Important Guidelines for Operating a Centrifuge

There are a few pertinent guidelines for operating a centrifuge, even a small one. Following these guidelines can help to prevent damage to the centrifuge as well as possible serious injury to you and others.

• The work surface must be level and firm. It is imperative that you do not use the centrifuge on an uneven or slanted work surface. 
• Balance the tubes in the rotor.  If you want to run a tube with 10 mL of liquid, put another tube with 10 mL of water in the opposing hole on the rotor. If the liquid has a higher or lower density than water, you MUST balance the tubes by mass, not volume.  The total mass of each tube should be as close as possible - this becomes extremely important at very high rotor speeds.  Running a centrifuge with an unbalanced load could permanently cause damage to the centrifuge.  It could also cause injury/harm to you or someone else. Balancing the masses to the nearest 0.1 gram is advisable.  (Ultracentrifuges should have masses balanced very carefully, to as high a precision as is practical.)
• Do not open the lid while the rotor is moving. This is absolutely paramount. Even though many centrifuges have a "safety shutoff" if the lid is opened, the only thing this does is stop powering the rotor. The rotor will still continue to spin due to its own inertia for a while until the friction slows it down and eventually stops it from spinning all together. 
• If you see the centrifuge wobbling or shaking, pull the plug. A little vibration is perfectly normal, but excessive amounts can indicate danger. FIRST, double check to be sure that you correctly balanced the tubes.  If the answer is yes and the wobbling still happens, you should contact the manufacturer or dealer and get the unit serviced as soon as possible. Do NOT continue to run a centrifuge that wobbles visibly when the rotor is spinning.
• Wear a face shield and / or safety goggles. If you have to work anywhere near a centrifuge that's in use it is important that you wear appropriate safety goggles.  Accidents happen, sometimes under the most freakish or unexpected circumstances. The rotor is spinning very rapidly and generates extreme forces so be sure to wear appropriate safety gear. Centrifuge rotors are made to withstand these extreme "centrifugal forces" (i.e., they're designed to give enough centripetal force to keep the rotor together as it spins), but it's better to be prepared in case something fails. It may be fascinating to watch the tubes spin around in the centrifuge, but don't make it a habit. Turn the unit on and keep your distance until well after the timer shuts off the motor- this is just a basic safety rule for all centrifuges.
• Do not bump, jar, or move the centrifuge while the rotor is spinning. Instruct all other persons in the area to stay clear of the unit while it's operating.  Be sure that you don't have the cord dangling from a table edge where someone could catch their foot in it and pull the centrifuge off the table.

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