safety

[Judge]

I’m doing microscopy a short time and would like to know the following. Which is the best for safety, washing hands, using gloves, a hand sanitizer or something else?

[dtsh]

I'm not a profesional, but I think it would depend on the materials one is handling.
For a bit of pondwater, an insect, dust from the vacuum, spores, algae, and the other things we normally come into contact with during our lives, handwashing is likely sufficient.

If you're working with more hazardous materials, one should adopt the appropriate methods and perhaps think twice before collecting it to bring into the study?

I don't normally deal with particularly hazardous materials (routine chemicals excepted) but I do deal with sterile environments from time to time and maintaining a sterile environment requires diligent adherance to protocols or you risk contaminaton. Your hands are only one part of the equation of keeping dangerous materials safely contained.

As for "best" I suspect a BSL-4 lab would be safest.

[Greg Howald]

I use gloves when handling anything that is living such as pond water. You really don't know what's there till you see it.

[Alexander]

I’m doing microscopy a short time and would like to know the following. Which is the best for safety, washing hands, using gloves, a hand sanitizer or something else?

It is totally un-responsible to use a microscope without full body cover and oxygen breathing support. Imagine the dangers! There might be some bacteria on the focus knobs!!!

[BramHuntingNematodes]

Soap

[MikeBradley]

You can always tell a microscopist, they wash their hands before going to the bathroom.
michael

[imkap]

You can always tell a microscopist, they wash their hands before going to the bathroom.
michael

Yes, like José Luis Torrente...

[jfiresto]

You can always tell a microscopist, they wash their hands before going to the bathroom....

Or they could be a chemist.

[Phill Brown]

You can always tell a microscopist, they wash their hands before going to the bathroom....

Or they could be a chemist.

Or a politician.

Post it note on the fridge door saying I lick my cheese.