Lab Safety
Lab Safety
• Chemical hazards
• Electrical hazards
• Physical/mechanical hazards
• Radiation hazards
• Fire hazards
• Biological (infection) hazards
3
Who are at risk?
• Laboratory staff
• Receptionists
• Laboratory cleaners
• Patients
• Visitors
4
Sources of chemical hazards
• Chemical disinfectants
• Volatile chemicals
• Substrate tablets for ELISA
• Other laboratory reagents, e.g. acids,
strong alkalis, poisons
5
Precautions against chemical
hazards
• Don'ts
- No mouth pipetting
- No tasting of chemicals
- Never add water to acid
- Never store corrosive
chemicals in plastic/rubber WATER
containers
ACID
8
Sources of physical/mechanical
hazards
• The following are not recommended for a
laboratory:
– Over crowding
– Polished floor
– Improper furniture
– Improper use of equipment
9
Equipment that may cause
hazards
• Cold storage tanks
• Autoclaves
• Centrifuges
• Mechanical shakers
• Vortex mixers
10
Equipment/devices that help to
prevent hazards
• Bio-safety cabinets
• Pipetting aids
• Centrifuge caps
• Gloves
• Goggles
• Masks
11
Biological safety cabinets
13
Class I BSC
- Protection of worker: inward
airflow
- Protection of environment:
exhaust to outside through
HEPA filter
-No protection of research
materials: air in cabinet not
sterile
-Designed for low and
moderate risk microbiological
agents
14
Class II BSC
-Protection of worker:
inward airflow
-Protection of environment:
exhaust to outside through
HEPA filter
- Protection of research
materials: downward
laminar flow of HEPA-
filtered air provides product
protection
15
Biological
safety
cabinet
Type II
16
Class III BSC
-Provides the highest level of
product, environmental, and
personnel protection
• Respiratory mask
18
Gloves
•Always wash hands before
wearing gloves
•Always wear the right size of
gloves
•Always wear gloves when handling
body fluids
•Always change gloves between
clients
•Always wear and remove gloves
properly
20
CONTINUATION (GLP)
21
Sources of radiation hazards
• Use of radioisotopes
• Improper disposal
• Improper storage
22
Precautions against fire hazards
• No smoking in the laboratory
• Stopper all flammable chemicals tightly when not in use
• Keep flammable chemicals away from naked flames
• Drain flammable liquids down the sink with plenty of water
• Do not use an open flame against a background of direct sunlight
• Extinguish open flames when not in use
• Handle hot objects with tongs or forceps
• Set up emergency fire-fighting measures at the exit door of the
laboratory:
- Sand bucket
- Fire extinguisher (carbon dioxide type)
23
Sources of biological hazards
• Inhalation
• Ingestion
• Contamination of open cuts
• Accidental pricks
24
Precautions against biological
hazards (infection)
• Regard every specimen as potentially infectious
• Flame metal instruments, e.g. wire loops, forceps, at
arm’s length
• Do not recap needles to avoid accidental pricks
• Cap infective fluids securely before centrifuging
• Empty broken glass from centrifuge buckets into a
container of disinfectant and not into the sink
25
Never place needles or sharps in
office waste containers!!
26
Do’s and Don’ts: Sharps and
Waste Containers
27
Post-HIV Exposure Prophylaxis
(PEP)…
In case of needle PRICK:
3. Counsel the recipient immediately & perform a rapid HIV test. The
recipient must be HIV negative to benefit from PEP
31
Disinfection
32
Disinfection methods
1. Boiling in water
35
Chemical disinfectants
• Alcohols, e.g. methyl alcohol, ethyl alcohol,
isopropyl alcohol
36
How do chemical disinfectants
work?
• Protein denaturisation and precipitation, e.g. alcohols,
phenols, aldehydes
• Disruption of cell membranes, e.g. bleach
• Factors determining the effectiveness of chemical
disinfectants:
- concentration of chemical
- time of application
- frequency of change
- presence of inactivating materials, e.g. organic materials
(blood, stool)
- pH
37
Chemical disinfection:
criteria for choosing disinfectants
• Mode of action
- Cidal
- Static
• Rate of action
- Concentration
• Side effects
- Corrosiveness
- Irritant vapours
- Staining properties
38
Common disinfectants: dilutions, activity, and
potential applications
Disinfecta Working solution Activity Routine use
nt
Alcohols 70% Kills a wide range of Skin disinfectant
vegetative bacteria
and HIV. Does not kill
bacterial and fungal
spores
Phenols 5% Lysol® Kills a wide range of Re-usable glassware e.g. slides, tubes
vegetative bacteria etc. 10% Lysol® for body fluids
2% Lysol®, and some viruses Washing hands
Sudol®, Hycolin® after 30 minutes.
Does not kill bacterial
spores
Halogens 0.5% hypochlorite Kills viruses, General hospital disinfectant of choice for
solution vegetative bacteria, gloves, spillage, broken glass
spores and fungi Do not use on metal instruments
Note: Prepare freshly each day.
39
0.1% hypochlorite Washing hands
0.25% iodine Skin disinfectant
Sterilisation
40
Sterilisation methods
• Flaming
• Filtration
• Hot air oven (dry heat)
• Autoclaving (steam under pressure)
• Incineration
41
What sterilisation methods are
used at Health Centre and District
Hospital levels?
What sterilisation methods are used
at Health Centre and District
Hospital levels?
• Flaming
• Autoclaving (steam under pressure)
• Incineration
43
Steam under pressure
The autoclaving cycle
121oC
15 min
100oC A = boiling
B = air expulsion
C = pressure building
D = holding time
A B C D E
E = cooling
44
Indicators of sterilisation
• Autoclave tape
48
How to use a simple incinerator
1. Place the material in the incinerator
52
Thank you!