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Stockrooms

The Department of Biological Sciences at Idaho State University has knowledgeable staff and a variety of resources available to support our departmental teaching activities and our broader educational outreach needs for the Pocatello and Southeast Idaho communities. The primary function and personnel of the stockrooms is to provide direct support for laboratory education courses.

Policies & Procedures:
  • Fill out and submit the Stockroom Requisition form to the appropriate Laboratory Supplies Supervisor at least 7 business days prior to the delivery date.
  • The stockroom may not have specific items readily available, and shipping can vary from vendor to vendor; ordering two weeks prior is recommended.
  • Do not set the exact start time of your lab sections as the time/date needed for the order to be delivered.
  • Handwritten and verbal orders are not accepted.

Forms

Pocatello LS 193

September - April, 8 am to 5 pm
May - August, 7:30 am to 4 pm
Laboratory Supplies Supervisor - Erin Miller
Policies updated 10/16/2017

Research and Teaching

A

Access - controlled access is required by the ISU Environmental Health & Safety (EHS) office:

  1. Use the 1/2 door (facing room 152) to conduct business with the stockroom staff. There will be a bell at the window.
  2. When the stockroom is closed, you may still enter the stockroom if you have authorized card access.
  3. The stockroom is inaccessible between 10:00 p.m. and 7:00 a.m. Your card will not work during these hours.
  4. When the stockroom is closed, there is a motion detector activated; if you do not know how to disarm the motion detector you will trip the alarm and public safety will come immediately and question you. Ask Erin if you do not know how to disarm the motion detector and she will show you how. If you use the stockroom after hours, please turn on the motion detector and lock all doors as you leave.
B Research Needs - research supplies need to be purchased using research-allocated funds:
  1. However, if you need a small amount of a chemical for a preliminary or small experiment, exceptions to this rule may be made.
  2. Make arrangements with Erin when you need to borrow equipment (hot plates, glassware, tools, etc.).
  3. Do not dispose of equipment, chemicals, materials, or other items in the stockroom unless prior arrangements have been made with Erin.
C Ethanol: The stockroom has ethanol available for purchase if needed for research.
    1. Sizes/prices
      1. Pint (475 ml) of 200 proof (100%): $9.74
      2. 5-gallon cubitainer of 200 proof (100%) $78
      3. 5-gallon cubitainer of 190 proof (95%): $43
    2. Contact Erin with ethanol purchase requests (by phone, email, or in person). You will need your research account number.
    3. Someone who is authorized to sign for your account number will be required to sign the request. Students are not authorized to sign
    4. If you purchase a large volume of ethanol at one time, we will ask that you store most of it in our flammables closet for safety reasons until you have a need for it in your lab.
D Paper towels / gloves: These items are available for teaching only. Please let Erin know you are taking them.
E

Labeling: All solutions must be labeled.

  1. chemical name,
  2. concentration of chemical,
  3. date of chemical preparation, and
  4. initials of the person who prepared the solution.
F Gas Tanks: Let Erin know if you use the last canister of compressed CO2 or O2 from room 235. This allows her to reorder gases through Praxair in time for it to be restocked for the next person who needs it.
 
G Biohazard: Please tie all of your biohazard bags closed before placing them in the large red bins. If you fill a bin, please tie the big red biohazard bag and secure the lid back on the bin.
H Autoclaves: If you need training on how to turn on the autoclave and run cycles, ask the stock room staff – they will be able to help you.
  1. Please fill out the log on the clipboard on the autoclave you are using
  2. Pick up your autoclaved items in a timely manner – items that aren’t picked up promptly have sometimes been mistakenly taken by another lab group.
A Waste Chemical Disposal: Labeled and brought to the stockroom.
B Return: All lab supplies must be returned after the last lab along with the cart.
C Solutions: Please contact the stockroom if solutions are getting low and there will not be enough for the following labs.
D Sharps: Discard used needles only in a sharps container. Do not recap needles!!
E Biological Waste: Bacteria, blood, or animal tissue must be disposed of separately from regular waste. Collect these in a separate, labeled container and return to the stockroom for disposal.
F

Preserved Animal Disposal:

  1. Use a sturdy bag that can be sealed. Do not use bags or containers labeled “Biohazard.”
  2. Once all animals are in the bag, weigh the bag. If it is more than 20 lbs, split the contents into two (2) bags.
  3. Seal the bag(s) shut by tying or taping. Check for leaks; if leaking, double bag.
  4. Using a piece of tape and marker label the bag(s):
    • Date
    • Description of contents - type of preserved animals
    • Weight in pounds, not to exceed 20 lbs
    • Your last name.
    • Course #
  5. Bring animal waste for disposal to the stockroom on a weekly basis. Do not let it sit in the lab where it originated for longer than a week.
G Accidents: All accidents should be reported using the accident form (fillable form, download and open in Adobe Reader) and filed with Erin and and the lab coordinator.
A

Contaminates:

  • Test tubes – racks inside plastic tub (extra racks are kept in the stockroom)
    • Have students remove tape labels and/or grease pencil marks
  • Flasks – place inside plastic tub; keep the aluminum foil on each flask
  • Broken test tubes or other glass – place inside an autoclave-safe container and place this in the plastic tub
  • Slides – slide boxes
  • Plates – biohazard bin
  • Oxidase slides – biohazard bin
  • Pipette tips, cotton swabs, gloves, paper towels – biohazard bin
B

Dye spills: Clean up spills promptly with Eradosol.

 
C Waste Chemical Disposal: Labeled (for example, Ethidium bromide) and stockroom notified.
D

Solutions Not Working: If any solutions are not working properly (for example, if an indicator dye is not changing color when it is supposed to) let the stockroom know and a new solution will be prepared as quickly as possible.

 
E

Microscope Problems: If a microscope is not working properly, let the stockroom know and we can clean and calibrate it; if it is still not working we will arrange for its repair.
F

End of Lab:

    • Instruct students to dispose of all contaminated items no longer needed at the end of the lab – don’t leave biohazard items on the lab benches.
    • Clean all bench tops with CiDecon
    • Return all dye bottles to their proper tray number
    • Make sure Bunsen burners, as well as the gas, are turned off
G

End of Week:

    • Return unused media promptly so that we can refrigerate it and reuse it
      • Blood agar plates especially need to be refrigerated
    • Return carts, plastic containers, scissors, unused slides, etc. to the stockroom as soon as they are no longer needed.
H

End of Semester:

    • Empty the refrigerators and incubators of bacterial cultures. Return all media, supplies (beakers, etc.), and carts to the stockroom.
    • Make sure that all bench tops are clean (this means no biohazard present, no old tape, no used Kimwipes, etc.)