Working in a scientific field can be really difficult sometimes. And sometimes it can even be life-threatening. The multitude of “CSI” TV shows don’t generally portray how dangerous a laboratory can be in reality, so here are some sobering links to remind us about the importance of lab safety.

• Plague still infects over 2,000 people each year, but usually it doesn’t kill people at the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. However, Malcolm Casadaban discovered (the hard way) that European descendants with hemochromatosis are more susceptible to lab strains of live plague bacteria. [url]
• Chemistry professor Karen Wetterhahn’s death from mercury poisoning demonstrates that even experts in the field of heavy metals aren’t safe from lab mishaps. Wetterhahn was wearing gloves, just not the right kind of gloves… [url]
• Working alone in a machine shop at night is not a good idea. Biology and chemistry labs are not the only dangerous places for students to be. [url]
• To find more stuff on forensic-related topics, check out what’s currently in the StumbleUpon archives. [url]  

By the way, StumbleUpon can recommend some good Techdirt articles, too.

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