How old are your microtomes?  Maybe this would be a good justification for a
new microtome with an integrated knife guard......

Purely a vendors (old tech) point of view.
Dawn Truscott
RAS

n a message dated 04/25/2000 10:02:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time,
GauchV@mail.amc.edu writes:

<< Subj:     Re: microtome knife safety
 Date:  04/25/2000 10:02:33 AM Eastern Daylight Time
 From:  GauchV@mail.amc.edu (Vicki Gauch)
 To:    mbpohl@acsu.buffalo.edu, histonet@pathology.swmed.edu

 MaryLou,
  We have had incidents with knife accidents ranging from small nicks to
losing the top half of someone's finger so we too were interested in
preventing future incidents.  We started training new people (and requesting
of the long term techs ) to use forceps to pick up the tissue ribbons since
most of the accidents in our lab happened while trying to pick up the
ribbons.  Though this was a painful transition for those of us who learned
using our fingers to get the ribbon, the results were well worth it.  We have
only had one incident as of late and that involved a tech NOT using forceps.
We also require that knives be removed from the microtomes when  you leave
your station and the usual common sense precautions.  I hope this helps....

 Vicki Gauch
 Albany Medical Center
 >>> Marylou Pohl <mbpohl@acsu.buffalo.edu> 04/25/00 01:12AM >>>
 We had 2 incidents of employees knicking their finger on a microtome
 knife in the past year.  No stitches, just superficial cuts.  One was
 experienced and the other a newer employee.  Our safety committee wants
 us to investigate use of special gloves to prevent this. They don't
 understand how Histology works.  I think this is overkill and feel that
 just being more careful will be a step in the right direction.  I also
 know there are knife protectors I could look into however what I've seen
 limit the space you have to work.

 What are your thoughts out there?  What corrective action would you
 take?

 thanks.

 Marylou Pohl
 VAWNYHealthcare System >>