Places I worked, we had outlets in the wall of the refrigerator or cold box.  Mostly for running aqueous columns (pumps and fraction collectors) or when we were doing tissue digestions (on a stir plate) again aqueous. 

Hello,

 

I have heard that running a magnetic stir plate inside a refrigerator is common practice.  Usually, the liquid is aqueous and the flask covered.   It is not battery operated unit and the refrigerator door is closed on the electrical cord. This looks like an accident ready to happen to me.

 

Should this practice be continued? Is there any fire code violation involved?  Are there any guidelines for running electrical equipment inside a refrigerator or a for that matter a cold small cold room?

 

Thank you,

Mary Ellen

--

Mary Ellen Scott, PhD.
Safety Specialist II, Certified Safety Professional
Case Western Reserve University
EHS - Environmental Health and Safety
Service Building 1st Floor Rm 113
2220 Circle Dr.
Cleveland, OH 44106-7227
216-368-6077
216-368-2236 (Fax)
maryellen.scott**At_Symbol_Here**case.edu
"There is no science without fancy and no art without fact" - Vladimir Nabokov (1899-1977)

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