General Autoclave Etiquette

There is often a great demand for our autoclaves, so be especially considerate of others when using them. Only sign up for times that you need. If you have signed up for a time that you do not need, delete your reservation so someone else can use the autoclaves during that time. Be alert for opportunities, when possible, to combine runs with other labs. This could be facilitated by communicating on the autoclave whiteboards. Do not let your run go into the next lab’s time. Unload your autoclaves promptly once runs are completed.

In the garbage autoclave, please double all bags to be autoclaved. You must take a pipet and puncture all bags, including internal ones, with three or four air holes, so that the bags do not blow up like balloons. You must also arrange the bag(s) in the autoclave bins so that no part of them hangs over the side, i.e., if there is a spill or leak, the bin will catch it.

Autoclave Training

The first step is to go to UNC Environment, Health and Safety and complete the autoclave training: http://ehs.unc.edu/training/self-study/autoclave-usage-and-safety/. You must take the exam at the end to receive credit for the training.

Do not attempt to use the autoclaves until you have been thoroughly trained by an experienced user. At the very least, watch them do a run and then have them observe you doing a run. If you are in the Strahl, Kuhlman, or Cook labs, you must then do a run with the lab manager before you are certified to use the autoclaves by yourself.

During training, and of course always, take special care not to damage the probes.

Choice of Autoclave Programs

Choose the correct autoclave program to match your needs:

  1. Rubber Stoppers Protocol: Use this protocol for all non-velvet, dry runs in the large, clean autoclave in Genetic Medicine Building (GMB), Room 3084. This will maximize your chances of not collecting water droplets in tubes and tips.
  2. Utensils Protocol: Use this in the small, clean autoclave, also in Room 3084, for all non-velvet, dry runs (since the small, clean autoclave does not have a Rubber Stoppers protocol).
  3. Liquids, 20-Minute Protocol: Use this protocol in both of the clean autoclaves (large and small) in Room 3084. The 20-minute protocol is sufficient for virtually all liquid runs in the Cook, Kuhlman, and Strahl labs. In all liquid autoclaves runs, the probe must be immersed in a bottle with at least three inches of water; otherwise, the autoclave door will not open at the end of the run. (This does not apply to the small clean autoclave because it does not have a probe.)
  4. Garbage Protocol: Use to autoclave biohazardous garbage in orange or red bags in the Room 3082. Do not autoclave biohazardous garbage in the clean autoclaves in Room 3084. All biohazardous garbage must be double-bagged, i.e., enclosed in two orange or red bags.
  5. Textiles Protocol: In the Cook, Kuhlman, and Strahl labs, use this protocol in a clean autoclave for velvets and velvets only. (Incidentally, make sure that the velvets are wrapped right-side up in aluminum foil.)

Clearing a Temperature or Pressure Alarm

Try the instructions posted to the right of the garbage autoclave in Room 3082 and to the right of the large, clean autoclave in Room 3084. These instructions are also summarized here:

  1. Note the phase of the process where the fault occurred. Write this down on the autoclave whiteboard next to the light switch including your name, the date, and the time, so there is a record of the error.
  2. Most alarms can be cleared by pressing the red “Reset the alarm” button TWICE, then the “Startup” green button. Repeat these steps if necessary. Once the alarm bar has disappeared from the screen, the alarm is cleared.
  3. If this procedure does not clear the alarm, see the lab manager or another person trained to use the autoclave step key.

If the alarm still cannot cleared, make an equipment repair request via the departmental webpage (located at the bottom of the page) at https://www.med.unc.edu/biochem/equipment-facilities-service-request/.  You will need to login with your UNC Onyen. Select “Core Equipment Repair” and then choose the appropriate autoclave from the drop-down menu right below it. In the comments section, provide all further necessary details regarding the nature of the alarm.

Use the whiteboards next to the autoclaves to communicate about these machines, e.g., what problems we experience, the nature of any alarms we see, whether the office has been notified, etc. Perhaps they can also be a place where the office member handling repair requests could let us know when the repair person is expected, and when repairs are completed, etc. (Sometimes when one of these machines has been down, then seems to be ready to use, we are still hesitant to use it when we have not explicitly been told the machine’s status.)