I'm new to my current job and am in charge of doing policy/process improvement. I'm looking for regulations on storing non-blood products such as urine in the BB refrigerators. Any experts on the subject? Any quick links to documents stating suggestions for this? Thanks!

I store my BB reagents and specimens in my one BB ref.  Don't know any regs that forbid storing anything in there.  Just have labeled areas for what ever you are storing - the Feds like that.

I don't think there are any regs.  Keep the blood products on top shelf, followed by reagents and then urine specimens on bottom shelf and label shelves. 

8 hours ago, R1R2 said:

Keep the blood products on top shelf, followed by reagents and then urine specimens on bottom shelf and label shelves. 

I'm afraid that may not work.

We used to keep all of our "in-date" antisera on the top shelf, and our out-dated teaching antisera on the bottom shelf.  This meant that, if any of our "in-date" antisera fell off the shelf into the out-dated teaching antisera, and we didn't notice, it didn't matter.  Sadly, what I had not taken into account was the fact that one of our inspectors (I can't remember whether it was CPA or MHRA) knew much more about physics than did I, and explained to me, in huge detail, that the out-dated antisera must be kept in a separate fridge, in case the out-dated teaching antisera defied the Law of Gravity and flew up to the top shelf and secreted themselves there.

So, everyone out there, be aware that the Physical Laws DO NOT APPLY to out-dated antisera, which is pretty dangerous when you think about it.  In fact, I now rarely open the door of the fridge that contains our out-dated teaching, for fear of flying bottles, and NEVER without holding a stout stick, just in case! 

It pays to be careful Malcolm! Is it a big stick?

Edited February 2, 20169 yr by AMcCord

My understanding is in the UK nothing should be stored in a fridge containing blood products. Any other fridge is fine but reagents must be stored above samples and there should be a dedicated quarantine area for unvalidated reagents.

Before storing reagents with blood products, check your storage temps from the manufacturer.  Generally, reagent storage is 2-8C while blood is 1-6C.  Some agencies consider that a huge difference.  So if you store them together, change the high & low activation alarms to accommodate the difference in temps. 

We keep reagents & specimens in 1 refrigerator at 2-8C & blood in another 1-6C.

1 hour ago, AMcCord said:

It pays to be careful Malcolm! Is it a big stick?

Huge!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Personally I would not want urine in the same refrigerator as blood products, just for infection control reasons.

And suggest not to have reagents and blood in the same as they do have different storage requirements as listed above.

Thank you all! I was looking for some validation to change how they've been storing things in BB. The temp regulation + infection control + separating antisera + separating outdated antisera are all exactly what I needed. Time to make some much needed changes. 

21 hours ago, David Saikin said:

I store my BB reagents and specimens in my one BB ref.  Don't know any regs that forbid storing anything in there.  Just have labeled areas for what ever you are storing - the Feds like that.

I did change my alarm set points to accommodate the low end  of 2C for reagents

Now you just have to make sure that no one stores their lunch in the BB refrigerators. Don't laugh, I found a copy of a very old inspection and it was written up that food was found in one of the BB refrigerators. I also found an apple in one of our reagent refrigerators.

11 hours ago, Malcolm Needs said:

We used to keep all of our "in-date" antisera on the top shelf, and our out-dated teaching antisera on the bottom shelf.  This meant that, if any of our "in-date" antisera fell off the shelf into the out-dated teaching antisera, and we didn't notice, it didn't matter.  Sadly, what I had not taken into account was the fact that one of our inspectors (I can't remember whether it was CPA or MHRA) knew much more about physics than did I, and explained to me, in huge detail, that the out-dated antisera must be kept in a separate fridge, in case the out-dated teaching antisera defied the Law of Gravity and flew up to the top shelf and secreted themselves there.

Oh no!  That's how we store ours!

The last facility I worked in had 1 (one) blood bank refrigerator.  Everything relating to blood bank requiring refrigeration  was stored in that refrigerator.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!

20 hours ago, David Saikin said:

I did change my alarm set points to accommodate the low end  of 2C for reagents

So did I.

18 hours ago, tricore said:

Now you just have to make sure that no one stores their lunch in the BB refrigerators. Don't laugh, I found a copy of a very old inspection and it was written up that food was found in one of the BB refrigerators. I also found an apple in one of our reagent refrigerators.

I know of one BBer who chills their Red Bull on a night shift in the ultra deep freeze.

ETA - it's not me and I no longer work there.

Edited February 3, 20169 yr by Auntie-D

11 hours ago, John C. Staley said:

The last facility I worked in had 1 (one) blood bank refrigerator.  Everything relating to blood bank requiring refrigeration  was stored in that refrigerator.  Sometimes you just have to do what you have to do!

I just have one - ditto

19 hours ago, tricore said:

Now you just have to make sure that no one stores their lunch in the BB refrigerators. Don't laugh, I found a copy of a very old inspection and it was written up that food was found in one of the BB refrigerators. I also found an apple in one of our reagent refrigerators.

I found a box of popsicles in the plasma freezer on the bottom shelf at the very back, whoever stored them there (no one fessed up) knew they were wrong.

Of course, popsickles should NEVER be stored on the very bottom shelf!

 

Otherwise you are in for freezer burn.

 

Scott

I also have my refrigerators set at 2-6C (if reagent refrigerator is down I need to move them somewhere). I contacted the FDA and AABB regarding storage of fecal samples in an ultra-low freezer with tissue products and they stated as along as they are on a separate labeled shelf that it is fine.

13 hours ago, pinktoptube said:

I also have my refrigerators set at 2-6C (if reagent refrigerator is down I need to move them somewhere). I contacted the FDA and AABB regarding storage of fecal samples in an ultra-low freezer with tissue products and they stated as along as they are on a separate labeled shelf that it is fine.

Thanks for that info!

On Thursday, February 04, 2016 at 7:00 PM, pinktoptube said:

I also have my refrigerators set at 2-6C (if reagent refrigerator is down I need to move them somewhere). I contacted the FDA and AABB regarding storage of fecal samples in an ultra-low freezer with tissue products and they stated as along as they are on a separate labeled shelf that it is fine.

Yes, I'm doing the same with our fecal transplant samples.

I once inspected a lab many years ago and found the Glucola stored in the Chemistry refrig on the shelf under the Urine samples.  Oops, had to ding them on that one.  Our Pathologist told them that it would have been preferable to have the Glucola on a shelf above the Urines.......he had not heard of the laws of gravity not working and flying reagents that Malcolm has.

Same reason I do not store my Guinness over my toilet...

 

Scott

I just realized that the flying phenomena is isolated to the UK...after all...Mary Poppins....Harry Potter....I think we are safe in the USA