Factual error: In a number of episodes people are shown eating and drinking in the laboratories. For instance, in "Miss Willows' Regrets" Nick and Greg are seen eating fried chicken in the lab, and in "Overload" Sara eats a sandwich while watching Grissom experiment with her deli pickle. There are other examples. No reputable laboratory (which this is supposed to be) would allow its staff to eat or drink while in the lab. It is basic scientific protocol to prevent contamination of samples or the person picking up toxins on their food.
CSI: Crime Scene Investigation (2000)
Episode list - season 13
More mistakes in CSI: Crime Scene Investigation
Greg Sanders: For the record, I really like having a penis.
Abra Cadaver - S3-E5
Trivia: This episode featured a guest appearance by Tom Noonan. Noonan and series star William Petersen played villain and hero, respectively, in the film "Manhunter."
Question: Why would Catherine take the blame for the lab explosion? If anyone was to blame it was Hodges. Since he accidentally turned on the hot plate and even admits that sometimes it gets switched on by others accidentally, if he had bothered to make sure he didn't switch it on before leaving the room, the explosion never would have happened.