Most flooding occurs when the tubing supplying the water to the condenser disconnects. Spills of this mixture are very slippery and must be cleaned thoroughly to prevent slips and falls. To prevent freezing at the refrigeration coils, using a mixture of water and ethylene glycol as the coolant is prudent.

Refrigerated recirculators can be expensive, but are preferred for cooling laboratory equipment to conserve water and to minimize the impact of floods. In addition, the potential for a flood is greatly increased. In many localities conserving water is essential and makes tap water inappropriate. Although tap water is often used for these purposes, this practice should be discouraged. The use of water as a coolant in laboratory condensers and other equipment is common practice. Care should be taken to use appropriate gloves when handling laboratory equipment to protect against electrical, thermal, and chemical burns, cuts, and punctures. Understandably, injuries to the hands are very common in the laboratory. Seemingly ordinary hazards such as floods from water-cooled equipment, accidents with rotating equipment and machines or tools for cutting and drilling, noise extremes, slips, trips, falls, lifting, and poor ergonomics account for the greatest frequency of laboratory accidents and injuries. Other physical hazards include electromagnetic radiation from lasers and radio-frequency generating devices. The most common equipment-related hazards in laboratories come from devices powered by electricity devices for work with compressed gases, and devices for high or low pressures and temperatures.

This chapter discusses prudent practices for handling equipment used frequently in laboratories. Many of the accidents that occur in the laboratory can be attributed to improper use or maintenance of laboratory equipment. Maintenance and regular inspection of laboratory equipment are essential parts of this activity. Working safely with hazardous chemicals requires proper use of laboratory equipment.

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