Mercury Thermometer Swap Initiative

SFU EHS will swap your mercury thermometers with non-mercury alternatives for free.

Simon Fraser University is committed to eliminating non-essential uses of mercury and mercury-containing products. Eliminating even small amounts of mercury reduces the potential for mercury poisoning; the content of a single mercury thermometer can contaminate a twenty-acre lake. Mercury-free thermometers provide comparable accuracy and do not compromise teaching, research or patient care.

As part of this program, operable mercury thermometers can be exchanged for mercury-free alternative thermometers free of charge as specified in following exchange ratio:

Mercury-Free Thermometer Type VWR Cat # Range Exchange Ratio
Fisherbrand™ Red-Spirit™ No-Roll Laboratory Thermometers 14-997 -20°C to +110°C  1:1
Fisherbrand™ General Purpose Liquid-in-Glass Partial Immersion Thermometers 13201555 -10°C to +260°C  1:1

This is a 1:1 swap (i.e. you don't get to keep your thermometer).

For thermometers with temperature ranges above 260°C, EHS is only able to swap these thermometers with the thermometers as listed in the table above (up to 260°C temp range). Contact labsafe@sfu.ca if you have any questions.

Please fill out this web form and EHS will contact you to arrange the thermometer swap.