3P.9—Apparatus, materials and safe technique

Use apparatus and biological materials so that people, specimens and results are protected. Read the method first, identify hazards and follow the appropriate control before starting.

Use sterile equipment for microbial work, minimise plate opening and disinfect surfaces; handle blades, stains, acids, heat and glassware with the specified protection; dispose of cultures and sharps safely.

In a root-tip squash, acid and stain require controlled handling; in an antimicrobial plate, aseptic technique prevents environmental microbes from changing the clear zones or creating a hazard.

Safety is not only personal protection. Contamination can invalidate the experiment, while over-tightening a clamp or pressing a coverslip can damage the sample and alter the observation.