lab:  http://science.widener.edu/svb/olcc_safety/papers/foster_2.pdf

Dave

David C. Finster
Professor Emeritus, Department of Chemistry
Wittenberg University

 

From: ACS Division of Chemical Health and Safety <DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU> On Behalf Of Samuella Sigmann
Sent: Thursday, January 26, 2023 8:42 PM
To: DCHAS-L**At_Symbol_Here**Princeton.EDU
Subject: [EXTERNAL] Re: [DCHAS-L] Kitchen microwaves in experiments?

 

*** This email was sent from a non-Wittenberg email service ***

Hi Jessica - I do not think that kitchen microwaves are suitable for use in laboratory environments. This Interpretation Letter from OSHA may help.
https://www.osha.gov/laws-regs/standardinterpretations/2002-08-08-0

Here are a couple of other links from RANKIN.
https:​//rankinbiomed.com/2014/06/13/microwave-devices-cant-use-one-bought-appliance-store-part-1-html/
https:​//rankinbiomed.com/2014/07/18/microwave-devices-cant-use-microwave-oven-can-buy-appliance-store-part-2-html/

S-

On 1/24/2023 8:31 AM, Jessica Martin wrote:

Hello all,

 

I had a question come up from someone and wanted to get a perspective on this issue from the group here. 

 

When I worked in 3 different molecular biology labs, we had a kitchen microwave available in the lab that we used in our work (it was labeled as “lab use only” so no one’s food was ever inside of it). From what I recall, we primarily used this to quickly heat up agarose for PCR gels - so I can’t think of any other uses off the top of my head.

 

From what I can recall, I have NEVER seen a kitchen microwave inside of a chemistry lab. Also, as a chemist, I personally wouldn’t even know what I would use a kitchen microwave for in a chemistry lab since the work I did required quite a bit of rather exacting control over temperature. Also, I worked with flammable liquids, so this just sounds dangerous (and pointless) to me to be putting that in a microwave. However, the person asking is thinking about it more in the context of educational demonstrations. 

 

Does anyone here have some sort of policy in place at their institutions on the use of kitchen microwaves, either in educational demonstrations or in actual research labs?

 

Thanks!

 

Best,

Jessica A. Martin, Ph.D.

NSF Graduate Research Fellow (2018-2021)

Joint Safety Team, Founding Member (2018-2021)

Pinkhassik Group, Department of Chemistry (2016-2021)

University of Connecticut

323-327-3974

jessica.a.martin**At_Symbol_Here**uconn.edu

https://www.linkedin.com/in/jessicaannemartin/

 

ACS CHAS PEER-LED WORKSHOPS

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Samuella B. Sigmann, MS, NRCC-CHO

Chair, ACS Committee on Chemical Safety

Fellow & 2019 Chair, ACS Division of Chemical Health & Safety

Appalachian State University, Retired

Phone: 336 877 5147

Email: sigmannsb**At_Symbol_Here**retired.appstate.edu

 

 

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