-80 Freezer Storage and Maintenance

Freezer Storage

Every lab member is assigned a section of 10x10 freezer boxes on shelves 1 and 4. In addition, every member has an assigned overflow box for all samples on shelves 2 or 3. All samples and the sample container should be labeled with the owner’s initials, date, and sample contents. Be cautious and quick when opening the freezer door, best practice for retrieving samples is to keep the freezer door open less then 2 min at a time. This helps to keep a consistent temperature in the freezer and keep the frost levels to a minimum.

-80 Freezer User Logbook

All boxes stored in the -80 Freezer should be identified in the “-80 Freezer Logbook”. When a box is added to either of the freezer racks 1 or 4, mark the corresponding spot with the appropriate color assigned to that lab member. All empty boxes can be left blank. The link for the “-80 Freezer Logbook” can be found here [1].

General Rules of the -80 Freezer

• Close the freezer door immediately when the alarm go off.

• Do not relocate boxes or samples of other lab members without their consent.

• Do not leave loose samples or boxes in open spaces of the fridge or freezer (they will get lost)

• Do not store bulk chemicals in the -80 freezer. All chemicals should be stored in the chemical fridge and freezer only.

Freezer Maintenance

The -80 Freezer in lab will be emptied and defrosted once a year for routine maintenance. All samples not located in the proper locations specified above with be discarded. Please check the maintenance log located on the door of the freezer for date of the next defrost. If there are any issues or concerns occur while using the freezer contact the freezer manager immediately.