With the naming of the first hurricane of 2018, its time again to pose the question nobody wants to hear.
It really is amazing when you think about it. Most of the time laboratory freezers are barely classified as lab equipment.
The poor things are usually relegated to some obscure hallway or freezer bank well out of view of the rest of the lab, which does little to raise their prominence.
Like children raised in the fifties - lab freezers are meant to be seen, but not heard. (Until, of course, they throw a tantrum)
Run along now Billy, and play with your sister
And yet, it is an undisputed fact that the contents of many laboratory freezers could be classified as priceless in a way few artifacts can.
So, what will become of your work should your facility lose power for an extended period of time?
There are many different components to this question that need to be addressed competently, but our focus with this article is to refresh and remind laboratory technicians, lab managers and principle investigators of a very simple tool that can expedite relocation of lab samples in the event of an emergency:
The difference between an organized lab freezer and one that is a hodgepodge of boxes, trays, bins and random tubes is measurable in precious minutes and hours.
Here again is an image of a lab freezer we helped organize.
How long would it take this lab to "evacuate" their collection of thousands of samples?
How long would it take YOU to do the same?
Now would be an excellent time to take concrete steps towards getting your mess under control.
Stellar Scientific has nearly two-thousand different laboratory freezer racks to help put things in order and prolong the life-span of your lab freezers, and your samples.
Freezer racks for cryo boxes, racks for clinical blood sample tubes, storage racks to hold bottles and bags - and the expertise to guarantee your racks will fit your freezer.
And, if you have freezer racks already and need guidance how to make them better organized, we have lab labelers and other tricks to help.
This hurricane season, it's a swell time to keep your cool while you keep your samples safe. It just takes a little planning!