Safety in the Laboratory

• Prevention Control- Prevention of nosocomial or health-care-

  associated infections
• Factors of Prevention Control:

  Prevention

  Monitoring/Investigation

  Surveillance, Investigation and Management
• Nosocomial infection- Infections contracted within the hospital or those not clinically apparent until the discharge of a patient or infections contracted by a health care professional as a result of their direct or indirect contact with patients
• Community acquired- infections that are acquired outside the hospital or those who become clinically apparent within 48 hours of hospital admission
• Direct- physical transfer of pathogens from reservoir to a susceptible host
• Indirect- fomite handled before contact with a susceptible host
• DROPLET- Droplets from an infected person are propelled short distances (up to 3 feet)
• Droplets can enter the susceptible host through nasal mucosa, mouth, conjunctiva of the eye
• AIRBORNE- Small particles carry the pathogens. Particles can be widely dispersed by air currents before inhaled by a host
• VEHICLE-BORNE -Fomites come in contact with contaminated items such as food, linen, equipment
• VECTOR-BORNE -Living host comes in contact with a

  contaminated item. Animal or insect becomes a vector that

  carries and transmits the disease to susceptible host
• Personal Protective Equipment- is equipment worn to minimize exposure to hazards that cause serious workplace

  injuries and illnesses. These injuries and illnesses may result from contact with chemical, radiological, physical,

  electrical, mechanical, or other workplace hazards.
• PPE was mandated by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration
• LAB GOWN- Adds an additional layer of protection for skin
• GLOVES- Avoid direct contact to highly infectious agents
• MASK- Required when drawing blood from PATIENTS WITH TRANSMISSIBLE DISEASES
• Natural fibers are recommended because they are fire resistant.
• Standard Precaution- Combines hand hygiene and PPE use when working with blood and body fluids, non-intact skin, or mucous membranes (Sweat is not included). Reduces the risk of microorganism transmission from both recognized and unrecognized sources of infection
• Source- when patients with contagious diseases are placed into a room to protect other people from becoming infected
• Protective- protect an immunocompromised patient who is at high risk of acquiring micro-organisms from either the environment or from other patients, staff or visitors
• Medical Biohazards- any materials that may be contaminated with infectious agents.
• Always wear gloves and place them only in bags or containers that are red and are clearly labeled as biohazards.
• The handling and disposal of biohazard- ous wastes are regulated both by individual state regulatory committees and by OSHA and the CDC at the federal level.
• In 1991 OSHA developed the Bloodborne Pathogens Standard. This standard requires that healthcare facilities provide annual employee training on preventing exposure to bloodborne pathogens as well as using the necessary personal protective equipment
• The Bloodborne Pathogens Standard also mandates other requirements. Employers must offer the hepatitis B vaccine (HBV) at no charge to all employees who are reasonably expected to come in contact with blood or other potentially infectious materials (OPIM)
• exposure control plan- is a protocol to be followed in the event an employee is exposed to bloodborne pathogens.
• A needlestick injury is a percutaneous (through the skin) piercing wound that is caused by the point of a needle. Injuries caused by other sharp instruments or objects, such as lancets, blades, or glass slides, are also included in this category.
• Through the recommendation of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) and the Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA), the Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act was passed in 2001.
• The Needlestick Safety and Prevention Act mandates the use of safety devices that reduce needlestick injuries in the clinical setting.
• sharps container -must be used for the proper disposal of needles and other sharps.
• Sharps containers should be discarded into a designated biohazardous waste container when they become two-thirds to three-quarters full.
• In 2004, the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) published the NIOSH Alert: Preventing Occupational Exposures to Antineoplastic and Other Hazardous Drugs in Health Care Settings. This Alert is frequently updated and includes a list of hazardous drugs and recommendations for safe handling.
• Depending on the type of spill, a biohazard spill cleanup kit may be needed. These kits contain special hazardous waste control products such as disposable dustpans and brushes for cleaning up broken glass that has contained blood or other biohazardous material
• a designated safety officer is responsible for implementing a laboratory safety program.
• Physical hazards in the healthcare setting are any nonbiological objects that may cause injury or illness to healthcare employees, patients, or visitors.
• physical hazards can result from using improper ergonomics in the workplace or lack of commonsense practices.
• Phlebotomists may need to process specimens of various temperatures. For example, some specimens must be frozen at –112°F (–80°C) or even stored in liquid nitrogen.
• thermal gloves and hot mitts- used when handling heated or cooled specimens.
• Safety awareness is also important when using the vacuum systems that are found in most hospitals. These systems are used to transport pneumatic tubes to and from the laboratory.
• Ergonomics is the practice of adapting a job task or equipment so that you can perform the task safely and productively.