Last updated on Mar 2022
1. Safety Guidelines
Please adhere to the safety guidelines for your own safety and health. When in doubt,
always approach the bioimaging facility for assistance.
1.1 Lasers
Lasers in the confocal facility are class 3 lasers. This means that the lasers are strong enough
to cause serious damage to your eyes, including temporary to permanent blindness.
Therefore, please always follow the safety guidelines below when using the confocal
microscopes:
•
Before turning on the lasers, make sure the power connections are all connected
properly. If there are any disconnected wires, please reconnect them or inform the
facility staff. If you see any exposed wires, do not attempt to use the equipment and
inform facility staff immediately.
•
For all confocal systems, there is a minimum time for lasers to be switched ON/OFF.
Please check the operation procedure for the respective microscopy system that you
are assigned to. This is to ensure the lasers have sufficient time to heat up and cool
down before running again.
•
When using the lasers to image,
NEVER
look directly at the laser while imaging. If a
safety shutter is present, make sure it is in the correct position to better protect your
eyes.
1.2 Immersion Oil
Modern immersion oil has no known hazards to human beings so far, yet they can cause
discomfort to a person if the immersion oil has been left on skin for too long or inhaled.
Therefore, please take note of the following safety guidelines for using immersion oil:
•
Use the applicator to apply the immersion oil onto the slides for upright system.
•
Do not touch the applicator oil directly on the objective lens as this will scratch or
break the lens. Instead, allow the drop of oil to contact the lens surface.
•
If the bottle containing immersion oil has oil on the sides, wipe down with kim wipes
and ethanol. Wash hands immediately after with soap and water.
•
Wipe immersion oil off objective lenses after use using lens paper and wash hands
immediately after with soap and water.
•
Always clean up any spilled oil or residue from oily slides immediately after your
session.
1.3 Metal Halide Lamps (MHL)
Metal halide lamps are fluorescence lamps that emit a visible light range of 300
–
650nm,
enabling us to observe fluorescence signals such as GFP, DAPI and RFP. Metal halide lamps
contain mercury vapours that are extremely toxic to the human body. Therefore, please
take note of the following safety guidelines when working with the metal halide lamp:
•
Ensure that the metal halide lamp has been off for at least 30 minutes before
switching it on. Once the lamp has been turned on, it must remain on for a minimum
