Changing Gas

         The incubators started alarming. They were warning about the gas levels. That usually meant one of us needed to go downstairs and check the tanks. Since I was the extra person doing overtime for the night, I took the task.

         One of the less exciting tasks in the labs is changing the gas tanks. The gasses include CO2, anaerobic mix, and nitrogen. Why does the microbiology department take charge of this task? We use the bulk of the CO2 and anaerobic mixtures in the lab. Different cultures require different conditions. Pressurized gas cans can be dangerous if not handled properly. They are effectively missiles when they go out of hand.

         The worst scenario is walking into the 10'x10' room and seeing all the tanks need to be changed. Each gas gets four lines, which translates to 12 tanks total. In reality, we could get away with three (one for each gas), but that meant we would have to check in more often. They are pretty heavy even when they are empty. You'd have to roll them about, one at a time, to be safe.

         Of course, it looked like people hadn't been rotating the "empty" tanks out of the way. I moved the empty tanks away from the lines while putting the new ones closer. I started by giving each line a fresh tank to bring the gasses online.

         The only tool I needed was the trusty wrench for tightening and loosening the connections. I still think we need new ones because it's getting harder to get a decent grip. Oh well, it's not really up to me to decide.

         In the end, I only managed to change six tanks because it was a labor-intensive process. It only took me 40 minutes. I didn't go all the way to 12 tanks because there wasn't enough room for me to maneuver all the empty tanks. I was also glad that it was leg day for me earlier, so I didn't receive an extra dose of workout.

         Honestly, I don't get paid enough to deal with that dodgy-looking room.

Posted with STEMGeeks