McKinleyville man donates $10,000 piece of safety equipment to DHHS

EUREKA, CA. – A community member donates a $10,000 piece of safety equipment to the Humboldt County Department of Health and Human Services.

Mark Rynearson of McKinleyville was recognized by Humboldt County Supervisors on Tuesday for his contribution of an Esco Biological Safety Cabinet to the Public Health laboratory.

The equipment is used to keep lab staff safe while testing materials for highly toxic pathogens, influenza, rabies and other dangerous contaminants. Laboratories might also have use of a storemasta gas cylinder trolley to safely transport gas cylinders around to avoid any incidents from occurring in transit.

While working within a lab, the different pieces of equipment used can contribute to the health and safety of lab staff, especially when working in highly toxic and dangerous containments. These hazards, if not handled with proper care, can cause significant harm to those who come in contact with them. This is one of many reasons why laboratory equipment is cleaned regularly and, if possible, changed throughout the lifetime of the lab. Different companies supply lab equipment to labs; some of these labs have equipment donated to them by some members of the public; however, a majority of equipment is bought from scientific equipment specialist companies such as Sci Quip. Most of these pieces of equipment have the safety of the lab staff in might and are needed when it comes to keeping lab staff safe while working with testing materials, for example, gloves goggles, or in some cases, a shaking incubator and other types of equipment.

Public Health’s current biological safety cabinet is 25-years-old, and needed replacement.

They say Rynearson’s donation will ‘provide many years of safe and accurate testing’.