Ergonomics and Liquid Handling
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As a laboratory technician, pipetting is a routine
laboratory technique that is performed everyday, for a good portion
of the day. Pipetting work demands concentration, accuracy and precision.
Due to the nature of the tests being conducted, only short breaks
can be taken due to time restraints to achieve optimal test results
(Friedriksson 1995). |
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Cumulative trauma disorders have become a concern of laboratory technicians
since the 1960’s when plunger operated mechanical pipettors were first introduced.
The switch from bulb operated glass pipettes to mechanical pipettes introduced
a repetitive movement that was not used for liquid handling in the past.
With the increased numbers of experiments that are required in a normal
laboratory setting today, the reports of cumulative trauma disorders have
also been increasing.
According to a study conducted in Sweden, technicians who were performing
pipetting techniques for more than 300 hours a year had a higher prevalence
of hand ailments (Björkstén, 1994). This equates to a daily routine of 1–2
hours a day of pipetting tasks. The features of the pipette, such as the
design of the plunger, weight and length of the pipette, force needed to
operate the pipette, and how the pipette fits into the hand, (Ylätupa 1997)
may also increase the risk of cumulative trauma disorder.
With the increased focus on reducing any types of repetitive stress injuries,
many pipette manufacturers and health organizations have looked at this
field and analyzed causes and possibly preventative solutions. Some preventative
measures that should be followed during pipetting were reported in 1995
in the Fisher Scientific Lab Reporter. The suggestions are as follows:
- Rotate the pipetting tasks among several people
- Take short micro pauses of a few seconds, when you can’t take
a longer break
- Use only the force necessary to operate the pipette
- Choose pipettors requiring the least pressure
- Work with arms close to the body to reduce the strain on shoulders
- Keep hands and shoulders in a neutral position
- Use adjustable chairs or stools with built in solid foot stools
- Don’t elevate your arm, without support, for lengthy periods
of time
- Use shorter pipettes. This decreases the arm and hand elevation and
consequent awkward positions
- Use low profile waste receptacles, no higher than the height of the
tubes that you are using
Other articles have been written that detail even more suggestions that
should be followed (Haskell, 1998), which include:
- Use electronic pipettes, which are programmable and reduce the need
for excessive thumb force and repetition
- Choose a pipette that fits the hand. The hand should cover more than
half, but not the entire, circumference of the pipette
Many of the suggestions that have been made over the course of the past
few years focus on the fact that routine pipetting tasks should be spread
out over the entire day and shared by all laboratory technicians. This,
of course, is the first line of defense to preventing repetitive stress
injuries. The second line of defense is the way the pipetting task is actually
performed. Proper posture and position can also reduce the stress caused
by continuous pipetting. The third influential factor is the pipette itself.
When choosing a pipette, you should make sure that the pipette fits your
hand well, does not weigh too much, easily functions without having to exert
undue force and easily ejects pipette tips.
Eppendorf® has taken many of these considerations into account
when designing the entire line of Eppendorf Pipettes. The pipettes are designed
to fit nicely in your hand; the weight of the pipette has been reduced from
the past; the force required to operate the piston movement is considerably
less that the market leader and tips can easily be ejected by the force
of your thumb, and in the electronic pipettes, with your entire hand. Please
refer to the following graphs and charts which detail actual weights and
forces required to operate the line of Eppendorf pipettes. |
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| Manual Pipettes |
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| Pipetting Force Summary |
| Manual Pipettes |
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Maximum Pipetting
Volume |
Pipette Weight
in grams |
Force Required
to operate (grams)* |
Gilson Pipetman
Eppendorf Series 2100
Eppendorf Series 2000 |
20µL
20µL
20µL |
100
91
91 |
1020
793
453 |
Gilson Pipetman
Eppendorf Series 2100
Eppendorf Series 2000 |
100µL
100µL
100µL |
118
91
91 |
1247
907
453 |
Gilson Pipetman
Eppendorf Series 2100
Eppendorf Series 2000 |
1000µL
1000µL
1000µL |
127
100
100 |
1360
907
566 |
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* Force includes aspirating, dispensing and blowout.
Eppendorf® is a registered trademark of Eppendorf-Netheler-Hinz
GmbH.
Pipetman® is a registered trademark of Gilson SA.
BrinkmannTM is a trademark of Brinkmann Instruments, Inc. |
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| References |
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Björkstén, Marianne, Almby, Bo & Jansson, Ejvor. “Hand
and shoulder ailments among laboratory technicians using modern plunger-operated
pipettes,” Applied Ergonomics, 25(2),1994, pp. 88–94.
“Ergonomics, listening to your body at work” Lab Reporter,
October 1995:10–11 .
Haskell, Natalie Kuhtmann. “Ergonomic considerations in avoiding cumulative
trauma disorder from pipet use,” American Laboratory, January
1998:14.
Friedriksson, Kerstin, “Laboratory work with automatic pipettes: a
study on how pipetting affects the thumb,” Ergonomics, 38(5),
1995, pp. 1067–1073.
Ylätupa, Sari, “Improving ergonomy in pipetting to prevent work-related
upper-limb disorders”, International Biotech Lab, 15(2), 1997,
pp. 28.
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