Nowadays "Safety" takes up a major role in all the Laboratories, let it be safety equipment or safety measures. This powerpoint gives you a rough idea of the various hazards that may occur in a laboratory and the steps to be taken to prevent them. Also a small note is given on the Biomedical Waste and its management.
2. OSHA – Occupational Safety & Health Administration
CDC – Centers for Disease Control & prevention
put forward numerous safety standards applicable to clinical
laboratories.
Key Elements For safety in Clinical Lab:
• Formal safety programme
• Documented policies & effective use of mandated plans in chemical
hygiene, exposure to blood borne pathogens, etc.
• Identification of significant occupational hazards (biological, chemical,
fire & electrical hazards) and how to deal with each of them.
• Recognition of other relevant safety areas of concern (effective waste
manangement, etc.)
3. Safety Programme.
i. Safety officer / Chair of safety committee
ii. 1 Chemical Hygiene officer
iii. General Laboratory safety manual – to be given to all new
employees.
iv. Continuing education program for laboratories – should
include periodic talks on safety.
v. Ensure that laboratory environment meets accepted safety
standards.
4. Safety Equipment.
o Clothing (lab coats/gowns)
o Gloves
o Eye protection
o Eye/Face washers
o Heat-resistant (non-asbestos) gloves – To handle hot glassware
& dry ice.
o Safety goggles/glasses/visors.
o Tongs – To handle hot beakers
o Polyethylene pumps – To pump acids from large bottles
o Spill kits (For acids, caustic materials & flammable solvents)
7. Biological Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Never perform mouth pipetting
♠ Do not mix potentially infectious material by bubbling air
through the liquid
♠ Barrier protection (gloves, masks, gowns, protective eye wear)
♠ Frequent hand washing
♠ Keep the hands away from mouth, nose, eyes & mucous
membrane – to avoid self-inoculation.
♠ Decontaminate all surfaces & reusable devices after use.
♠ All patient specimens to be treated as potentially hazardous.
♠ Try to prevent accidental injuries.
♠ Dispose off all sharps appropriately.
♠ Hepatitis B vaccine to be taken by all employees at risk of
accidental exposure.
8. Chemical Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Handle bottles of chemicals & solutions carefully
♠ Glass containers with chemicals – To be transported in
rubber/plastic containers that protects them from breakage & will
contain the spill in case , it happens.
♠ Appropriate spill kits
♠ Hold the bottle firmly around its body (Not by the neck) either
with 1 hand or both depending on the size of the bottle
♠ Acids, caustic materials & strong oxidizing agents – to be mixed in
the sink (provides water for cooling & confinement of reagent in
case the bottle breaks)
♠ Never pour water into a concentrated acid. Acid should be poured
slowly into water.
♠ Label the bottles properly.
♠ Labels to be color coded
9. Electrical Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Worn out wires should be replaced
♠ All electric equipments to be grounded with 3 prong plugs.
♠ Use of extension cords – to be minimised.
♠ Electrical equipments & connections – Not to be handled with
wet hands.
♠ No electrical equipment to be used after liquid has been spilled
over it.
♠ Lay electrical cords where no one can trip on them or get caught
in them.
♠ Never poke anything into electrical outlets
♠ Unplug cords by pulling the plug and not the cord.
♠ Unplug all electrical equipment at the end of the lab period.
10. Fire Hazards & Steps for prevention.
♠ Fire extinguisher to be provided near every laboratory door.
♠ Flammable substances – (a) Use minimum quantity, (b) store
in special storage cabinet, (c) Use temperature controlled
heating sources (like water bath rather than hot-plate or
bunsen burner.)
11. ♠ When lighting a burner, wait until a match is struck or the
striker is in place before you turn on the gas.
♠ The amount of air can be adjusted by the air supply valve
below the tube of the burner. This regulates the flame
temperature and color.
♠ Never leave a burner or hotplate unattended.
♠ Always point the top ends of test tubes that are being heated
heated, away from people.
♠ When heating a test tube, move it around slowly over the
flame to distribute the heat evenly.
12. General Tidiness.
♠ Keep your workplace tidy
♠ Clear up waste, deal with washing up and put things away as you
finish with them
♠ Make sure everything is safe before you leave things unattended
♠ Avoid spillage.
♠ After handling chemicals, always wash your hands with soap and
water.
♠ During lab work, keep your hands away from your face.
♠ Tie back long hair.
♠ Roll up loose sleeves.
♠ Keep the work area uncluttered. Take to the lab station only what is
necessary.
♠ Refrain loose clothing and jewelery.
13. ♠ Wear glasses rather than contact lenses.
♠ Clean up the laboratory area at the end of the day’s work.
♠ Pour down a glass stirring rod to prevent liquids from splattering.
♠ Do not place hot glassware in water. Rapid cooling may make it
shatter.
♠ Never taste any chemicals
♠ If you need to smell the odor of a chemical, waft the fumes toward
your nose with one hand. Do not put your nose over the container
and inhale the fumes.
♠ Wash your hands after handling chemicals.
14. Glassware Safety.
♠ Pour down a glass stirring rod to prevent liquids from
splattering.
♠ Do not place hot glassware in water. Rapid cooling may make it
shatter.
15. Let the waste of the “sick” not
contaminate the lives of “The
Healthy”
16. Biomedical Waste
DEFINITION
♠ Any solid or liquid waste generated during the diagnosis,
testing, treatment, research or production of biological
products for humans or animals. (WHO).
♠ WHO estimates:
- 85% of hospital waste as non-hazardous.
- 10% is infectious
- 5% is non infectious, but consists of hazardous chemicals.
17. 1) Survey of waste generated
2) Segregation of hospital waste
3) Collection & Categorization of waste
4) Storage of waste
5) Transportation of waste
6) Treatment of waste
18. WASTE CATEGORY TYPE OF WASTE TREATMENT
Category No. 1 Human Anatomical Waste Incineration/ Deep Burial
Category No. 2 Animal Waste Incineration/ Deep Burial
Category No. 3 Microbiology &
Biotechnology Waste
Local Autoclaving/
Microwaving/Incineration
Category No. 4 Waste Sharps Autoclaving/Microwaving/Dis
infection/Chemical Treatment
Category No. 5 Discarded Medicine &
Cytotoxic drugs
Incineration & Drug disposal
in safe landfills
Category No. 6 Soiled Waste Incineration/Autoclaving/
Microwaving
Category No. 7 Solid Waste Autoclaving/Microwaving/
Disinfection
Category No. 8 Liquid Waste Chemical treatment &
discharge into drains
Category No. 9 Incineration Ash Landfill
Category No. 10 Chemical Waste Chemical treatment &
19. COLOR CODING TYPE OF CONTAINER WASTE CATEGORY
YELLOW Plastic Bags Category 1, 2, 3 & 6
RED Disinfected Container/ Plastic Bags Category 3, 6 & 7
BLUE Plastic Bags/Puncture proof
container
Category 4 & 7
BLACK Plastic Bags Category 5, 9 & 10